These photos were taken on what the experts call a “clear day” in Cairo. If you look really hard, you can see the pyramids off in the distance.
We went on a bus trip around the city — the whole city, all 16 million people’s worth of city. It is a big city, folks. I think we just about saw it all: the downtown midans inspired by the layout of Paris, beautiful architecture that almost transports you to Europe, crumbling apartment buildings, agricultural regions along the Nile, camels, donkeys, and lots of new growth and development. The city has expanded into the desert. It’s hard to believe the Sahara can be transformed into livable, park-like neighborhoods.
We also got a crash-course in the history of the location of Cairo. Over the last few thousand years, the Nile has wiggled its way east, so all of the ancient sites which used to be along the Nile are now out in the desert. Fascinating!