Cairo, Egypt - December 2011

Tuesday afternoon, December 13, we arrived in Cairo after a short flight from Sharm el-Sheik. This was our fourth time being in Cairo airport and will be back one more time when we leave for home.

It was a windy and cool day in Cairo. The city is a bustling home to 20 million people and it is always on the move.  The streets are gridlocked with horns blowing all the time. We call it the "Cairo Symphony" just like the streets of Saigon we saw in the past. Beyond the busy traffic and noise in Cairo, we could see the beauty and intricacy of the old European architecture with the big homes and mansions lining the wide boulevards.

Our hotel is located in the Zamalek area, on the west side of the Nile, across from downtown and Tahrir Square. Zamalek is a trendy international residential district. The main thoroughfare is the 26 July Blvd. where we can find great pizza at Maison Thomas and many European boutiques.

We spent the first evening in town at Khan al-Khalili market and the surrounding area. It's the big, central market of Cairo.  It began as a medieval bazaar located in Islamic Cairo. Bordering the market, there are old and stately mosques with impressive minarets and domes as well as other historic buildings. You can buy almost any tourist trinket you could think of.  The bazaar also has a gold and spice market.

Buying sweet potato from a street vendor in Khan al-Khalili.



Having coffee at El Fishawis, the oldest coffee shop in Khan al-Khalili.- Paul had his shoes shined while here.


One of the must-see attractions to Cairo is the Citadel. We spent the morning here, walking around the complex, visiting the Mohammed Ali Mosque built in 1830 and the older Suleiman Pasha built in 1528.  There was a military museum located in the complex. From the vantage point of the Citadel, we can see Cairo.  However, the view was obstructed by a thick brown cloud (smog). 

The Citadel



Mohammed Ali Mosque



View from the Citadel

Since we are in Cairo on a Wednesday evening, we were able to attend the dance of the Whirling Dervishes in the Al-Ghouri Complex. These dancers, the Sufis, belong to a semi-mystical branch of Islam. We were told the theater would be full, so we got to the theater two hours before the performance. We did not know what to expect.  The performance turned out to be one of the highlights of our Cairo visit.  The dance was full of upbeat music and colorful costumes. It's a splendid performance and we were glad to see.


Whirling Dervishes