Welcome to Egypt

Ok. Imagine this. You've boarded a plane in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at 4am bound for Cairo, Egypt. It was a very spontaneous , last-minute booking made on the go while you were living it up in Ethiopia. You figured, well I'm this far north now, I may as well "do" Egypt - I studied it intensely ten years ago in highschool and I've always wanted to see it.

You're on the plane, exhausted, rejecting the hideous airline food (the first inedible meal presented actually) and watching some unwatchable film. And a voice comes over the speakers, "please raise your blinds as we make our descent". You do...

And just there, outside your window, are the Giza pyramids! Right there, in all their grandeur, lit up by the golden sunrise. "Welcome to Egypt" he says. Understatement! This moment was all I needed to jolt my appreciation for the magnitude of what I am about to see over the next ten days.

What strikes me most about flying into Cairo is the juxtaposition of old and new. It's incredible. The pyramids literally tower over this huge city -the 2nd largest in the world. The urban sprawl wraps the horizon, where highrise apartment blocks tile every inch of space. We navigated one road today, 18kms long, with 5 million people living on it. There are 25million people living in Cairo alone - more than in the whole of Australia. Snaking through these lego blocks is the majestic Nile, a treasure since time immemorial. Tinting everything it touches a lush green, in stark contrast to the desert that licks the edges of the city, and countless brown buildings.

I'd prepared myself for the pollution - just being here is said to be akin to smoking 20 cigarettes a day. But it isn't as intrusive as you'd think, and the haze doesn't even come close to concealing the cultural beauty of this city. Aesthetically I love the skyline of unfinished and unpainted buildings - if you paint or render your building in Egypt it is considered finished and you have to pay tax, so everythings left unfinished. In the south houses are left unfinished because a new floor is added on top as each son gets married, for his impending family.

But its the cultural beauty that permeates this rugged facade. Mosques stand peacefully right next to Churches, and once again the people are very friendly. Almost too friendly, actually. I get mobbed everywhere I go here. If it's not ooooh's and ahhh's it's "Shakira" or "lucky man" to Daniel as he protectively watches over me.

I had been warned by my airport pickup that it would happen but it wasn't till Daniel and I took a bus downtown that I really felt it. Aside from the huge bum squeeze I received in a little alley market, it was all rather harmless - complimentary even.

So, we'd set off the morning I arrived to see the city. We got chatting to a nice man who took us to his decadent perfume parlor. His family owned a flower farm and bottles of gorgeous extracted oils lined the walls, along with thousands of minature ornate glass bottles. We sat and drank tea, bought some perfume (Arabian Nights - an orange blossom and vanilla blend for me) and he threw in a beautiful tiny Arabian lamp bottle. He was a lovely guy and we had a brilliant time hanging out with him. We found out later this perfume shop experience is not unique, and our friend had not found us by chance as such finders are notorious, but we didn't care. We'd had blast! Next we went to a papyrus gallery where we bargained about 70% off the asking price for some beautiful Egyptian artworks. I was stoked.

We walked the streets for the next few hours, just taking it all in. A few notables - every single mannequin we saw was blonde. Every doll we saw in kids shops was blonde. I started to realise why everyone was staring. It's a bit sad actually... The kids should be brought up to think what they look like is the ideal, not some unachievable blonde haired blue eyed version. Daniel and I also discovered a huge circular mall with six floors of shops entirely dedicated to men. Imagine the efficiency!

By the time we got back to our (very fancy) hotel I crashed out. Had to get in some zzz's before visiting the pyramids the next day!

Love my Harvey bear xxx