"I Bless The Rains Down In Africa"
Let's start in Egypt (Part 1), where there was no rain
October-2018
There’s something special about taking that first step onto the African Continent. From various movies growing up, to the media, and hearing different stories. Something portrayed as beautiful, mysterious, and dangerous. A massive and diverse land. Some countries here in my opinion hold some of the last crazy, off the beaten path adventures. A “wild wild west”. I’ve dreamed for far too long to finally come here. It’s a monumental victory of emotions.
Egypt is first on the list for this leg of my journey. A marvel in and of itself. The history here is astonishing. It was a short flight from Beirut to Cairo. Coming down for landing, it looks windy in the distance. The sand of the Sahara is kicked up and appears hazy. The city is huge and polluted. Smog blocks the views beyond as we taxi into the terminal. At customs, most passports can buy a visa at the counter before proceeding. I am doing WorkAway at a guesthouse called Pyramids Loft, which as you would guess, is in Giza.
The driver holds a sign to the guesthouse outside of Arrivals. I can barely contain my excitement. He laughs when he sees me put my seatbelt on. “In Egypt nobody cares about seatbelt Habibi just live and be free!” We zoom out into the chaotic streets of Cairo. Sand blows across the road and accumulates in small veins at various corners. Camels and donkeys mingle with the people. I hear the mosques saying their prayers echoing amongst the incessant honking of the traffic. I noticed many cars have EU license plates with a smaller Egyptian license plate patched on top of it. Everything is imbued with the aura and color of the desert.
Continuing on, we drive over the Abbas Bridge and cross the Nile. Wow what a sight! The river looked peaceful with the city backdrop. So incredible to imagine all that has transpired on this river throughout time, but we’re just getting started. My eyes are peeled for getting that first look at the Pyramids, but not yet as there are too many buildings.
Closer to Giza, we pass through a police checkpoint. I watch a street kid grab the officer’s rifle and look straight up the barrel! The officer stood there waving cars through and paid no attention to the child. That’s crazy. A camel crosses in front of us. On the other corner is a giant trash mound on fire. The black smoke irritating my nostrils. Once through the sounds of traffic quiets down but now our senses our bombarded with animal feces. Numerous camels, horses, and donkeys are used for tourism here so many buildings house them, and the streets are heavily covered. An absolute mine field. We turn the corner into a clearing and there they are! I’m blown away. The Pyramids are so much larger in person than in pictures. If I could go back in time, seeing how they were built would definitely be on the list. We pass the front gate, and I can see the Sphinx. It is also larger in person than in pictures. Truly a location where photography does not give the place justice. Across the front entry gate is a Pizza Hut and a KFC! You can get a picture of the Pizza Hut logo with the Pyramids in the background. The old culture, and the new. Which one will stand the test of time longer?
The Loft is an oasis of peace and serenity after going through the city. It’s run by a dozen guys. The owner and WorkAway Host named Ahmed greets me. The Loft is two separate guesthouses. I will mostly help with cleaning public spaces and the rooms after checkout. There are a few renovation projects as well. I meet two other WorkAway’ers Gonzalo from Mexico and Hannah from Germany. Gonzalo paints murals and his talent is incredible. Collectively I’ll spend over six weeks here. The roof is a converted terrace, and we hang out with the epic view.
Every morning, we meet together and share breakfast. Pita bread with sides of tomato, cucumber, okra, spinach, eggs, falafel, and bean paste. There are no utensils. We grab pieces of pita and scoop what we want out of communal plates. It’s common in many places across this region of the world to share food and eat with your hands. Takes a moment in the beginning to get used to, but just go in with an open mind and you’ll be ok. Chai tea is also common. I notice the guys put multiple fat tablespoons worth of sugar in their drinks. They look at me like there is something wrong when I drink the tea with no sugar.
Today I put primer on the walls for painting. Ahmed plans to open this room in a couple days as it has a window view and worthy of charging more. It’s pretty hot in the midday. A breeze comes through the open windows and keeps the corridors fresh and cool. Later after checkout time I sweep sand down the stairwell. Rays of light shine from the sunroof. It was really peaceful. At the back, the laundry hangs on lines outside the window. Below is an empty backyard surrounded by other guesthouses and apartments. It’s mostly the communal trash dump. Some sheets fell off the line. One of the guys climbs down the three stories to get them using the drainpipe to grip. While wearing sandals. He climbs back up effortlessly. I don’t remember his name and he didn’t speak English, but he was a good guy. Another guy named Yosuf, he was only 18 and I would help him clean the bathrooms. He also didn’t speak English but every time he saw me, he would say “Briiaaannnn!”, and I would say “Yosuf kefi halak?” (How are you?) Dozens of times per day but it was always a good laugh.
By lunch time I was done. I was staying at the second Loft. It’s a few minutes’ walk through the animal feces minefield. Along the way I get hassled heavily by the local guys who work here. Asking if I want to go on a tour or if I want to visit their shop. I heard it’s a common situation at all tourist sites across Egypt. Just say no thank you in Arabic “La shukran” over and over again until they leave you alone and don’t stop walking. It is what it is. Thier economy has suffered, and dollars go far here. It can feel irritating when it happens constantly, but can you blame them? One guy came up to me and tried to give me a gemstone as a gift. Then he asked for a donation. I had to give it back to him and said sorry but then he got very angry. Don’t fall for it when you come here.
The second Loft was even more quiet and felt local. The roof terrace was amazing. There was a kitchen up here as well. I decide to make a coffee and stare at the view. In a few days I’ll go buy the ticket and visit. After relaxing alone for a while, a guy comes up and we start chatting. He’s from Hungary. So far, the one and only I’ve met in all my travels. Some places you go, its common to meet many people from a few select countries. Mostly western. It was really interesting talking to him. He was telling me how he thought there was tons of corruption in this country and it’s all about the money when it comes to tourism. Deep in the Sahara lies White Desert National Park. It looks like an alien landscape. It does seem like a fascinating place. You can book an expensive tour to go and visit. It’s the only hassle-free way. He said it was not possible to go there on a solo endeavor. He did not have luck hitchhiking, and the police would not allow him to get anywhere near to the park. He thinks they get a cut from the tour agency. He also warned me about taking the train. They want tourists to pay tourist price, but it’s totally possible to book at the local price. You either have a local buy you the ticket or try a different office. Outside of Cairo he said it was easier. Tourist price was 100+ dollars. Local price just a couple dollars.
As sunset begins the call to prayer sounds off. We sit there in silence and enjoy the moment. I think it’s beautiful listening to it and combined with the view, it was surreal. Also, many apartments here have hundreds of pigeons in cages on the roof. We watch them fly out and cruise around above the neighborhood. We watch the owners waving a flag to keep the birds circling. After some minutes the birds return to their cages. I don’t remember why they have them, and the fact that they don’t fly away.
Once its nighttime they do a light show on the Pyramids. Almost every night. It is the same old school vintage light show that they have done for several decades. I think it goes back to the 60’s. From the roof we can also hear commentary talking about the history and life here. It is even in the 77’ James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. The first time I saw it I thought it was cool. But the energy is kind of slow and sleepy. Not that exciting six weeks later. The supreme irony I can imagine from a local’s perspective is that since they have seen this all their life, they are probably bored and numb to it. Just another day at the office for them.
I go take a walk. The city doesn’t sleep at night. It is still hot and humid. I join groups of locals for safety as they cross the busy streets weaving in-between traffic. Crossing feels intimidating. Some streets have poor lighting. Cars do not stop and zoom past you at a high enough speed that if they hit you, it’ll be a bad day. The thunderous honking makes my ears ring. Just outside of Giza things turn local quickly. I think most tourists are bussed in and out of the site. The hassling also stops. Down one street, many shisha bars are set up filled with men and everyone is watching futbol. Down the next street, is a local open-air market. I pause for a moment and observe an elderly lady in one of the covering variations, perhaps Niqab or Hijab, arguing with a vendor (in Arabic) over getting a good deal for tomatoes. They both had extremely animated body language, both throwing their arms up and yelling at each other. He would put the bag of tomatoes on the scale multiple times, but the lady would keep disapproving. It probably only cost a few cents. Gotta get a good deal.
Coming back to the police checkpoint, it was closed now but I came to look at the giant trash mound. Like a mini mountain of rubbish set in the middle of the intersection. It almost towered above the apartments. A few people would throw more onto the pile, and others would skim where they can to see if there is anything valuable. I’m just curious why things are like this. The smell is awful, the black smoke once again aggravating my nostrils, and the heat from the burning making me sweat even more in this heat. My clothes are soaked and skin slimy. Time to get out of here.
Many local places are cash only, I don’t see many set ups for taking cards. The ATM next to the Pizza Hut outside the main gate looks like a scam. Do not use it. Find a local bank filled with local people. I wait in line for the ATM and thankfully they have English set up. The currency is called Pounds and they look beautiful. Average 50 Pounds to 1 Dollar. I see some guys crowding a stall selling falafel on the street. Wrapped in pita with salad like a massive burrito, I believe they were around 10 Pounds each. I recall buying 3 or 4 and feasting. I squat on the edge of the street next to others and just watch the crazy traffic go buy. This is where I am in the world right now, I thought to myself. The falafel is darn good, and tomorrow I go into the site and make my dream a reality. What a moment.
Back at the Loft, the shower pressure was low but cold, eventually I’m clean and clothes washed. It’s quite common I’ll wash my clothes in the shower or bathroom when I travel. Laying in bed I feel throbbing in my head and ringing still in my ears. I have to blow my nose and it comes out black from the air pollution. At least there is peace and quiet…Off to sleep.
I highly recommend you visit the Pyramids early as soon as they open in the morning. First because it’s not hot yet, second because the hordes of tourist are swarming by 10:00AM. Opening times might vary. When I was there, I remember they opened at 8:00AM but I got in at 7:30 with all the touts. Once I was through security and tons of “La shukrans”, I was free and alone. Let me tell you, it was beyond words. The Great Sphinx is close to the main gate, so I walk there first. There are still details in its eyes. It sits there almost judging and feels like its staring down at me. Imagine the stories it could tell. Supposedly one of Napolean’s soldiers shot the nose off.
Past that there is the ancient stone road that leads up through the middle. I almost feels like I’m walking in slow motion as I inch closer to Khafre, the one that still has the limestone remnants at the top. My heart rate goes up as I close the distance and touch one of the massive blocks. Looking up I just think it’s crazy how this must have been built. There are so many theories. A true mystery.
There is a small hill on the far-left end of the site. I walk up there to get a good panoramic view. There is a police officer up here with a nice hut. “Marhaba!” (Hello) I say to him. He smiles but says nothing. He allows me to sit in the shade of his post for a few minutes. After some moments he grunts and motions with his arm it’s time for me to leave. “Ok shukran.”
Walking down along the hill the view is great. In the distance I see the caravan of buses now showing up and the space becoming full of people. Camel rides are now in motion, its partly cloudy and there is some shade over me. While the Pyramids are still in the light, I see a good opportunity to get a picture. I place my phone on a timer propped against some rocks and run out. I got lucky with this one:
Shortly after I was enveloped by the swarm, but it’s all good. I’m at peace. I walk around to the far-right side of Khufu. On my way:
“My friend you want to go on camel ride?!”
“La shukran.”
“Only 100 dollars Habibi good camel for you!”
“La shukran.”
“Ok Habibi I give you good price how about 20 dollars?!”
“La shukran.”
“I have a shop I can take you go inside take a look no worries.”
“La shukran.”
“Habibi my friend I can be a good tour guide for you!”
“La shukran.”
“Ok my friend I give you extra special price for the camel 10 dollars ok?”
“La shukran bro I’m all good.”
Just a few moments later, the same string of questions from another guy…A minute later the same string of questions from yet another guy. Again, and again, and again. On Khufu there is an entrance like a tunnel but farther in its closed. Around here there’s other ruins such as the remains of houses and mini pyramids. After spending a few hours that’s pretty much it. Enjoy the view and move on.
I hang out with Gonzalo and Hannah. They’ve been traveling the world together for quite some time and paint murals wherever they stay. The paintings will have a theme related to the country. On one of the walls, he paints the Pharaoh with some of the Gods.
I haven’t met many Mexicans while traveling, and it was nice to hear his story. A few years later he ends up in the Cook Islands and paints the largest sea wall mural in the South Pacific. Pretty incredible!
https://www.cookislandsnews.com/uncategorised/internal/national/local/te-marae-moanas-ocean-themed-mural-project-nears-completion/
Stick around for Part-2 where I talk about more WorkAway projects, riding the train, visiting Luxor, Alexandria, and more. Thanks for reading!
Cheers!
-AbroadwithBrian
This is fascinating to read, Brian. What a culture shock, right? No seatbelts, kids looking down gun barrells, and a pyramid show. Plus the traveling couple who paint murals. Such good stuff. You'll have a great book one day.
One day I would really love to see the pyramids. I heard it's a nightmare flying into Egypt, though, and that they have all these weird restrictions on baggage and entry and stuff like that. Is that true?