Photo Round Up – Week 99-101

This is a shot of the local meat store around the corner from my apartment in Downtown Cairo. I like this shot because of the items that are for sale, but also because the women is covered up while on her right is a women not so covered up. I wish I had noticed it then so I could have got a better shot but didn’t.

This is an amazing shot, but it’s something I love about Cairo… it’s a city that really never sleeps. This is fresh bread that I was able to buy at almost 3am. We were hungry and craving some sandwiches so went down stairs and bought some at our local bakery.

Ah the joys of living in Downtown Cairo is that you will find riot police just about everywhere as you near the heart of the city where all the important buildings.

This is a shot of protesters infront of the Ministry of Securities after a deadly train accident accord outside of Cairo killing over 60 people. This was the first time I had seen this bilding since the street it’s on is normally blocked by huge cement blocks, but for some reason no longer is.

A lonely tent in Tahrir Sq. 2 weeks before the 2nd anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution. A week later as January 25th neared more and more tents were set up in the Sq. by protesters.

This is one of the views from one of the Bab Zuweila minarets in Islamic Cairo. You can see the Citadel on the left hand side perched on the highest point of the city.

This is another one of the views from one of the Bab Zuweila minarets in Islamic Cairo. It was in this location that the city of Cairo was founded in 969.

One of the things I love about living in Cairo is that I see many crazy things. This one is one of my favorite but it’s still not the shot I am waiting for. This is a guy holding bread on his head and walking to deliver it, now imagine it being delivered like this but the guy is on a bike riding through the crazy Cairo traffic? Oh yes it happens and often, but with my crappy camera I can not capture it so am excited to get this shot when I come back to live here and have a DSLR.

Dominos something I have been playing quite a lot since I arrived back in Cairo. My friends and I tend to go out for Tea and then play “Ashok” until the wee hours of the morning. “Ashok” is “I doubt” & is such a fun game to play. I want to write a detail post of it in the future for everyone to learn and enjy it as well.

This photo says it all… STREET ART. Ah the new street art around Tahrir Sq. is amazing. The Street Art in Cairo just keeps getting better & better. I will have a full post of all the amazing Street Art I have been able to find around Downtown Cairo, before heading home. This is one of my new favorites… it’s so subtle yet it says so much. Even the birds need gas mask for what is happening in the city.

I was able to spend the 2nd anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution in Tahrir Sq and of the many photos I took this is one of my favorite. It just comes to show that the people of Egypt do want to live in a country where all religions could live together. With out one party controlling the government.

One of my favorite moments from that day was walking away from Tahrir Sq and people still coming into the Sq. by the thousands on this street 100s of people were holding this huge Egyptian flag. The energy I felt there was like never before with people chanting “Bread… Liberty… & Justice.” I felt like I was truly in the middle of a revolution. I’ll be sharing more of these photos soon along with more of my thoughts on that day.

This photo was taken as I was going to pick up my VISA extension. The buiding is in the middle of Tahrir Sq and as I was going in that morning had to go through Tear Gas to get it. It ws crazy, but safe. Then as I walked out I saw this burnt riot truck parked well… not so much park as stuck there for display to show the power of the people.

A photo from my 1st Egyptian Engagement party. It was quite the affair and very extravagant. This is way different than an engagement party at home. Here no alcohol is served and the men & women don’t dance together as much and tend to dance in circles instead. I will be going to my 2nd one in a few days.Very excited because even without alcohol they are lots of fun. Oh & Egyptians can shake their hips.

View from the door of my apartment on a beautiful day in Cairo. It’s still a bit chilly, but when I see blue skies and clouds up there I can’t help but smile. Seeing a blue sky and clouds is rare in the pollution filled Downtown Cairo.