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T O P I C     R E V I E W
doodlebug
Member # 11649
 - posted
It's been confusing but it's final that I will be staying near old Cairo. Here's my dilemma.....my arabic is limited to my prayers and then a few other words and that's it. Certainly not enough to go out on my own and site see.

"U" (I'll call him that for now...lol) will be at work some of the days and would rather I stay in the house, but "I" think I'd be too bored. lol.

Is it a safe area where I can just walk around or is it just too big to say and depends on the street you're on? I think it will be a full five days that this will happen and I really don't want to be traveling half way across the world to sit in a house all day long. Is it easy enough to call for a taxi there so that I can at least go on some real tours?
 
Demiana
Member # 2710
 - posted
Hi Doodlebug,
It is easy to walk the streets of old Cairo. A lot of Egyptians speak at least some English and there are ATM's, stores and bookshops, touristic sites to visit. You'll probably be commented on in the streets but then aren't we all. Your bf will hate the idea that he is not coming with you but he most probably does not realize that it is just what you have been doing all of your adult life, face the streets by yourself, and Egypt is so much safer in a lot of ways. There are always Egyptians that will come to your rescue if anything is the matter, you will stick out in the crowd and its allright.
If you take the 'normal' precautions you will have a good time walking the streets of old Cairo by yourself. In a way it will give you a good feeling doing it by yourself instead of being accompanied all the time.
 
Demiana
Member # 2710
 - posted
I am not sure about taxi's you need to be creative here and take some chances. If your bf is helpfull he can arrange for some relative in the business to drive you. Some taxidrivers don't speak enough English or will rip you from your money, it is better to get someone recommended. I would walk and take the public transport. Have a good map! The subway is a good way of transportation and has women only trains. Every policeman will help you.
I'd get lost in London without a good map!
But if it is your first visit you might want to stick to walking around in your neighbourhood. Enough to see and do. Find an internetcafe and post on ES!:-)
 
doodlebug
Member # 11649
 - posted
Yes he says that I will stick out which is why he'd rather that I stay at home. He has an aunt that lives about three minutes away so maybe I'll visit her a lot but she doesn't speak any english. Actually he said he is the only one in his neighborhood that speaks English. I'll talk to him tonight and see if maybe on his way to work he can drop me off at a tour place so that I can do tours while he is working. He was hoping to not work at all the time I am there but I think he's going to have to do these few days just to keep his customers happy.

Any idea of what is a good tour agency to do like 1/2 day tours?
 
sheba76
Member # 12165
 - posted
Do what I did. Have him write important things both in Arabic and English. I did this with grocery lists, addresses, simple phrases, etc. Anything that I needed to say or ask. I kept it all in a little notebook with me.

Taxi's..........omg.......that is one thing that I hated. I was in a smaller city when I had to do it alone. They still tried to rip me off. Don't fall for it. Have him tell you the maximum amount to pay for certain trips. Stick to it. I've heard that it helps to decide on the price b4 you get in. I wouldn't know. I always knew what was acceptable and stuck to it. LOL Make sure you have plenty of small bills for this. Quarter and Half pound notes, right alone with one pound notes. If they give you trouble, all you have to say is police. They will straighen up really fast. Even my guy hated to get taxi's in Cairo. We used public transportation mostly. That wasn't too bad. Actually I preferred it. Yes the metro is the best if you can take it to where you are going.

Another thing you could do was get him to get someone you know to get a taxi for you. Get them to tell them where you are going and settle the price. That helps a lot. It's more fun getting someone to go with you. One of the family or a friend. But still if you get him or someone else to help you get a taxi to the tour place, then get the tour place to help you get one back home. Then that would be the easiest I think.

Best of luck. Have a great time. Take a notepad, get lots of things written down, especially your addresss. It will be your best friend. LOL
 
doodlebug
Member # 11649
 - posted
His best friend's wife will be there from London so I guess we'll coordinate meeting up during the times that he's at work. phew!
 
oldbag
Member # 9889
 - posted
Don't be afraid to go out on your own, but obviously don't be totally devoid of commonsense. Also, get to know and love the metro - its 1LE to go anywhere. This is long but is things I did on my own in Cairo the week before last including in the dark!

I did a fair bit on my own including going to the Opera House for an evening of arabic national music - which was brilliant - a young woman doing Oum Kalthoum numbers and a man who was the star of the show but who's name I failed to get! Also I went to a fantastic evening at the Makan Centre with a Sudanese group with a female singer/drummer fronting it - I really recommend it to everyone - they specialise in 'folk' music and when I went with the seBF a couple of months ago we saw a really good band with traditional women singers - he was thrilled with it - he said that 'we don't see this anymore, only on the tv'.

I did a lot of walking around Cairo with a map (including in the dark) and discovered just how near places like Dokki, Mohandseen, Zamalek, Downtown are and how much I didn't need taxis! After 2 walks taking me just over an hour where I took a few wrong turns, I walked from Dokki (Pyramisa) to Mohandseen (Shahab Street area) in 40 minutes.

By the way - the Hotel Pyramisa (behind the Sheriton just over El Tahrir bridge into Dokki) has got a really good free street map - better than the normal tourist one - its got a kind of yellow/orange cover and called Cairo City Map. Don't know if you can get it in any other hotels.

On my last night in Cairo, in the dark, I got off the metro at the station after Sadat on the Shubra line (M Naguib) with the intention of walking a straightline up to the Citadel. Took me a while to find the right street near the Metro, but I walked for a couple of miles along a fascinating street where all the furniture makers work, loads of people were saying 'welcome' and invited me to sit and have a drink in the cafe with them (I think on a genuinely friendly basis - I don't think its very much on the tourist beat), I accepted a glass of shai from someone in a tyre workshop.

Then I found a sort of gate house part of the old city wall (about 1000 AD) which I didn't know was there (but its obviously in some tourist guidebooks because some americans fetched up shortly after I did) - cost 10LE to climb up. I did have the opportunity to go up in one of the minarets but it was pitch black and a very tight spiral so I chickened out after a few minutes! After I walked nearly up to the bottom of the Citadel I was very tired so got a taxi - I said 10, he wanted 20, we agreed on 15 (after I said I would walk then), but then he threw in a tour of the cemeteries etc, and showed me some extra sights so I paid him 20 in the end.

After a stop at the cemetery, this was the first time a taxi driver did suggest I sit in the front, but I firmly said no I will sit in the back, but really there was no problem.
 
sheba76
Member # 12165
 - posted
Get your guy to take you to the Mountain at night. It's awesome. [Smile]

I think its really romantic if you take a little picnic. Oh and take a jacket it was cool up there when I went.
 
doodlebug
Member # 11649
 - posted
What mountain?
 
sheba76
Member # 12165
 - posted
I forget the actual name of it. They call it The Mountain. You can see all of Cairo from it. I know we passed the Citadel on the way. So it's not far from it.

I'm sure your guy knows. It would be cool in the daytime. But I saw it at night. It was beautiful. All the lights of Cairo and the Mosque's, it's breathtaking.

شكرا
 
Demiana
Member # 2710
 - posted
There is also this tower on Zamalek that will give you a great view.
 
Junah
Member # 12389
 - posted
I found this video

a look to Egypt
 
poetesse
Member # 12460
 - posted
Cool video! I've never been to Egypt, but I am planning for sometime early next year. I am quite fascinated with doodlebug's story. I have a bf in Egypt as well, we have not met in person as of yet. I'm looking forward to my trip. Any suggestions?
 
sheba76
Member # 12165
 - posted
Cool video! I've never been to Egypt, but I am planning for sometime early next year. I am quite fascinated with doodlebug's story. I have a bf in Egypt as well, we have not met in person as of yet. I'm looking forward to my trip. Any suggestions?

If he's from Luxor or Hurghada, be very very careful.

Where will you go in Egypt? That will help us give more ideas.

شكرا
 
Sashyra88
Member # 11693
 - posted
quote:
Originally posted by Junah:
I found this video

a look to Egypt

More than a good video,that`s a lot of noise video [Roll Eyes] Not impressed,really,besides too short the view is blurry.
 
sunburnt
Member # 4986
 - posted
Cairo tower is not worth the time or money, i waited 2 hours once to go up and then the view was limited. The revolving restaurant at the Grand Hyatt has without doubt the best view.
 
poetesse
Member # 12460
 - posted
Sheba and whoever else would like to make any further suggestions, I will start my own thread thank you.
 
SayWhatYouSee
Member # 11552
 - posted
quote:
Originally posted by sheba76:
I forget the actual name of it. They call it The Mountain. You can see all of Cairo from it. I know we passed the Citadel on the way. So it's not far from it.

I'm sure your guy knows. It would be cool in the daytime. But I saw it at night. It was beautiful. All the lights of Cairo and the Mosque's, it's breathtaking.

شكرا

Mokattam Mountain is famous for watching the sunset and is a very romantic setting. There is an area where you can get a cold drink or mint tea, in little cafes. It's not on the main tourist trail but the views are spectacular.
 
ExptinCAI
Member # 1439
 - posted
map won't do you any good because very few streets are labeled in old cairo, even in arabic.

get a tourist map, study it relative to the major monuments, and get your bearings that way.

to make your way back to your bf's residence, have someone write the address in arabic, along with directions off a major street, and easy marks (like corner store from where you should make the turn to the side street, etc.). the taxi drivers never EVER know their way around the city, except for the major marks, and expect you to direct them as to where you're going. if you have your info in arabic, they'll be happy to ask the directions from passerby's and other cars as they drive along in the direction of your destination. (so don't panic if you see your taxi driver doing this.)

old cairo is dirtier, smaller, more human traffic, less space than other parts of the city. it's also not accustomed to foreigners as much, outside very specific tourist spots, so be prepared to be stared at by all and followed by curious, shouting kids.

it'll be an experience, and i'd plan on walking/getting yourself lost for the fun of it, then making your way back via taxi.

enjoy
 
ExptinCAI
Member # 1439
 - posted
map won't do you any good because very few streets are labeled in old cairo, even in arabic.

get a tourist map, study it relative to the major monuments, and get your bearings that way.

to make your way back to your bf's residence, have someone write the address in arabic, along with directions off a major street, and easy marks (like corner store from where you should make the turn to the side street, etc.). the taxi drivers never EVER know their way around the city, except for the major marks, and expect you to direct them as to where you're going. if you have your info in arabic, they'll be happy to ask the directions from passerby's and other cars as they drive along in the direction of your destination. (so don't panic if you see your taxi driver doing this.)

old cairo is dirtier, smaller, more human traffic, less space than other parts of the city. it's also not accustomed to foreigners as much, outside very specific tourist spots, so be prepared to be stared at by all and followed by curious, shouting kids.

it'll be an experience, and i'd plan on walking/getting yourself lost for the fun of it, then making your way back via taxi.

enjoy
 
doodlebug
Member # 11649
 - posted
Yeah at first we were hesitant to stay there because he said that everyone would be all up into our business because I'll stick out like a sore thumb. He actually suggested that I wear niqaab at first but I said I can deal with it.
 
cbrbddd
Member # 3891
 - posted
Doodle,

I had my husband talk to the taxi driver to tell him where I wanted to go whenever I had a problem getting anything across to him. Actually, I knew the driver from previous visits so that was easy to do. So I would hire him for the afternoon, have a list of places to go, had my husband go over the list with him and we had all our mobile numbers handy just in case.

I like walking around too but my husband seemed to think I needed someone to watch out after me. LOL, I think he too did not understand about how much I travel and do things on my own.

Oh, Doodle, this is cbd2cai from VJ . . . LOL!!!
 
cbrbddd
Member # 3891
 - posted
OH, forgot to mention . . . I did go see a few things in old Cairo on my last trip . . . I bought some nice maps at the AUC bookstore after I did all that wandering around in anticipation of my next trip. . . Soon, insha'allah!!
 
doodlebug
Member # 11649
 - posted
Well I guess it will be mostly a nonissue now. lol. I swear I can't keep up with where we'll be. He doesn't want us to spend a lot of time in the flat in Old Cairo because apparently the walls are paper thin there. He can hear every single conversation that goes on with his neighbors...amoung other things. lol So it dawned on him....if he can hear them....................... [Eek!]

So I'll go to check out the place a few times but the bulk will be split between a flat in Nasser city and in Alexandria. At least I'll get a variation. [Big Grin]
 
Demiana
Member # 2710
 - posted
Alexandria.......

http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/alexandria/
 



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