Modern Day Egyptians

A lady was lowering something from the first floor balcony in a bucket, to a couple of kids at the front door on the ground floor. It turned out to be a key - for the kids to open the door.  Perhaps she is the mother of those kids?  Do people still do that in Cairo?  How quaint! And how endearing!

A man driving a horse-drawn cart - it is obvious that this is a really common scene in Cairo.  I was hoping to see that even before I came - but am still surprised to see it so often.  

Men smoking a water-pipe or having tea on the roadside - an iconic scene.  They are always men, and never women.  Is that never going to change?

The women that I can see on the street seem to be always working.  Is that not going to change either?

When I went out running on Monday morning, many people greeted me, nodded, or even gave me the thumbs-up.  They seemed are so friendly.  

Many people are going to work, on foot, taking the bus, …  But some are fishing on the Nile.  

And some are watching the going-ons on the Nile, from the shore. 

Five young ladies were having fun on the sidewalks, perhaps waiting for the bus.  And two young men were amused watching them.  That is probably not going to change anytime soon.  

A pretty young face from the window of a bus.  Just a glimpse that left a deep impression. 

I have heard that there are more than 10 million Coptic Christians in Egypt, with almost 90 million Muslims.  We passed by St Mark’s Coptic Cathedral, the seat of the Coptic Pope.  What I did not realise at the time was that it was very close to a mosque.  From the people that i have talked to, the Christians and Muslims have been living side by side in Egypt largely peacefully for many many centuries.  Why is mutual respect so hard for some people?

People.  They are so fascinating.