This morning was spent killing time until we could pick our passports up from the Ethiopian embassy. Leaving the hostel via Champollion street we wandered down to Tahrir square and people watched for a while.
We then wandered along Mohamed Mahmoud street until we reached Abdeen palace, occasional home of ex-president Moubarak. We are not sure if the museum is currently open, as the whole area seemed to be cordoned off to traffic and there were several armoured personnel carriers roaming the streets. Things have clearly still not returned to normal on the streets of Cairo.
By the time we had wandered back to a metro station, it was time to go and pick up our passports. Knowing where we were going, we arrived outside the embassy just before 2pm. At almost 2pm exactly, the hatch in the gates was opened, we were beckoned over and handed our passports. We have been issued with 90 day tourist visas, which start from the day of issue. The 90 day visa is only $10 dearer than the 30 day one and actually allows us time to get to Ethiopia before it expires. Dealing with the Ethiopian embassy, despite the comical application process, has been a pleasure.
Taking the metro back to Tahrir square, we decided to walk back to the hostel. Walking along Talaat harb street we had another reminder of the unrest that seems to remain in the city, when what appeared to be a violent altercation broke out on a side street. Passers by and police rushed towards the sounds of shouting and screaming and we were quickly ushered past the disturbance and away from any potential harm. It is a strange atmosphere in the city, the mass demonstration has ended and now people seem to be just waiting to see what happens. As if they got what they wanted, but now have no real idea where to go from there. The situation probably feels stranger as there are almost no tourists, in a city that is normally filled with them.
Arriving back at 26th July Street we returned to the hostel and then went to buy our bus tickets for the return journey to Dahab. Mohamed at the hostel wrote down the name of the bus station we had arrived at in Arabic and then suggested that we should try the main bus station instead.
The main bus station, Cairo Gateway, was within walking distance which looked like a much better option than an unnecessary two way taxi ride, especially bearing in mind our feelings about taxis! The bus station may have been close, but crossing the main road to it was slightly nerve racking. We can't think of another country that we have visited where the car drivers will actually swerve towards you and look like they are quite willing to run over anyone who crosses a fraction too slowly. The safest way to cross appears to be to use a local as a barrier between you and the oncoming traffic, failing that, Debs uses me!
Getting to the bus station, we found the right ticket kiosk and purchased our return tickets. It was a good job we came to the main station first as the bus leaves from there and a trip out to where we were dropped off would have been a wasted journey. We will be taking the day bus this time and we have seats 1 and 2 so nobody will be reclining their seats onto our legs. Hopefully we will arrive back in a better state than we got to Cairo!
Back near the hostel we bought some more fruit from the market and then had tea and a shisha in an old looking coffee shop. They clearly didn't get many tourists, as we had to have a bit of an extended photo session with one of the staff.
While in the shop we were approached by a female beggar, who when I refused to give her money went through an elaborate series of gestures to me. Not since India have I been so blatantly singled out for being a westerner. She made no such gesture to any other occupant of the coffee shop, despite them all refusing to give her money. Obviously as I have no idea what the gestures meant and have no belief in being cursed, it all rather fell flat. Nonetheless it didn't make for what should have been a pleasant relaxing experience.
For dinner we walked back down Champollion street and had Koshary in the well known Abu Tarek restaurant. There is no need for a menu as all they sell is Koshary, in fact all you really need to decide is whether to take away or eat in. For a cheap food food I think it is great, but Debs is really on the fence. She is looking forward to getting back to Dahab and its myriad of restaurants catering more to her tastes!
After a busy day, we bought a few beers few beers from an off licence and then returned to the hostel for the night.
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