Highseason in Cairo
The Midnight Mass in the chapel of the German school in Cairo gave me a piece of home and a pack of German Christmas cookies by the sisters.
Focus for the next few days should be the maintenance of my machine. On the Internet I had already received the GPS point of a workshop in Cairo. Since the streets here are so small and crooked, you need the help of locals to find it. But such big motorbikes are not very common on Cairo, they already know your destination when you drive around : The Motorcycle Workshop by Anwar!
This turned out to be really an absolute stroke of luck. The very next day - the 2nd Christmas Day - it went off promptly at 13:00 Clock. Everything I had written my checklist was implemented by the guys in perfect working. And very quickly. When I left at 20:00, even after one or two teas they had finished all of the following points on my checklist:
- Check brakes (front / rear)
- Change tires (front / rear)
- Chain and sprocket change
- Oil and oil filter
- Check coolant
- Check valve clearance
- Inclusion of the rear suspension checked
- Clean air filter and oil the new
- Check Spark Plug
- and other visual inspections.
In addition, the boys of Anwar still had my bike properly waxed. The cleaning took two of theme for 1.5 hours. Something I have not seen before. Like new!
The round was then done at a bargain price of EUR 62.50 including a big tip!
In the workshop I met Ahmed with his Fireblade, who was pleased to experience his German, as a child he went to the German school. He invited us to go out at night with him and his friends, they would celebrate a birthday. He gave me an address where we would meet at 21:30. Wassi and me drove my motorcycle at the appointed time to the location. The guys parked their cars outside. I, as a motorcycle traveling tourist, thought: "Hey, they've got even a parking lot. So lets drive in!"
I place my bike next to BMW X5, Audi Q7 and other expensive cars. I should have thought about it. Anyone who rides a real motorcycle in Cairo, can not be quite poor. We realized it when left and had to pay 100 pound minimum consumption, both of us had not nearly reached. The guys in the parking lot asked for another 20 for parking my bike. But I did it by myself . So, given gas and blustered like this. But was a great evening.
Next Task:
The extension of my visa for longer stay in Egypt. Well equipped with photocopies and passport pictures and 11.5 Egyptian Pound (1.5 euro) I could just treat the topic of time prior to the visit of the Egyptian Museum. The museum was then again unimaginable. The number with the "teacher passport" has, as always, worked. Inside, the visitor then sees a museum overloaded with artifacts, I find it very difficult to describe my impressions. The best way to imagine a French-old mansion converted into a warehouse, which is crammed to the brim. The guide says: Would you look at every object 1 minutes, you need 9 months for the entire museum. We were 4 hours in the museum. Longer than most visitors, but this means we actually slipped only once through all the gears.
In the following days we went again and again to incursions by "Islamic Cairo" or "Old Cairo". Every time we plunged into a fascinating alien world of these neighborhoods and their residents. Artisans go about their business even after the old tradition on the streets. In the markets all kinds of oriental things, or even the latest children's toys are available. The further you walk, the more confusing is the maze of streets, people naturally, smells strange. It was not until nightfall, we made our way back. Meanwhile, we seem so obvious move in Cairo, we were often asked for advice by tourists, where, for example, to get good food. Actually, nothing simpler than this. Do it like the locals. Eat where they eat.
On 28 I left cairo alone with the aim of Port Said. It was too complicated for Erik to get a bike with the appropriate documentation. Thus the plan. Halfway then a police check. I had to wait. After 1.5 hours - had eaten something and a nap - then the statement that I can not continue. Mubarak was in Port Said. No foreigners can now travel to Port Said and Sinai. Meanwhile, many mini-buses from the direction of Port Said came back with tourists. They already had reached Port Said and where sent back. In Cairo is highseason. Now way to find a room in a hotel. A few days earlier I had noted the GPS coordinates of the campsite Selma. There was then enough space for me. I was the only visitor. Looking for something like a small supermarket and a baker, I wandered through the slums in the vicinity of the campsite. Very nice and helpful people. But for safety reason I have not carried the camera.
At the moment I am a little bit late with writing. But I'll try to work up in the next few days! Word of honor!
As always, of course, new pictures.