Tuesday 4th January 2011

This morning I awoke to the sight of a beautiful green parrot perched outside my window – unfortunately my attempts to photograph it scared the poor thing away.

After Sunday’s abortive attempt at the Egyptian Museum, I took a taxi ride to the gates and proceeded to pass through the layers of security and ticket sales. Given the current heightened tensions in Egypt, caused by both the terrorist threat to Coptic Christians and protests over the recent election results, it was surprising that the security checks weren’t a little more rigorous; however, they were more so than other attractions to date.

Upon entry, my first port of call was the Royal Mummy Rooms, but upon arrival discovered that a further EL 100 was required for entry. Being EL 5 short (following yet another unmetered taxi ride) a visit to the cashpoint was required, which necessitated another round of security and ticket checks as I re-entered the museum. It was worth it, though. Both rooms (the second of which was viewed later in the visit) contained in the region of ten mummies, and were by far the best-displayed items in the museum, each with leathery skin and numerous malformations due to the embalming process.

Afterwards I made a bee-line for Tutankhamun’s artefacts (though was disappointed to learn that his mummy is in Luxor) and poured over the beautifully coloured items which I once studied as a child in the classroom. By far the most impressive piece was the famous Gold Mask, though his inner and outer sarcophagi were equally stunning. The remainder of the museum, by comparison, was somewhat tedious (with the exception of the animal mummies, including crocodile and a giant perch) with endless halls lined with myriad sarcophagi and poorly- or un-labelled artefacts, some of which were quite repetitive. There were some exceptions to this, but towards the end “museum blindness” hit in and my eyes glazed over.

Mid-way through the visit I left the confines of the museum to find some sustenance (there being no vegetarian food in the museum café). Braving the busy roads alone, I found a kiosk and made my purchase. Mission accomplished. I returned and re-joined the queues for the various security checks.

After a taxi ride home, Seif and I took a taxi to Old Cairo, the area on which he worked before coming to Durham. By now it was night and the medieval buildings were stunningly lit against the dark sky. A return visit with camera will be required. The mosques were exquisitely decorated and the streets jolly with the sound of bazar merchants. We met with some of Seif’s old colleagues who worked with him on the area before heading to the Al Azhar park for a meal overlooking the park and lit Citadel. The setting couldn’t have been more perfect.

The meal was followed by a long taxi ride back to Zamalek. Seif and I had the misfortune of riding in a black taxi. The black taxis are almost always Peugeot 504s from the seventies, without seatbelts, and with kamikaze drivers. An additional piece of useful information is that many cars in Cairo are adorned with extra lights and stickers, sometimes as mundane (but presumably, for the owner, ego-boosting) as the serial number of the chassis and engine. This black taxi had the words “SPEED TAXI” emblazoned on the rear. This should have been a warning. We sped through the mile-long city-centre tunnel like daemons possessed, fearing for our lives at every racing-line corner as our driver tried to beat the land speed record in his effort to transport us to our destination. Fortunately we escaped with our lives and relaxed with a few drinks in a Zamalek bar, where we met Dalia & friends as well as Yasmine, Jennifer and their friend Bruce from AUC.

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Cairo Diary: Dining at the Hilton
Monday 3rd January 2011

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Cairo Diary: A Leisurely Day
Wednesday 5th January 2011