Cairo

In 2015 I took a contract advising the Egyptian National Institute of Standards in Giza. Cairo had just gone through the Arab Spring, the miliatary take over and the Russian airliner disaster. There were no tourists and the tension on the streets was obvious. I stayed in the Mena House Hotel, a five-star palace adjacent to the Pyramids surrounded by three security rings of armed guards. Some days, I felt I was the only guest.

The Mena House Hotel. The view from my room.
No caption needed. I didn’t see another Western tourist all day.
The kids were delighted to meet a Westerner.
A few years and this young girl wil vanish behind the burka like her Mother
Desperately hustling for business
Up close, the Pyramids are massive
The cop asked me for money
Giza. A poor area of Cairo. Garbage everywhere. Sheep wandering the streets, eating garbage. Kids playing, in the garbage.
Kids and a wrecked car.
On the way home from School
Urban wasteland
Kids playing in the street
I’m not sure what’s in the container
On Al Haram
Beggar on the main street in Giza.
Donkey carts are a common sight in Giza
Armed police on the main street in Giza
The outer security perimiter of the Mena House Hotel.