Egyptian cabs
A matter of great legends, much fear and confusion seems to be the taxis in Cairo. I recently read a text about it at what seems to be something like a bbc version of the wikipedia. It's a very well written text, in that it's funny, but it has a few exaggerations - and might make people hesitate about travelling to Cairo.
There is no reason to do that. As long as you know the arabic name of a central landmark by the place you're going (like a square (Cairo's full of squares) or a university) - you're pretty much guaranteed to get where you want to go without problems. The meter is decoration, though, so you should settle the amount you're to pay before getting in the cab (the day we paid LE20 to go nowhere was the last day we made that mistake), you might end up paying too much, but you won't litterally get robbed (what would be the fun in that?).
The driving norms in Cairo are actually quite interesting. Getting where you want to go seems to be a matter of strategy and great driving skill - driving in to the right openings in the traffic, while using the right combinations of light and sound signals. I've heard that there are an increasing number of traffic lights and traffic policemen to ruin the fun for everyone, but the art of egyptian driving lives on for now. I've heard that it's quite similar to how they drive in Beijing(sp?), by the way.
Oh, yeah, and I think I've found myself a nice appartment. As I write there are two options, and which I'll end up with depends on factors that are currently out of my control. Both places are nice and cheap, though (around LE 1000/month) - there are cheaper places, but I really want to get settled before the trip to Alexandria the day after tomorrow.
A matter of great legends, much fear and confusion seems to be the taxis in Cairo. I recently read a text about it at what seems to be something like a bbc version of the wikipedia. It's a very well written text, in that it's funny, but it has a few exaggerations - and might make people hesitate about travelling to Cairo.
There is no reason to do that. As long as you know the arabic name of a central landmark by the place you're going (like a square (Cairo's full of squares) or a university) - you're pretty much guaranteed to get where you want to go without problems. The meter is decoration, though, so you should settle the amount you're to pay before getting in the cab (the day we paid LE20 to go nowhere was the last day we made that mistake), you might end up paying too much, but you won't litterally get robbed (what would be the fun in that?).
The driving norms in Cairo are actually quite interesting. Getting where you want to go seems to be a matter of strategy and great driving skill - driving in to the right openings in the traffic, while using the right combinations of light and sound signals. I've heard that there are an increasing number of traffic lights and traffic policemen to ruin the fun for everyone, but the art of egyptian driving lives on for now. I've heard that it's quite similar to how they drive in Beijing(sp?), by the way.
Oh, yeah, and I think I've found myself a nice appartment. As I write there are two options, and which I'll end up with depends on factors that are currently out of my control. Both places are nice and cheap, though (around LE 1000/month) - there are cheaper places, but I really want to get settled before the trip to Alexandria the day after tomorrow.
posted by Christer at 9:59 AM
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