I reckon a good new wildlife TV series would be called Stray - about the whole ecosystem in places like Cairo that is supported in normal downtown areas, and Heliopolis is no exception. I snapped this resident family of beautiful stray dogs lounging in the morning sun, trying to get warm in on a cool winters morning. There are at least 5 identical sand colour mutts who live near the office and do not seem bothers by anyone or the cars. The live around the little garden area, the company pay for a man to look after this, he is busy cleaning up the litter everyday, making it beautiful only for it to be trashed the next night. I took a photo one morning of his seat underneath the shade from the mid day sun.
Thought this was an interesting image, one day last week somebody had broken up an old 78 record (that dates me a little, is was "Sleeping Beauty" by some orchestra I could not make out). Parts of the thick black disc were scattered around the bushes and path, the kids playing frisbee with it probably did not even know what it was for......The other image I took on my way to a coffee, nothing goes to waste in Cairo, someone left a toilet out in the street and by the time Id ordered a coffee it was gone...to where, who knows....Cairo is such a Dump (sorry!!!)
Yesterday I had to go to across town to an area called Dokki to the Syrian embassy to try and get a visa. Long story short, no visa, they were being difficult as they often are for no particular reason. Whilst waiting for the driver I found our normal meeting spot and stood on the corner observing the vibrant life in this crowded part of town. There are loads of officious police about, probably due to all the embassies in the area. A car load of girls turned up and suddenly the policeman jumped to life and made a space for the girls to park on the corner of the street. On return their car would not start , normally life would have gone on and no one would have battered an eyelid but such is the chivalry of the Cairo police force about 10 cops came to help the girls get going again!
I could never drive in Dokki, its completely claustraphobic and im sure my car and other would end up with less paint than previously. There is a one way system that nobody but me apparently is aware of, and most of the time the driver spent backing up down very narrow alleys with at least 2cm each side, impressive driving.
Typical Dokki scene, which car backs down?
The company driver asked if I minded if he could just stop for 10 mins on the way back to the office to get some papers signed for the company. Yeah, why not, just waited 1.5hrs getting to this side of town for no visa. But as suspected this was an egyptian 10mins. We went to the central Fire Station to get some fire control forms stamped. Not many white faces seen in here! Classic Egyptian beaurocracy, stamp here, sign there, waiting room, sign, stamp etc etc. Mind you saw some beautiful nummulitic limestone on a polished ledge whilst waiting. Whilst waiting inside I was reading the memorial for the fallen firemen with my rudiementary arabic, picking out the letters and numbers when Chief of Fire comes out and starts chatting in very good english about the memorial and firestation. Nice chap, wanted me to join him for tea but as driver returned we needed to get back. Interesting experience and made up for my lack of a visa.
The firestation
Nummulitic limestone at the firestation (with fire-engines in the background) and the memorial.
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