Bazaar experiences in Cairo

We are now back in Cairo, exploring the main sights around the capital city.

After a dreadful night on the train, we made it to Cairo at 6am in the morning. This train decided it wanted to wobble consistently throughout the night, which meant staying asleep was impossible. After a couple of strong coffees, it was time to hit the sights of Cairo.

Our first stop was the Muhammed Ali mosque (no, not the boxer). The largest mosque in the city, it’s situated on a hill and is very beautiful.

There’s a saying in Egypt and nothing is free, which is very true. It feels like you have to pay for absolutely everything, from the toilet, to someone holding the door open for you. To my surprise, I did find something free in the mosque.

After the mosque, we headed to the Hanging Church. It’s kind of hovering in the air on top of columns. I wouldn’t say that it’s hanging, but rather floating.

Our next stop was one of the many bazaars in the city, which is basically a market full of tat where you get hassled by Egyptians to buy stuff you don’t need for extortionate prices. I had the confidence not to buy anything.

Our last stop in Cairo was the Egyptian museum, with pieces of history from thousands of years ago. It also includes the coffin and mask of Tutankhamun, but of course, you can’t take photos of them.

After a solid day of sightseeing, and lacking on sleep, we headed to the hotel for a well earned rest, ready to head to the seaside town of Dahab tomorrow.