The Best Fifteen Cent Nile Boat Cruise in Town

Public transportation is really quite good here in Cairo. Although we haven’t yet tried out the bus system, we’ve been able to travel around the city easily by taxi and subway. The subway is as modern as one finds in most major cities. Like Mexico City, it is an extremely cheap way for Cairens to move about the city. A ride costs only 1 L$ or about 15 cents. 

The fancy subway cars out to Mar Girgis (Coptic Cairo)

 Trains can often be crowded, but we have found the same thing, particularly during peak hours, most everywhere else. Most interesting here is the fact that most trains have "ladies only" cars. I had read about this, so when I accidentally stepped into one while rushing to catch the subway, immediately, I knew something was wrong.  It only took me a second or two to know I was in the wrong place and the stares proved it. As quickly as I stepped into the car, I also exited and moved on down to the standard cars open to everyone. Egypt is a male dominated society. On the streets, at the train stations, on the subway platform, running the businesses, waiters, and in cafes, 90% plus of the people you see are men.  Of course, you do see many couple, families and women together, but by far Egyptian society is, at least outwardly, a world of men. The idea of a women’s car on the subway makes sense from several different perspectives. In the week that we have been here, today is the first time we have seen a woman driving a car.

Taxis have become the standard means of transportation around the city. There appears to be more cabs than riders. Rarely have we ever waited more than a minute to hail a ride. The black and whites only charge 10L$ ($1.50 US) for a ride anywhere in town. Only on rare occasion have we had a cabbie ask for more. If you simply tell them no, that's it and they drive away. Even at 10L$ (the tourist rate), they're making twice as much as they get from a local Cairen.

Any college student would dig these wheels!

We had planned on taking the water taxi to visit the Coptic (Christian) part of the city. As it turned out, service to this part of town is limited to mornings. So, we jumped on the boat anyway and took the 25 minute ride over to Giza on the other side of the river.

The River Taxi - the best way to get away from city traffic.

As it was late in the day, this turned out to be an excellent time to catch our breath after a visit to the Egyptian Museum even if we couldn’t make it all the way to our intended destination. On board, we met a young Egyptian couple who suggested that we simply stay on the boat after getting to Giza and ride it back (that’s what they were doing so as to watch the amazing sunset on the Nile.

Sunset on the Nile

 Although there were many fallucas and tour boats on the river, our public transport proved to be not only enjoyable, but the most economical way to take a Nile boat ride. One Egyptian pound or fifteen cents each way for our hour long cruise on the Nile. Oh, sightseeing just like the locals do it (this was a play right out of our oldest son’s book on economical travel opportunities).

Keeping transportation in mind, we went car shopping today. Look at the groovy ride we picked out.

Pimp my ride!

Tomorrow: The Egyptian Museum