Diary of a Physician Assistant Wannabe: View from a Camel: Cairo, Egypt

Diary of a Physician Assistant Wannabe: View from a Camel: Cairo, Egypt:

My view from a camel in Cairo, Egypt

View from a Camel:  

I just got back from Cairo four days ago.  What an experience.  It really was too much to absorb in the few days we spent there. 
Here are a few of my impressions and observations.

Democratic elections in Egypt

The Egyptians are holding a democratic runoff election this weekend.  The Islamic Brotherhood may prevail and if it doesn't it seems that the military regime in place will enforce their agenda regardless as they reserve most of the governmental decision making through veto power.

Boy driving donkey cart in Cairo

Media Coverage

The media is full of coverage that is spotty and not always complete.  This must be in part because they do not have timely, reliable sources in Cairo to draw from.  Today MSNBC.com reported on an overnight shooting on the street between vendors that made it sound as if this was a result of political unrest or discord when in fact it was a turf squabble among street merchants.

Life in Cairo

Having just returned from my first trip to the third world, my eyes were opened to the life on the streets of Cairo.  It was dusty, dirty, hot and crowded at times.  Sidewalks filled with street vendors offering watermelons, bread, fruits and sheep and goats.  Children driving tuk tuks (small 3 wheeled trucks often seen in India) in dense urban aggressive traffic.  Donkeys with ribs showing pulling carts laden with bricks amidst eight lanes of choked up stop and weave traffic, blaring horns and unforgiving sun revealed the difficulty of life in this city of nineteen million.

Street scene at Tahrir Square

Street vendors at Tahrir square

Though we went to see the iconic pyramids and The Sphynx, my thoughts were on how these people live on the streets in the rubble of crumbling buildings amongst piles of garbage and scraggly dogs looking for food.  Children smaller than the height of the cars dart out and around traffic weaving their way to a median or the other side of the street.  And beasts of burden fared less well than the people.

Photos from Cairo

King Ramses II

Streets of Cairo

Here are a few of my favorite shots of Cairo.


These young girls were making hand knotted wool and silk rugs at a carpet school where they attend or work four hours a day for five days a week for anywhere from a hear to five years.  Their fingers moved like lightning.  The young lady on the left was about 12 years old and they each had their cell phones in their laps.

Young girls at a carpet school

I really enjoyed seeing the goats and sheep in the streets.  I know they were being fattened for the kill.  But it was neat to see them eating out of troughs along the streets and sidewalks.  And the youngsters tending them smiled when I waved.

Goats and sheep fill the streets

My uncle

Livestock being sold on the street

Pyramids at Giza showing the wives pyramids in foreground

Sphynx in foreground

Buffchic and Sphynx

Streets in Cairo

View from balcony in my hotel room

High rise apts. in Cairo

View from balcony in my hotel room

Two fellows on a bike

Step pyramids

One of my favorite parts of the trip

Sunset in Giza