Cairo

Where to begin. It is probably best to start with our arrival. 

Our flight arrived at 1:50 AM. By the time we left the airport it was 3 AM. 

We got into the taxi and off we went. The drive was on back streets, which in retrospect was probably to avoid paying tolls on the road, but at the time it raised the hair on the back of neck. Everything was closed and shut down. 

At one point a driver pulls over and goes around the back of a kind of a convenience store.  We are wondering what the hell was going on. There were people in the store, but we went behind. He finally comes back with two bottles of water for us and some candies. 

When we finally arrive in the neighborhood of our hotel, it reminds us of scenes from Blade Runner. Dirty, worn down and abandoned. We go into the old hotel (built in 1893) and it truly feels like the old buildings in Blade Runner. Old wooden reception desk for checking in. Ancient posters on the wall. Antique elevator.  Strange character at the reception desk. 

One of the goals was to be outside our comfort zone. Goal achieved. 

The next morning, we headed downstairs for breakfast. With the morning light and other people, it was a bit less threatening. 

After being there for three days, it felt kind of normal in a kind of Adams Family way. 

We ended up walking all over the place. Especially in Medieval Cairo and Coptic Cairo. One long walk took us along a market street that starts in a very poor area, slowly moving into more wealthy areas, eventually hitting an area frequented by tourists. 

In the end we found the city quite fascinating. The people very nice and with a sense of humor.  No doubt that we are a potential source of revenue, but one comes to accept it. 

The comparison to Blade Runner still seems appropriate. The entropy of urban decay, the feel of a certain amount of corruption. But add the density of 22+ million people. 

More on Cairo to follow.