As I had already mentioned I had been in Cairo the week before Xmas, which was interesting. Travelled there on the Monday, painless flight via Zuerich to Cairo, and then got into a taxi to go into the centre. What a ride, what a ride. The travel in Cairo is absolutely bonkers.
This is a rear view of a couple of the typical taxis - ancient Renaults and other marques over thirty or more years old, all with a cast iron roof rack.
I had to negotiate the fare (apparently abut 80 Egyptian pounds is about right.) Then off we went, and the driver hit the hyperspace button. The main instrument of navigation is the horn, and the markings on the lanes are there for unknown and unknowable reasons. As the saying going there are no atheists in foxholes, then there cannot be many in Egyptian taxis. You literally have to make a leap of faith that the jolly nice chap in the driver's seat is going to manage the whole thing, and that you need simply to hold on in breathless wonderment.
Then you arrive in Downtown Cairo, and it's a rambling ramshackle affair. Here is a nice Lion on the end of one of the main bridges.
We had a meeting with one of the Egyptian banks, which was held in a big auditorium, and here is a picture of the team posing with the local flag. Would you buy software off this lot? Hope so...
Didn't really see that much of Cairo except from the Taxi window due to the frenetic nature of the vist and demo. Did see this in the hotel lobby though. The African continent's biggest chocolate Santa. Really.
Slightly odd, but as you can see, it required a lot of passion and dedication.
Quite.
I enjoyed Cairo, and it certainly is like no other town I have visited.
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