M-whY

Finding my 'Nile Hilton' took the better part of the morning. The TV in the lobby was tuned to CNN, in english. I resisted the urge to sit down in front of the tube, knowing there'd be plenty of time for that in the near future. A shit and shave later, I was back on the streets of Cairo.

I decided to explore the city on foot today. It's cheaper than hiring taxis, and less complicated than solving local bus routes. Not to mention a great exercise too. If the last scale I stepped on was correct, I've lost 20lbs since leaving home 11 months ago. Crossing from downtown Cairo to Islamic Cairo, I felt the collective pulse of a city 20 million Cairenes, none of which I had any business with. Don't these people have jobs? Shouldn't they be off working somewhere? Following the mob, I ended up a meat market. Sometimes my mouth waters looking at a raw steak knowing how good it'll be after cooked, but I had a hard time imagining anything savory coming out of the slabs hanging on hooks here.

It was around this intersection I admitted being lost. Right, left, or continue straight? It took me a couple guesses, but I did end up at Khan al-Khalili. I visited at the markets here last time I was in Cairo, and so I continued on up a hill, under an overpass, onto a dusty road leading through - cue horror flick sound byte - the City of the Dead. I'm sure I've played a video game of the same title at some point. This municipality gets its name from the mausoleums built here in the past. It used to be Egyptian tradition that family tombs would be designed with rooms where passing visitors could stay overnight. The dead hoped that in this way, they'd be remembered; The city's homeless saw it as free accomodation. And it's been this way for centuries.

Down a narrow lane, I reached the Mosque of Qaitbey. This obscure mosque that sees few visitors - outside the two men knelt in prayer, I was the only one there - is featured on the Eฃ1 note, supporting my guidebook's assertion that it marks the pinnacle of Islamic architecture in Cairo. The dome, as described, was amazingly intricate. I climbed the constricting spiral staircase of the minaret for sweeping views of the necropolis.

Tess, the English woman I met in Luxor, had mentioned to me her favorite place in Cairo had been here, citing the friendliness of the people. I was a bit skeptical at first - the types I've come across so far hasn't given me great impressions of locals - but she turned out to be right. The caretaker of the mosque didn't charge me 'donations' like yesterday. I tipped him Eฃ5 for pointing out some of the mosque's highlights, which he pocketed graciously. As I wandered through the streets, some of the more bold kids paused what they were doing to greet me. A pair of boys that couldn't have been older than 10 rode up to me on their bikes to wave 'Hello' before speeding off. To tell the whole story, yes, there were a couple requests for baksheesh, but overall, I came away with a encouraging reaction.

As with most poor neighborhoods, sanitation appears to be an afterthought, as unsightly garbage littered the streets. Livestock was kept in the strangest of places, for example, tightly packed in small area next to (a different) mosque. A bottle of soda cost 25 plasters (Eฃ0.25) provided I drink it on the spot and return the glass bottle. I gave myself plenty of time for the long trek back to my hotel. As enjoyable as it was poking around during the day, the City of the Dead didn't seem like the place to be after dark. After all, I left my zombie blasting shotgun back at home.

I'm happy to conclude my last day, in Egypt and overall, on a positive note. What made it even better was having a nice room to return to for a good night's sleep. I haven't felt homesick at all the entire time traveling, but I'll admit, now the idea of returning home is becoming very appealing...

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!