November

Raining and dark by 5 o’clock. Sound familiar Glasgow?

Bugs and Mugs

The three lads ventured downtown on the Metro today after Cairo’s soccer game early this morning. We  wanted to find the Entomological Society and the Arab Music Institute. Maybe not high on other people’s list of places to visit in Cairo but feeling like veterans of obscure museum visits, we were feeling optimistic. However, I could not have told you what entomological meant until I read about it in a book. We went looking for a collection of insects and birds housed in a nineteenth century mansion on Ramses Street.

The taxidermy of the birds dates from around 1909 to the 1930s. Once again the feeling of traveling back in time was strong as we entered the entomological society’s rooms on the second floor of a building shared with many organisations and business. Once through the door at the top of the staircase, the all familiar switching on of lights, windows being opened  and the unlocking of doors commenced to allow the 21st century access for a while. A brief negotiation with the caretaker and the bug room (normally locked during the day and only officially open in the evening between 5:30 and 8:00 pm) is unlocked. We are left alone in a filthy room with 50,000 different kinds of bugs from Egypt and the Mediterranean, to view under the wooden display flaps or pull out from enormous cabinets with rows of specimen trays revealing their strong-smelling treasure. Delighted in finding huge moths and butterflies, scarab beatles and cockroaches. The birds were a bit moth-eared but some good finds. Egyptian Kestrels like the ones we see flying around our school grounds each day. Egyptian Nightjars, what a magnificent name. Our hands were black at the end. A reasonable toilet allows us to freshen up before getting back to reality.

We turned left up Ramses Street to look for the Arab Music Institute but we were told tomorrow. Our destination then turned to Abdin Palace.  A walk down Emad El Din Street past some magnificent old architecture, warm weather, noise, smells and the city functioning as best it can, very uplifting. Eventually ended up walking right round the perimeter of Abdin Palace and found the entrance to the museum round the back. Lesley Lababidi writes,  Abdin Palace is immense but it is still used in an official capacity, so only a section is open to the public. The cannons and the pyramid-piled cannon balls in the garden give a clue to the dominant theme of the museum, which is mainly concerned with weaponry.  Bit disappointed to miss seeing Napoleon’s duelling case but we got to see a pistol owned at one time by Mussolini. Bizarre collection of badges (see above) belonging to King Farouk, made you think he might have been a can short of a six pack and fair game for Nasser. Boys were tired and hungry as we quickly looked in the Historical Document Room (a letter from Adolf) and the Presidential Gift Museum. Chances are the items on display are unwanted gifts. Hideous and ostentatious. So, to the glory of aggression, my gun is bigger than yours, the dominant theme being bullyboys. Beautiful gardens if you can ignore the weaponry in every corner, doorway and flowerbed.

Lunch was to be at the wee fella’s favourite place, the food is not great it just has loads of fishtanks and turtles. However, it was mobbed so we tried Cafe Riche. We have tried several times to enter this establishment but have always been met by the words, we are open in two weeks. It was open. After a decent meal Lucas wanted to show me a staircase he had spotted when he had gone to the toilet earlier. He seemed to think it was where they chucked the rubbish down. While showing me the staircase the proprietor came over and asked why we had stopped by the stairs. I replied my son thought it was where the cafe put all the rubbish. Michel A. Michael unlocked the gate and took us downstairs. He has tried to recreate the look of an early nineteen hundreds bar. Old telephones and transistors sit on tables and shelves. A printing machine supposedly used by Sa’ad Zaghloul and his associates while striving for autonomy (from the British) in 1918, has pride of place. I had always thought the Cafe had associations with the Free Officers who wanted to overthrow King Farouk. Michel then showed the boys a secret door behind the bar that led to the kitchens. They loved it. The Metro back to Maadi and in the school pool by half three. Brilliant.

PS. Abdin Palace is one of the very few places where we have seen merchandise for sale. The boys bought a couple of key rings and I bought a badge. King Farouk syndrome? However, the mug with the picture of Abdin Palace came out the dishwasher without the picture. I love this place.

Forty Four and Fourth

I returned home late on Sunday night from Jordan having run the Petra half marathon.  Great weekend but a very tough run. Putting ‘ultra’ in front of half marathon seemed to allow for an increase in  the distance run and the gradients climbed.  A lot of the kilometres run on Saturday were long and torturous. 

This was a run for the wealthy. It cost me 200 euros to enter.  I flew to Amman and then got the bus down to Petra. Most had paid for very expensive packages,transport and were staying in the very best hotels. We walked through the Siq at dawn to the start at the Treasury which was amazing. However, there was very little opportunity to see much more of the site once the run started. We left Petra after about 5 kilometers at the Beduin school, then climbed a mountain before circling the town and descending steeply to the finish. Very surprised to hear it announced that I was fourth.

I then headed down to Aqaba to spend some time with Iain Benzie and his lovely family and then headed back to Cairo on Sunday. Pictures are from marathon-photos a company who charge 38 euros for a photograph of yourself. I’ve just borrowed some and cropped them a bit.  A race for the rich. Petra, I will definately need to revisit with guidebook, time and family.

Yer Goose is Cooked Son

We took Gordon to the Egyptian Museum today. Back in May I found this statue in the Roman Room and thought it was fantastic. I dutifully checked my camera in at the front gate today but I got to use Gordon’s who had inadvertently concealed his in his trousers. Ideal smuggling conditions as the museum was full of tourists.  The body language is great – no facial expressions required to read in to the scenario.  

 

Shona adds: once we arrived back at New Cairo, Gordon and the boys had a mammoth wrestling session whilst she cooked roast chicken, potatoes and stuffing. Not cooked goose – but just as yummy.

We took Gordon to the gate of Bab Zweila and he climbed to the top of the iron staircase. The views were clear across the city. On his last night we hired a feluca and watched the sun go down. Haste ye back Gordon.

Frasers on Camels

Following in his father’s footsteps Gordon decided to take a camel back to the car from the Giza plateau this afternoon. After a wee bit of haggling over the price (‘pay what you like’) He was taken round the side of the sphinx and then dumped for 20LE. He was guided around the solar boat museum by Lucas. Very hot today. Good to have him with us.

Back to School

It seems a while since we blogged. Intended to post before leaving for Scotland but spent the first week of the holiday at Moonbeach and then unexpectedly moving all our belongings into our new flat on the evening of our departure to Scotland.

We had a wonderful time in Scotland catching up with family and friends. We have been back in Cairo for two weeks but have only just got round to establishing an internet link in our new place. Busy at school and getting back into usual routines. Cairo starts his Youth Soccer League training and games this weekend. Very much looking forward to seeing Gordon next week and taking him around the city.

Our third year.

Alle Botti

Key Stage 1 Sports Day

Societe de Geographie d’Egypte

A wonderful ethnology museum and home of the Geographical Society is hidden in the parliament grounds just off Qasr al-Aini Street. Being a born again geographer, Shona had read about the Geographical Society and wanted to check it out with the intention of perhaps taking a school group  on an educational visit. Lesley Lababidi says, “if you have been to this museum, then you know you are not a tourist!’

I don’t really know what we are. This was just a magical find. We never seem to meet other families, foreign or local, exploring these treasures. We handed over our passports at an uninviting gate to the Egyptian Parliament grounds and entered an old building labelled with the French above. Not many tourists get here. We are alone once again. No tickets - but a helpful escort to switch on the lights in the various rooms which make up the Ethnology Museum. Slipped him some LE after the first few rooms so we were left to explore on our own.   

A quirky collection of things belonging to certain eras and cultures. Old keys, a birthing chair, an elephant’s foot, shadow puppets, drums, weapons, costumes and carved dessert spoons. The boys once again desperate to show us things  that they have discovered in each of the rooms. The Suez Canal room captured the magnitude of the engineering feat and the opulence surrounding the opening. Great dioramas,  unfortunately not at a six year old’s height.

It just got better. We climbed a most magnificent staircase up to the lecture hall of the Geographical Society. We did not expect such an amazing room. Built in the 1920s the lecture hall was breathtaking. An ornate ceiling and beautiful stained glass windows produced a wonderful atmosphere. Rooms led off from the hall through enormous doors, some rooms with open fireplaces, all lined with bookshelves. Students were seated at large reading desks researching through the books on display. Magical place that is stuck in that all now familiar time-warp.

Following Greatness

 

Great photographs of Obama’s visit to Cairo yesterday from the Guardian.