Cairo

This has to be the most intensely crazy city in the world.  You can’t walk 5 meters without someone offering you a taxi, directions to shops and streets, or polishing of your canvas shoes.  Thankfully most people are fairly jovial once you decline their offers, but it can be disconcerting when the ‘police’ ask for bribe money.  This happened in the Egyptian museum where a seemingly friendly guard suggested I take a photo, and then demanded 50 Egyptian pounds as payment (as there were no cameras allowed in the museum). He got 2.

There are also 2 options when crossing the busy streets.  You either pay a ‘police’ officer to stop traffic for you, or you just run out and hope for the best.  We’ve been doing as the Egyptians do, and now it seems strangely normal to jump out into oncoming traffic blaring their horns at you.

As for horns, not a second goes by in this city where you can’t here one.  Especially from taxis zooming past wanting your custom.

Thankfully our hotel seems to be one of the better cheap options in Cairo, and is serving as a welcome sanctuary.  We have had to get used to showering in the toilet, however.