WATER TREATMENT IN EGYPT - Part 2

The darker side of a teeming metropolis like Cairo was brought home to
me in the latter part of my stay in that city.  Like any other
populous place, there are seedy quarters hidden behind gleaming
monuments of chrome and glass.

41. WATER TREATMENT PLANT IN EGYPT – Part 2  .

 

( The first half of my Third day in Cairo was spent taking care of the business end of my trip to Egypt, with a visit to the Cairo Water Authority offices along with our prospective agents M/s El Sherbini and Dr. Abdullah.  The second half of the day was “free for leisure” in the manner of an itinerary of tour packages.)

DAY 3  - SECOND HALF

After lunch at the Concorde, and a short nap, I was ready to hit the streets of Cairo, in typical tourist fashion, with my prized and trusty Nikon F2 Photomic slung across my shoulder.  A short walk to the Sheraton Towers, and I booked myself on a half day conducted coach tour by American Express to the Pyramids of Giza, for the following day.

A leisurely stroll along El Tahrir across the western branch of the river Nile brought me to the construction site of the new Opera House at the southern tip of Gezira Island. Further down, past the bridge of the eastern branch of the river was the famous Egyptian Museum, which unfortunately was closed for some reason.

Out of nowhere appeared a friendly looking local wearing a Nehru jacket, keeping step with me, introduced himself as a great fan of India and all things Indian.  Muhammed Ibrahim claimed he was a minor journalist after a fashion.  I did not doubt that, listening to his discourse and his take on the political scene in India, the legacy of the Nehru family and the future under the youthful neophyte Rajiv Gandhi at the helm. 

My friend Ganesh Prabhu’s warning to be wary of Cairenes was lost in the cobwebs of my mind, as I came under the spell of this knowledgeable and erudite scholar.  His knowledge of history and culture of Egyptians further bolstered his stock with me, as he offered to escort me to the two jewels of Cairo – The Al Hussein Mosque and the not to be missed Khan Al Khalili Market both in close proximity to one another and within walking distance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Hussein_Mosque

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_el-Khalili

Three kilometers and about half an hour of monologue about this, that and the other of the various monuments and sights along the route brought us to the Al Hussein Mosque in the Islamic quarter of Cairo.  Going round the mosque, admiring the splendid minarets, Md. Ibrahim pulled me in with a swift tug through an open doorway for a quick peep into the capacious prayer hall supported by hundreds of pillars.  We withdrew out of the mosque as quickly and quietly as we had stepped in, as twilight fell over Cairo : and then began the ordeal.

Ibrahim demanded that I paid him 20 Egyptian Pounds for having taken me inside the mosque where Kaffirs were prohibited entry.  He then went on to demand a further 50 pounds for having been the guide and shown me the sights, sharing history of Egypt all along the route to the Mosque. Surely, he must be teasing me I thought : but I found no trace of mirth in his voice, nor the giveaway merry twinkle in his eye.  He was dead serious. There was a neurotic edge to his voice now, rising all the time.  He was eying and pointing to my Nikon and shouting, surely I could afford to pay him for the services rendered.

I now quick stepped away from him across the square and towards what looked to be the Khalili Market, hoping that I would be safe from this rascally thief, amidst a crowd.  He came after me at a trot, hissing and spewing profanities, trying to get hold of me, and tugging at the camera strap.  I broke into a sweat, and started running, hoping to get to the main street where I could get hold of a taxi and get away from the clutches of this madman.

Just then a taxi had been flagged down by two teenaged girls as I was running in, and I quickly piled into the cab with them and slammed the door shut, with Ibrahim trying to tug it open from the outside.  The girls were in a state of shock, but providentially, numbed into silence.  The Taxi driver however appeared unflustered and may have quickly assessed the situation, having possibly seen such happenings before in this notorious quarter of Cairo.

The cab dropped me off at the Hotel Concorde Hotel, and I made my way to my room lumbering under the weight of the events of the past hour.  I feared to venture out again that night, and just lay in bed pondering over my naivety bordering on stupidity despite being forewarned.

DAY 4

I stayed indoors all morning and I only came out of the hotel in the afternoon, quickly walking across to the Cairo Sheraton which was the boarding point for the conducted coach tour by American Express to the Pyramids of Giza.

Past the Sphinx, into the huge pyramid, walking up within the catacomb like structure into the crypt of Cheops the Pharoah, huffing, puffing, suffocating.  And later the Son et Lumiere show, lighting up the desert and a voice from the depths of the past recalling the glories of Egypt to the countless grains of sand, themselves witness to this wonder eons ago.

On the way back, a walk into a tourist trap for a demonstration of papyrus making, and paintings on papyrus. A souvenir of an ancient Felucca with oarsmen in Oreo Cookie formation, men at the rigging and the rudder, now hanging on our wall in Whitefield.

Dr. Ananth S Kodavasal                                                                          October 08, 2011

Attachment : Felucca on Papyrus