Boats and Elevators

Since I am a lousy hostess, I have forced my guest to sleep as long as she wishes and then visit charming and educational tourist destinations by herself while I have a jolly time taking my finals. It's quite selfish of me. But I do join in for the best of the touring, and only remind her how many times I've done everything every other minute.

So: we took a boat ride after a romantic dinner of Indian food next to the Nile. There were bitty frogs hopping about the deck area but my photo of them did not come out, so here instead is a snap of the intrepid boaters:


It was rather windy.

That same day, we had visited the bizarre department store Sendoui (I think this is the spelling. Could be wrong). The place looks like a World War Two relic that has not been maintained. Saggy floors, spotty carpets. It is also deserted while the streets outside bustle with folk selling tee shirts and shoes. There are so many shoes for sale in Cairo, it's amazing that there's still a market for them all.

The mannequins in the department store, like all Cairo mannequins, are quite unsettling. Of course, we had to pose with them.



Today we went somewhere I've never been before: the Cairo tower. I had been assured for months that this attraction was closed for renovations, but it has finally reopened and we are the beneficiaries of its views and fruity drink concoctions.


The tower's elevator cost 65 pounds (for foreigners) and there is not a stitch of shade on top, but there is also a charming cafe at which the drinks are not so overpriced as you might expect. The waiter was a bit skeevy (he kept trying to convince me to meet him after he got of work. Not thanks) but the air conditioning inside?

Priceless.