Bridge over the river Nile

While driving around in Cairo, Egypt, you'll notice that there is hardly anywhere you can just take some relaxing time and enjoy yourself watching the masses. Although considering the Egyptians, they're not that openly voyeuristic as westerners. I'm sure though that Egyptians look around at other people as well... hmm on second thought maybe not as not paying attention while anywhere near a car might get you killed.

But back to this post, you won't find a lot of opportunity to relax in Cairo's busy, extremely busy street. And on top of that, Cairo is rather smoggy and dusty. There are here and there some parks that provide some solitude and in case you're wondering, just like Central Park in New York City, these parks are also small refuges for everyday's hectic.

But the Cairotians have found another spot for relaxation after a hectic and busy day: The bridges over the Nile. As these bridges are offering sidewalks as broad as 3 meters, you'll see plastic chairs all along the bridge and as soon as the working day has ended for most people, it starts for some. Little carts with food and water are pulled and pushed to their definitive spots on the bridge and pedestrians are claiming their seats for a view over the Nile. Young couples are sitting across from each other, holding hands at the most and looking intently to one another, taking in every word they're saying, and ofcourse a lot of fumes from the exhaust of cars passing by.
Sometime you'll see whole families gathering discussing the day or something else (my Arabic is not good enough to understand the little fragments of their stories that reach my ears between the honking of the cars). But one thing is important to notice, they all are enjoying life's simple pleasures to the fullest without the need for iPods to block out the rambling of your loved one and without a US$ 5 espresso with a US$ 15 panini with Norwegian salmon and imported real bull Mozarella on fresh pesto with Tuscanny sun dried tomatoes on a bed of cucumber/rucola salad... Which reminds me, I've got to check out that little coffee shop around the corner on Road 9 with the excellent fresh coffee smell. They serve sandwiches and the likes for brunch.

Next time more of my discoveries in Cairo, the one in Egypt.

Iwan