Khan al Khalili

Ladies of the market

I’ve gotten some very negative advice about traveling around town, alone or at all which has paralyzed me. I am used to going where I want to go where we all go when visiting famous cities like Cairo – within reason and with some common sense.

Egypt has a long history of being a place with virtually no crime, but things have changed a bit since the revolution and it has those with knowledge of the past afraid. Most people still agree that Cairo is still much safer than many cities in the US.

Finally couldn’t take it anymore. I took the metro alone to downtown Cairo and walked the mile or so to the great old market – the Khan al Khalili through the blast of horns, and throngs of people and heat of the day.

I fended off the hard sellers of scarves, perfume, pyramid replicas -  “come into my shop madam, what are you looking for, I have what you are looking for, and I will give you a good price” and the soft/hard sellers – “what are you looking for madam – nothing? I have nothing to sell and I will give you a good price – haha”.

A sense of humor usually goes a long way with me, but I was feeling strong and kept on walking. Someone offered to sell me the stray chicken pecking in the garbage. And then there was the nice gentleman at the metro station that had tried to help me find the way to the market... and to his uncles perfume shop who I triumphantly blew off at the metro station on arrival, but then ran into again at the market and felt obliged to sit in his shop and smell perfume.

But I bought nothing, except for fava bean falafels with an onion and spiced carrot salad and heavenly bread that is like pita but so much more. …yea, and a table cloth that I got a really good price on…  

Market cats of the day

My new chickens!

Market cafe

Shops in the Khan

A street in the market

Al Hussein Mosque (I think)