Living in the Land of Sun, Sand, History and Noise
The past three years of living in Cairo have certainly seen its ups and downs. I can say I am not fond of the city because of the noise, traffic, pollution, and constant disregard for trying to clean up the city. The bus rides to work are usually mired with traffic and long waits which makes it very difficult for anyone. It does have its good points which is a strong expat community with a lot of activities going on, the ease of getting things delivered to you, and cheap mobile phone plans. The area I live in is mostly an expat area with expat clubs and a lot of foreign items.
First and foremost, the delivery system here is great. As anyone that knows me knows that I do not like to leave my apartment, I can get anything delivered at anytime pretty much. We use the following sites:
Grocery Delivery- Dakakyn is an online supermarket in which you can order anything your hearts desire and have it delivered to you for as little as 75 cents!!!! If they do not have it, then you can simply run down to the supermarket and find it.
Restaurant Delivery- I am surprised with how many foreign restaurants are in this city. You can order anything from Egyptian food, to TGI Fridiays, to Chile’s to Mcdonalds etc. All you do is log onto Otlob, And go to the various restaurants they have their and BAM!!! Your food is delivered to you within the hour. This makes it great for late night snacks!!!
Alcohol Delivery- I can honestly say that Egyptian Beer, Wine, and Liquor is absolute shit, but you can get it delivered anytime. I think the Ancient Egyptians were better with alcohol making than the current Egyptians (obviously it is a country that does not consume copious amounts of alcohol so why would they need good drinks), but everyone here wants a good drink every once in a while. There is a store online that you can order anything you want. Go Cheers, is a site where you can order anything you want from beer, to wine, to spirits and have it delivered right to your door. Having a party and you run out of alcohol? No problem!!! Go Cheers will deliver right to your door.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Delivery- Usually I just order from Dakakyn or the local Fruit and Vegetable shop, however there are times when I like to order from Makar Farms. This farm delivers seasonal fruits and vegetables right to your door. This is stuff that you cannot find anywhere else in Cairo!!!
Expat Clubs are a big thing here for social events and for people to meet. There are plenty of bars and nightclubs in Cairo, but these places are where people usually meet for a night out.
BCA– This club has two locations in Cairo-Kattamaya and also Maadi. I really do not frequent here a lot as to me it has no real atmosphere. They do have a nice lawn and have good trivia nights. You can also find foreign liquor here which is a plus
Ace Club– This is where most people I know meet up. If you can imagine a bar like the TV show Cheers with people sitting in the same places usually, then this is for you. I like going here and sometimes I go after basketball or just to hang out. I can say this is my favorite place, but it definitely is the most lively place. They used to have foreign alcohol, but it got raided so now you are stuck with Egyptian alcohol, which people go there not for the drinks but the atmosphere. They also have killer pizzas that are nice and greasy!!!! This is open for membership only, to any nationalities, however you can enter with any guest at a nominal fee!!!
Maadi House– This is the most selective club that is only open to American Embassy, CAC International School, and AIS International School. This is my favorite as I love the food, the buffet brekfasts, the pool, and the foreign liquor and beers. This is defiantly lacking the social aspect of the Ace Club, as it is more for families. But I like the quietness here and they also have good events with themes whenever a holiday pops up. I have had a membership here for the last three years and of course sometimes I go more times than other times.
As for the city of Cairo, like I said before, I am not a big fan of it. Living here has its ups and downs. I really am not impressed with the streets or social aspect of things so I just prefer usually to stay in. This city is probably the dirtiest place I have ever been and it is pretty much a concrete jungle. I would say about half of the apartments buildings are not even inhabited and are half finished. What do like is driving around you will see everything and anything and it absolutely cracks me up on the highways and streets….
I have only visited the Giza Pyramids once!!!! Reason why? When you go there it is completely dirty and you cannot have a relaxing time with all the vendors bothering you and trying to get money. I believe they have since cleaned it up with the vendors, but they need to bring a company in to make it more attractive to tourists. It was however awe inspiring to see monuments that have withstood the test of time….
Another thing that is popular to do is rent a Felucca with a bunch of friends for a few hours and just sit upon the Nile and have drinks and finger foods and just relax….
I had a chance to also go on the roads less traveled to lesser known pyramids. The Saqqara, Bent, and Red pyramids are about an hour drive outside of Cairo and there are hardly any tourists there. Some of these are older than the Giza Pyramids and I had a great time going around here with friends. We were able to go into the Red Pyramid and go deep down inside (had a horrible ammonia smell). The Saqqara Pyramid is in danger of falling down in case you have not seen from the pictures. I believe time and pollution are causing this, and when it is gone, the Earth will lose one of its wonders. We ended the day with a big lunch….
Abu Simbel
The closest town to the border with Sudan, this magnificent place boasts the Temple of Abu Simbel. Built with magnificent Hieroglyphics and statues by Ramses II, this site boasts some of the most awe inspiring sites that the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt designed.
Aswan, Philae Temple and Elephantine Island
Up from Abu Simbel lies Aswan. Famously known for its grand dam, this area also has some of the most important temples and structures from all of Egypt’s Kingdoms as well as the PtolemaicDynasty.
A few day Felucca ride around Aswan is the way to relax and catch some sun and swimming. The Felucca’s go slow and the water is very cool to jump in. Sleeping on them while they are docked on land gives you a good night sleep among friends.
Philae Temple is a temple situated on an island near Aswan. Built by the Ptolemaic Dynasty, this temple gives a good representation on ancient Hieroglyphics as well as the Greek Columns which adorn the palace. Seeing as the dynasty descended from Ptolemy, which was a general of Alexander the Great, it was important that they brought in their own culture to the already magnificent Egyptian culture.
Elephantine Island which sits right in the middle of the Nile in Aswan is home to many people, but most important it shows elements from all of Egypt’s Kingdoms, as well as Greco-Roman and Christian Elements. Many of the Hieroglyphs here are still painted with the same paint that was used thousands of years ago and they are still uncovering parts of stones that hold many Hieroglyphs on them.
Edfu temple is located off the Nile and is one of the bigger temples we went through. With hardly any tourists there unless you are on a Nile Cruise, this temple had everything you wanted in a monstrous structure. Elements of different dynasties as well as Greco-Roman were seen here and it was one of the quietest places we went…
Luxor Area
Valley of the Kings and Workers was a magnificent place to visit (no photos). It holds many of the famous kings burial chambers. I had the opportunity to visit three of them and the ornate detail inscribed in them is magnificent. You can spend hours going to the different temples (as long as it does not get too hot).
Palace of Hatshepsut is also one of the most famous temples around. Built by Queen Hatshepsut, it holds many clues to the ancient kingdom. Columns and Hieroglyphics are seen all over the place, still neatly painted.
Luxor is known for its many temples and how ornate they are. Two of the most famous temples in the area which everyone goes to is of course Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple.Both of these temples started by different dynasties all were built up with the succeeding dynasties. The attention to detail in both of them is noticed as soon as you walk through the gates. Definitely places that you could spend hours on in at…
Luxor
Karnak
Of course the students help to make life bearable here. I have been with the same students for three years straight. Sixth Grade for PE, Seventh Grade for World History Civilizations, and Eighth Grade for Middle Ages to Modern Era. I can say that I have had fun with them in school and on trips. They are a very creative bunch and work their butts off for me. I enjoy seeing their presentations and having discussions with them. As you can see from the photos, we have a great time, but at the same time learning is still the utmost priority. Learning about History as well as learning about how to cope in life (if you have ever taught Middle School, you will know this is the hardest age group):
