FEET!!

Cairo roads provide endless amusement. I was interested in the haj painting on the back of the truck and only spotted the feet later.

The Guardian

Most cars here have a copy of the Quran in the glove compartment and something to ward off evil hanging from the mirror. Anyone who's driven in Cairo will not be the least bit surprised. We have a blue "kaf", or hand of Fatima, but George, the orange and green beaded lizard, is our primary guardian with his big bug eyes on watch for the suicidal/homicidal lunatics who share the road with us.

Colour Everywhere

Our houses in the countryside are simple (unless they are ridiculously ornate...but that's another story) and people like to use colour as an accent. White turns brown from the sand and dust rather quickly, but the yellow/beige that many people like weathers well. This contrasts beautifully with the red/orange of the poinciana tree that looks out over the wall.

Country Roads

A canalside trail in the countryside with a farmer resting by the canal, a young boy walking a water buffalo, and a mosque in the distance. A typical peaceful scene. Wonderful for horseback riding.

Air Conditioned Comfort

Creative travel should be the motto of the Egyptian road. When there is no room in the minvan, just stand on the bumper.

How Can You Tell They're Tourists?

I guess that there is something fun about the sign for Cairo in Arabic at the Ramses Station. Our guess was military on leave from the haircuts.

Just Too Good

We were leaving Alexandria by train for Cairo and as we waited for our train to arrive, my daughter suddenly broke out laughing and trotted down the platform to take this photo. If you look at the white warning cross carefully, you will see that it reads "Trains Of Beware". Only in Egypt....

Checking In

Train stations are the best places in the world for people watching and the old guys who work at Ramses Station in Cairo are great subjects. Many of them have worked together for years and years and are good friends...as I suspect these two old guys are.

The Only Way To Fly

I was in the Ramses Station in Cairo to catch a train to Alexandria and saw this rail car. They should paint all of them like this. Wonderful!

Finding a Breeze

While visiting some mosques in Old Cairo, in this case Sultan Hassan, it was readily apparent as we strolled through that they'd been built in such a way as to maximise air flow to reduce the summer heat. At doorways and windows (which are usually open to allow for the air to flow) there would be anything from a gentle whisper of a breeze to a refreshing blast of air. A young man sitting inside the mosque takes advantage of this flow and the shade to find relief on a summer day.

Almost Invisible Cat

Visiting the mosque of Sultan Hassan today in ridiculous heat, we encountered a tabby cat relaxing on the wall of the basin for the washing before prayer. The mosque was built in the 1300's and had included a fountain at one time, but now the area for the water has stones and the colour of the cat matches the stones almost perfectly.