Downtown Wash

Anywhere other than Cairo you don't expect to see a horse getting a shower on a busy road median.... But then, Cairo is Cairo. 

Ice Cream Break

I went into Maadi today with a friend who needed a ride in and some moral support. On the way back we stopped at a locally famous shop that sells honey and products made with buffalo milk. The sign's spelling is amusing, but the ice cream is simply wonderful. It's the only place in the world that has a soft chocolate ice cream that I really like. 

Signs Of Uncertain Times

Signs for a nursery school and a store selling BB guns share a tree in Maadi. BB guns have always been legal in Egypt although regular firearms are not. But over the past few years both have become more common. 

Location, Location, Location

Passing by the mosque on Road 9 in Maadi one morning I noticed that a shoeshine man had set up shop there. Since those who enter the mosque to pray remove their shoes, this is a perfect place for his business. Why not get your shoes cleaned at the same time?

The Fence

Today the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that one of the candidates for president, Ahmed Shafiq, who was Mubarak's prime minister, could not be barred from running for office. It also ruled that because there were campaign irregularities in the cases of one third of the seats in the lower house of Parliament, Parliament in its entirety would be dissolved. The military council, that yesterday granted itself the right to arrest anyone for pretty much any reason, announced that it is now the official legislative body and that it will announce the membership of the 100 member council that is to form a new constitution tomorrow.

This photograph was taken by CNN's correspondent as people awaited the court's decision on the Corniche near Maadi.

Egyptian UFOs

Visitors often find the open air butcher shops a bit surprising. Walking down the street in Toronto, one isn't that likely to literally bump into animal parts. You get used to it.

Street Art

After years and years when anything like street art was illegal, the wellsprings of graffiti have burst their boundaries and I love it. We found this on Road 9 today. Wonderful stuff.

Busy Streets

Generally the sidewalks near the post office in Maadi have been kept quite clear of the entrepreneurs who make maneuvering streets in Cairo both interesting and sometimes aggravating. But recently with many, many fewer police on the streets, the vendors and others have been able to expand a bit. Here a shoe shine man works on one client while another waits his turn.

Fruit Of The Winter

Friends of mine from outside of Egypt usually look at these things and simply wonder what on earth they are. The English name for them is Cape Gooseberry, although I don't believe that they are actually related to gooseberries at all. Locally they are called "harankash". They remind me of the tomatillo that is used to make chile verde in Mexico, sort of a small green tomato that has a similar covering. They have a sweet tart taste and are very refreshing. With the police still not really in evidence in the streets, the vendors have been busy.

The Upside of Civil Unrest?

It's been almost a week since banks have been closed and Egypt has been in the grip of civil unrest...to say the least. Despite the images of riots on television, there are moments of calm, like this quiet Wednesday morning in Maadi when the shopkeepers were sweeping up Road 9 and washing sidewalks and streets. We went into town to find a rumoured open ATM to try to get some cash, help a friend collect the key to her new apartment, and generally check things out. The neighbourhood watch groups have been incredible and have done a great job. And the upside? Finding a parking place at 10 am on a Wednesday on Road 9!

Using Every Corner

Under a busy bridge in Maadi, you find some space where women selling homemade bread sit hoping people will buy. A fruit seller with a cart of rather enticing bananas is there as well. People find any spot at all to conduct business.

The Souq After The Feast

A couple of weeks ago I posted a photo of the Maadi souq on the last day of the feast. We needed a few vegetables, but mostly we wanted to get out and wander around, so it was off to the market....which we found almost totally empty. This is much more normal.

Those Cairo Guard Cats

Two of Maadi's itinerant felines decided to take a break on the front steps of a shop on a quiet day.

Christmas Decorations in Maadi

Christmas is celebrated in Egypt not once, but twice, once on December 25 and again for the Copts and Eastern Orthodox on January 7, so we have an even longer Christmas season. While out shopping for presents for my annual Egyptian/Canadian/Finnish/Lebanese Christmas gathering with friends on December 24 we spotted a group watching one of the store clerks adjusting a present in a Christmas display.

When You Can't Find a Garden

I was walking along Road 9 in Maadi the other day and noticed this lovely grey cat curled up in a plant pot in the sunshine. Not having a patch of grass, he decided to take his nap in the pot for a Ficus benjamina tree. Smart kitty.

The Argument For Slow Food

I LOVE our vegetables. They make cooking an almost spiritual experience. These are all fresh, less than a day or so from the fields, and there isn't a speck of wax on them. Yum.

Afternoon Coffee

There's something comforting about watching two old friends meet for coffee on a warm winter afternoon.

Are You Allowed To Park Here?

Baladi dogs are amazing creatures. Mine have the desire to climb onto the highest point to check out the horizon and in the city you often see them happily resting on the roof of a car. This one very carefully examined the car from front and back before hopping onto the roof. The owner of the car probably wasn't too pleased, but I found it entertaining.

Just Read The Tree

A tree trunck makes a convenient place to post notices outside of a Cilantro coffee shop on Road 9 in Maadi. Some people find it cool enough in the shade to enjoy a drink outside, while others (like me) slide into the air conditioning indoors.

Mural Painting in Maadi

I'm not sure what the occasion is since I'm mostly in and out of Maadi in a rush these days, but recently a group of people have been painting a wall on Road 9. I approve of murals.