Cairo Cars

Went out for an Indian tonight with my
co-trainer for the month, Nick. He knows Cairo quite well as he runs a few courses here every year. We walked to the restaurant from the school, in Agouza, a 15 mins stroll in the early evening heat. Nice change to our nomal routine of getting a taxi ride home to the hotel, which, although would only be a 25 min walk, wouldn't be that pleasant in work clothes with the heat and dust. We might do it on the way back one night though. Good meal and then took this shot on the way out of the restaurant. Making plans for the weekend now and I can hear a market calling! My living allowance is burning a hole in my pocket....and I only got it today!

PS Forgot to say that I had my first experience of trying to cross a Cairo street the other morning when the taxi driver dropped me off on the other side of the 'motorway' from the school. I honestly couldn't see how I was going to get across - no zebra crossings, traffic lights, nothing! I saw a young Egyptian couple up the road a bit and had to go up and ask them for help. She took my hand and when her husband said, 'Now!' we all went for it. The trick it seems is to just get one car to stop for you in the first lane, then wait there with that lane stopped until you get one to stop in the next lane, and so on! Scary stuff I tell you! I now know the words in Egyptian Arabic for 'U turn please!!'