Cairo--Beyond Description

Monday, May 11, 2009
Cairo, Egypt
Salaam Aleikam. We have now been in Cairo for about a day and a half, and the emotions and sights we have already experienced leaves one speechless. This city, home to upwards of 12 million people, and perhaps as many horses, goats, sheep, donkeys, and other fauna of all types is a study is contrasts--the collision of the ancient and the contemporary, extreme poverty punctuated with displays of great wealth, the mystical ways of the east intersecting with the consumerism of the west. This is a place where you can see men in their traditional garb sheparding a herd of sheep through a downtown street whilst talking on their cellphones, Mercedes manoevering the streets with donkey carts bearing all manner of goods, be it fruit or herbs, construction materials or trash. The streets alive with all manner of vehicles in every imaginable condition, all vying for the same space. The resulting congestion results in little regard for traffic laws or safety. Being in one of these vehicles is as exciting an experience as any amusement park ride, and reminiscent of an Indiana Jones film. All that's missing is pursuing Nazis and a whip for me. Our driver could definitely qualify for Formula One, performing almost miraculous driving stunts in dealing with the traffic, pedestrians, and aforementioned animal population. Horns are everywhere and honking appears to be a national competitive sport here, with every driver wishing to outdo the others. It's crazy, but SO MUCH FUN. I have been sitting in the 'death seat' and find myself alternatively chortling with glee and gasping in fear.

Traffic aside, the city sports some pretty amazing architecture, with the buildings having intricate patterns in the design, the tans, browns, yellows, and other colours of the desert, either lush landscaping or a complete lack of it, mosques everywhere, domes, arches, and African themes. You see hyroglyphics, ancient drawings recreated in the signage, cursive Arabic script and English, sleek modernism, or many unfinished buildings (no taxes on them until they're finished, an incentive for the population to leave them in this state). In its totality, it leaves us with the impression of complexity, and wonder that it all manages to continue. Infrastructure, as far as we can see, is shaky, with rubble, dirt, and pollution rampart. Yet, despite all this, this is a city that one falls in love with. The Cairenes that we have met are all intensely proud of their city, and other tourists we've talked with are likewise captivated by it all. And so are we.

We are having the most amazing experiences. Yesterday, for instance, we started the day by touring the Egyptian Museum, which contains a huge collection of antiquities, as you might expect. It is the size of the collection (120,000 pieces), but moreso the size of the displays and the immense variety of these displays simply boggles your mind. You willnever see more mummies, sarcophaci, items used in the daily lives of the poeple and rulers who lived 3500 years ago or more. The condition of many of these items is astounding given their age. The highlight of the visit was the Tutankhamon display. Although Toronto had a display of Tut items 20 years ago, this collection dwarfs it a hundred times over. The items are all in extra fine condition and colour, a stunning testament to the fact that the tomb was one of the only ones found untouched by human hand until the time it was discovered. It contained all the things he would need for the afterlife, a treasure trove of everything from linen socks and underwear to plates to artwork. Contrary to myth, wives or servants of the kings were not buried with the king, although drawings, representations, papyrus documents, and other items relating to these people were.
It was humbling to see the immense tribute paid to these rulers, in many cases, matched by their own self-image. These rulers were going to be enjoying the afterlife in style, and it appears that they sought to ensure that they would be remembered by those who followed them as well.

Today, we saw much evidence of this, as we toured the pyramids of Saqqara and Giza. Saqqara is an area about 30 minutes outside Cairo which contains the first pyramids, designed by Imhotep. The first consists of 6 levels layered in steps, like a wedding cake. It is comprised of thousands of huge limestone blocks (1 ton or more) piled in such a way to make cement or mortar unnecessary. THis formed the basis for all subsequent pyramid design, with the notable exception that these following pyramids resembled the shape of pyramids we are familiar with. The site contained a total of 12 pyramids of the 118 known pyramids in Egypt. We were able to walk the steep incline into one of the tombs which required a stooping walk due to the low ceilings. Once inside we were rewarded with carved hieroglyphics and symbols related to the buried ruler, his life, and the gods. This felt so unreal, like being at a Disney attraction--except this was authentic.

After Saqqara, we drove to Giza, in which the Great Pyramid is located. So much has been written and said about this pyramid, but nothing equals the vision of seeing the immensity of this structure and once again, seeing the engineering required to create this 7th wonder of the world. The vast number of stones of many tons (2.3 million of them, we were told), left us in complete awe. A sight never to be forgotten. Yet, this pyramid was one of 3 built by three successive generations of rulers. We viewed them from a point which allowed us the opportunity to see them all in one vista. The blue blue skies were a stunning backdrop, as well as the blazing sun and golden desert sands. Breathtaking would not be an overstatement.

The day was concluded with a vsit to the Sphinx, which defies the mind in its magnificence. It was a crowning moment of the trip to date. We feel so fortunate to be here, to be able to delight in these sights, and to do it together.

My time is tight, and I have to conclude this entry now, as Bonnie is waiting back at the hotel so that we can get out tonight to explore Cairo by night. There is so much more to write, which I will try to do in our next entry.

Once again, thanks to all who have written us either via blog comments or by email. We really appreciate hearing from you.

Ma salaama. David and Bonnie
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Comments

melissagquest
2009-05-29

Photos? Photos?
David, after this description I'm all but drooling to see the visuals! I hope you're taking lots of photos, even if you can't post them, and I'm expecting a deluxe showing of all of them when you get back!

Mici

2025-02-12

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