I couldn?t believe myself when I heard that we are about to land in Cairo. The Gulf Airways announcer was kind enough to tell the passengers to look through the window to see a couple of snapshots of the city from the air. I didn?t need any second invitation and the next half an hour was absolute magic.
I gazed in wonder at the desert below me, the Nile (which looked like a giant snake from the skies) and a quick glimpse of the PYRAMIDS. I thanked my stars, my boss (who was kind enough to allow me visit this conference) and the person who had suggested Cairo as the next conference destination in 2003.
We breezed through the passport control and I was already feeling welcome to this dream destination of mine. The passport control officer smiled at me after a glance at my passport and said two words ?Amitabh Bachan!? And the only two words that I spoke from then on were AB and Shukriya. We sped through the beautiful city towards our hotel. I kept murmuring to myself ?wow?, ?ooff? as I stared at the magnificent buildings that we crossed on our way.
Contrary to my expectations (based on my internet research about the city) the traffic was not a pain and the only time we stopped was in front of the Royal Ramses railway station. And what a station it was! First built in 1856 it was reconstructed in 1892 following an appropriate Arabic style of architecture. But the real crowd puller is the statue of Ramses II within the premises depicting the ’’Awakening of Egypt’’.
Do make it a point to visit the station once amidst the mad rush to see the Pyramids, Museum and the felucca ride on the Nile.
We stayed in the Grand Hyatt hotel, a splendid 41 storey property situated on Roda Island. All rooms in this remarkable property have views of the Nile. If you decide to stay there on your next visit to Cairo ask for the rooms with a 180 degree panoramic vision of the Nile. The other half has a partial view of the Nile and an attractive view of the incredible looking swimming pool with even more incredible guests! Choice is yours!
I was on the panoramic side and for the first hour or so, I gazed at the Nile until my solitary sojourn was broken by a phone call which reminded me of the purpose I was here; ouch, the conference. The next three days flew past with work, work and work but I took the time out to visit the Museum and continuing to savour the breathtaking sunsets / sunrise that Nile offered me.
I was in Cairo for a week or so and most of my time was spent in the conference and working in our Cairo office. But I did make it a point to take a walk at dawn and midnight by the Nile. It is an amazing city and I never felt unsecured even though at times I was the only foreigner walking in the beautifully manicured lanes. Funnily I was asked a hundred times ?EGYPTIAN?? I had enough reasons to pamper myself thinking gosh I look global.
My Lonely Planet landed me Talat Harb Square where I met the most eccentric papyrus paintings seller and had kebabs and local delicacies in street side joints. I would recommend that you visit the restaurant Felfela once though for its ambience and of course the food.
You may also try Cafe Riche & La Casetta. Try the Lebanese food available in a number of restaurants and you would need a couple of Hajmolas soon!!! You just cannot stop eating my friend, the food is out of this world. On one of the evenings we (me and few of my cosmopolitan friends including a British, Brazilian etc etc) managed to sneak in for the light and sound show at the Pyramids of Giza. Don?t miss this show at any cost.
On our way back we treated ourselves (ok, I confess that our boss treated us, I would have been penniless otherwise) for dinner at the Meena Oberoi Hotel (an outstanding property overlooking the Pyramids).
On our way back we met another of my eccentric pals, a taxi driver called Mahmoud who offered us to take on a tour to Saqqara (the step Pyramids), Memphis (where you see the statue of Ramses II and the Sphinx; the one we know more about is the Sphinx at Giza) and Dahshur (opened recently to public, I was told right by Mahmoud, in the middle of desert; you get to see the Black, Red and the Bent pyramids; Dahashur is the most attractive place to visit far from the maddening tourist places like the Giza).
I have consciously refrained myself from describing the places I visited and you would probably visit as well.
To quench your thirst to know more about Cairo and Egypt refer to https://touregypt.net. You will get an answer for everything.
Hope you like my ramblings and do post a comment if you feel like.
Take care and bye.