We had guests here in Cairo, for spring break. Anyone who visits Cairo wants and should see the Pyramids. Most famous of all are the Giza Pyramids. The photos in this first set are our drive from Sakkara to Giza, late morning early afternoon. Most photos were taken through the window of our car, so the colors / shots are somewhat murky.
Below: Farmers on a donkey pulled cart pull over to allow a huge tour bus to pass. The road around Sakkara is dirt, and wide enough for two cars.
Below: A red Bus in Giza. Most Giza VW Buses are white. So this is unusual.
Below: On The Road.
Below: As usual, a VW Bus (people mover) drives through Giza town with it's side door open, making it easy for passengers to hop on and off.
Below 3 photos: "White Chickens" (the nickname for VW Buses in Giza) in action.
Below: Took several photos of this Bus to no avail. He has a horse on the front of his roof (click on the photo to enlarge it.)
Below: Finally, the road to the Pyramids. Another form of transportation. These buggies are a common site in the part of town near the Pyramids, and at the site, as well.
After the Obama speech, we found all roads led to nowhere - well, nowhere we needed to be. (Thank goodness we took a map of Cairo. VB recommends Cairo, The Practical Guide, Maps, as it has the best map of Maadi, as well. Most maps ignore Maadi.) There was only one road available to pedestrians, and so many of us ended up there. The Boss Man and VB finally got to Bahi al-Din Barakat, where we found all the VW Buses in the video below. We turned onto al-Haram, as The Boss Man thought we could walk over 'Abbas Bridge to meet our driver on The Nile Corniche. At that point with major exhaustion setting in, jet lag, and in 95 degrees heat (at least - that's what VB's thermometer, back at the apartment in the shade, read), VB said, "no f-ing way."
All they had that morning was coffee. VB watched as the guards at the Obama speech threw bottles of water into trash cans. Water was not available for sale. If you wanted to go to the bathroom, you'd end back up at square one, bickering with the guards and auditorium personnel in order to get readmitted. So, most of us were left parched, and bloated.
It's A Small World:
The Boss Man then tried to get a cab to take us over to The Nile Corniche. The driver said he was waiting on his fare, who was in the pastry shop. He suggested we go up a bit further to see if we could hail a cab. As we were walking, the driver and his fare stopped. After a few questions, she agreed to take us over to The Corniche. While we were in the car, discussing Obama, she said, "I am an American too."
VB thought this woman looked familiar. So, VB asks, "Where in the States?"
The woman says, "California."
VB asks, "Were you in Alexandria last October?"
The woman: "yes."
VB: "We met you at the Alexandria train station. You helped us find the platform for the train back to Cairo." (At which time we had a few short conversations, and she said she lived in California.)
The woman: "Yes, I remember!"
The Boss Man: "It's a small world, who would think we could meet like this twice!"
The woman: "Yes, indeed, it is a very small world." We were all laughing.
At that point our ride was up, and The Boss Man paid enough to the cab driver, to take care of about ten other fares. VB & The Boss Man could not believe it! Cairo is a city of close to 8 million people, and for us to find this kind-hearted woman twice is pretty unbelievable.
From answers,yahoo.com: ""It's a Small World" originated with the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair - it was Pepsi's pavilion. After the fair closed, the ride was transferred to Disneyland and officially opened in 1966. Disney had songwriters Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman write the ride's soundtrack "It's a Small World (After all). The ride was intended to promote world peace and showcase the different cultures of the world. There is no reference to any Disney character having said it. "It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it." was said by US comedian and actor Steven Wright."
As promised, a slide show of the rest of our trek. The White Chickens in Giza Music: La Donna e Mobile ("Woman is Fickle"), by Verdi, from the opera Rigoletto.
(Below) Where we agreed to meet our driver along The Nile Corniche:
Vagabondblogger is returning to the States, this evening, for three months. It's a bit earlier than she had hoped, but apparently, much to her surprise, this is a very busy travel time in Cairo. Vagabondblogger has quite a few Cairene discoveries to write about, and will continue Funkengroovin Wednesdays throughout the duration of her U.S. stay. Vagabondblogger goes from 85 degree F Cairo heat, to a predicted 30 degrees in Connecticut on Thursday night! Yes, she is packing a jacket! In addition, her stay will last about three months, so off she goes from the land of the Pharaohs to a small town in Connecticut, where plays are presented at the local Grange hall.
In approximately one month (actually less) Vagabondblogger will travel to Pennsylvania to pick up a new puppy. For those of you who have followed this blog, you know Vagabondblogger lost Doggie July 17th, and posted a remembrance here. So look forward to some photos, and an announcement Thanksgiving week.
Last Friday, The Boss Man and Vagabondblogger took a trip to Giza for lunch at the Mena House hotel , below the Pyramids (see first photo.) Just as an aside and bit of trivia, Mena Suvari, who is of Greek descent (like yours truly,) and according to USAweekend.com, was named after the hotel, sort of:
"Mena, the world traveler: Part Estonian and part Greek, Suvari was named for her godmother, who was born in the Mena House, a hotel at the base of the Pyramids in Egypt."
Lunch there is okay. The Boss Man thinks it's overpriced, but let's all agree: most of the people who eat there are tourists. The shop owners in Maadi all say their prices are higher at the Khan because they get mostly tourists who will visit them only once, whereas in Maadi they can lower prices since they know they're building a relationship with the local expat community (as if that still doesn't prevent them from ripping us all off anyway.)
We talked our driver into taking us around to see the "White Chickens" aka White VW Buses they use as taxis in Giza, before we stopped for lunch. So here's a couple of pics of what we caught (more and better at a later date.) For now, please enjoy a few photos of buses in Giza, and a very nice blue VW Bug we found at the Carrefour parking lot.
And finally, another edition, of the Cairo delivery service - this time it's can recycling via bicycle.
The European Court of Justice is expected to strike down the so-called Volkswagen Law, created by Germany’s government to protect the automaker from an unwanted takeover.
Everybody loved the old Volkswagen Beetle. Those who say they don’t love it are lying to themselves and need to come out of the automotive closet on the subject.
The head turning started when Blank was only 16 years old back in California. He said he was embarrassed by the “blandness of his all-white Volkswagen” and painted a rooster on the driver’s door. The rooster led to other painted items and then to add-ons like flags, flowers, horns and a globe.
Before he knew it, Blank had what is known as an art car. Art cars are generally cars which their owners alter to reflect, in some physical way, the owner’s personality or belief system. Some are merely given wild paint jobs while others are sculpted to look like things like high heel shoes or a banana. Others have things attached to them like the Camera Van or the Brickmobile.
The Who's beak-schnozed, windmilling wonder Pete Townsend and Volkshttp://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifwagen, says the UK's AutoExpress, will team up on marketing V-dub's new bus, the long-awaited production successor to the 2001 Microbus concept. Expect to be regaled with The Who's "Magic Bus" as VW launches a media blitz for the new minivan, due in 2008, reportedly co-developed with Chrysler. But don't expect it to mimic the concept; word is the new bus has been reconsidered, though still decidedly retro looking.
Auto Express can also exclusively reveal that it’s likely the band’s classic single Magic Bus will be the soundtrack for any TV, radio or Internet commercials.
Immediately after its gig in front of 40,000 adoring fans, the supergroup spent time with top VWTownshend revealed he still has at least one ageing VW bus parked in his garage at home. And now, there is a growing possibility that he will be one of the first people to take delivery of a cleaner and safer next-generation version.
As with the Microbus, the redes igned version will have an unashamedly retro look. However, a stripped-out, less is more appearance will help keep costs down and make the vehicle more accessible to buyers on tighter budgets. According to VW, the new Camper will almost certainly be built in the US, and it’s equally likely that it will be badged Bulli – a name that the company has only recently registered to itself.
But bosses admit that unless they can sell at least 100,000 examples of the car worldwide every year, the pro ject may not be financially viable. executives from Germany and the UK. There, guitarist Pete
Volkswagen South Africa has extended its lifestyle vehicle line-up with the introduction of the new Volkswagen California. This new van is designed to be a “house on the road,” and Volkswagen claims that it offers all the amenities of home.
A song from The Band that would be quite appropriate at a Grange meeting.
The Band - King Harvest 1970 - Long Black Veil 1970
Expat currently living in Egypt. I'm not really a vagabond, but I would like to be. I do own an '87 VW Vanagon Camper (Weekender) and a 1965 VW Beetle Convertible.
I'm more of a rider on the corporate vagabond trail.
Views expressed here are mine and mine alone. If anyone feels insulted by this, or any other posts, don't worry I am a equal opportunity lampooner.
