Arrival in Cairo

After an 11 hour flight from JFK to Cairo, we touched down right on time. Clearing customs was a breeze. Getting our visa stamp and going through took no more than five minutes. The Cairo airport is very modern and easy to get in and out of.

Our driver from the hotel met us at the airport. We were told that the going taxi rate from the airport to downtown was between 70-100 Egyptian Pounds (L$). At an exchange rate of 5.08 L$ to a $US, our $14 ride put us at the lower end of the generally agreed upon fare. Cairo traffic is said to be some of the worst in the world. The relatively short trip downtown took over an hour due to rush hour traffic.

It was a bit difficult choosing a hotel in Cairo. We wanted to be in the center of the city and also find a spot with character and charm. Tripadvisor continues to be one of the better websites for finding out what fellow travelers though of a particular property. In the case of the Windsor Hotel, there were some 268 hotel reviews to peruse . Overall, the Windsor was rated #24 out of 122 hotels listed with a 77% favorable review. So, with location, character, and price in mind we decided upon the Windsor for our first five nights in Cairo. We did follow an number of very good pieces of advice. Instead of a standard room, we upgraded to a deluxe room. We also checked out a couple of available rooms before ultimately choosing ours. Cairo hotels are not as cheap as we have found in other cities, but for $67 a night (taxes and a so-so continental breakfast included), we knew that the Windsor would do us well for the better part of the week. As most of the reviews stated, the owners of the hotel could spend some money on upgrading. Nonetheless, the Windsor is full of charm! From it's classic elevator to their lounge straight out of Rick's Cafe in Casablanca, this hotel meets the bill for something different with a real flavor of Egypt. As we weren't looking for a Hilton, a Hyatt, or a Marriott, we're more than pleased to spend the week feeling that we've stepped back in time some fifty years. Right outside our window is busy, bustling Cairo (at all hours of the day and night). We're within walking distance of many attractions and also just a short walk to the nearest subway (we'll tell you all about getting around Cairo in another blog).

After checking in, we hit the streets looking for a restaurant for dinner. The Alfi Bey, just two blocks away was recommended. Dinner was excellent. I had the stuffed pigeon! Very tasty, but since they're small, I ordered two. Along with a delicious creme of lentile soup and traditional appetizers like hummus and babaganoush, we ate very well this first night on traditional Egyptian cuisine. Nancy's chicken, rice, raisans,and nuts was equally delightful.

Walking the streets is a bit confusing in the dark. We'll get more used to them tomorrow. Most signs are in Arabic so our map isn't as helpful as it might be. In any case, we'll start out early tomorrow exploring.