The Scene spent the day in Cairo with French rapper MC Solaar. Do you have a favorite hangout in the Egyptian capital? What's your favorite MC Solaar track? Send us your suggestions and ideas and read your comments below.
• From: Elizabeth Durnan, Charlestown, USA • Posted: Jan. 6, 2007 • Comment: I loved reading your comments about Cairo and will add this page to my list of good websites. I loved Egypt and can't wait to go back but felt I was hampered by only speaking one word of Arabic. Would be great to add comments about other cities in Egypt and twons where foreigners are allowed to go. May I suggest the Flamenco Hotel in Zamalek for the first-time visitor or non-Arabic speaker. Imbaba is an interesting working-class neighborhood to visit.
• From: Chuck Schadt, Cairo • Posted: May 15, 2006 • Comment: visit the MILITARY MUSEUM in Heliopolus and visit the the bakery there.
• From: Tina, Cairo • Posted: March 28, 2006 • Comment: Cairo is hectic, just watch out when dodging cars, it is quite dangerous! But the city vibe is fantastic, it's the Arabic New York! Everyone is generally friendly, if you need help, never be afraid to ask! Basically, have fun!
• From: Omar; Cairo • Posted: Feb. 23, 2006 • Comment: living outside of egypt all my life then moving back at age of 17 after living in UK and Saudi Arabia , i found cairo non other than amazing it has no limits whatever u need is available the expensive and the cheap ... u can never judge cairo by just a small visit !
• From: Lobna Bakr; Alexandria, Egypt • Posted: Feb. 20, 2006 • Comment: I think from the way you described cairo, you just wanted to see the worst not the good parts. and you missed loads of good places and somehow you managed to turn something good like the shop owners speakin most languages into something bad in my opinon you have no business visitin egypt if u intended to hate it before u give it a chance. Egypt is actually loved by millions of ppl and thanx for your effort
• From: RM; Washington DC • Posted: Feb. 15, 2006 • Comment: If you're an American visiting Cairo, either stay in Downtown (in a major hotel on the Nile) or in Zamalek. Zamalek is full of both local and international food and shopping. Internet cafes abound as well as wi-fi hot spots. You will always find something to do and cabs are plentiful if you want to go someplace else in the city. Just get ready to be charged an arm and a leg if you're dressed in anything other than rags.
As far as food is concerned, taamiya is not deep-fried green beans, it is basically filafel. And if you've grown up in the West, then don't try any street vendors unless you're staying two to three weeks so you can build up ammunity. Ask expats living in Cairo about the safest local places to eat. That's your best bet. If you're still too scared, you can always fall back on McDonald's, Hardees, Pizza Hut, T.G.I. Friday's, Chili's, and KFC.
Considering shopping? Then get ready to be ripped off. Don't go to Khan Khalili alone unless A) you're going to buy one or two trinkets, or B) you have a native Egyptian with you. I've seen arabs from other countries get taken. Also don't try to speak another language like Spanish in front of the vendors. Many of them speak, English, Spanish, French, Greek, Italian, and probably Latin, if they had enough visitors from the Vatican, in addition to Arabic.
• From: Ehab Loutfy • Posted: Feb. 15, 2006 • Comment: NOT ENOUGH TO COVER CAIRO COMPLETLY BUT GOOD EFFORTS PLEASE INCLUDE ALEXANDRIA FOR FURTHER SCENARY,
• From: Tarek Al Shazly; Cairo • Posted: Feb. 15, 2006 • Comment: The scene does not represent Cairo. It gives more the african southern identity. The majority of people in Cairo looklike all the Mediterranean people in Italy or North Africa. You may have some people in southern Egypt by Aswan who may have such an african look.
• From: Carol Ann Khaled; Cairo/Geza • Posted: Feb. 15, 2006 • Comment: The Cairo Zoo is great. You kinda feel bad for the Polar bear, but the admission price is very inexpensive and there are a lot of great things to see. It is a wonderful family experience...
• From: Mohammed Kammah • Posted: Feb. 15, 2006 • Comment: One of the best billiard clubs in Egypt. Check www.catrig.net/riley.htm
• From: Sameh Mikhail • Posted: Feb. 15, 2006 • Comment: AbouShakra -- It is the best Kabab house in Egypt. It is a kept secret known only to egyptians. It combines modern elegance with the traditional authentic Kabab
• From: Sameh Mikhail • Posted: Feb. 15, 2006 • Comment: El Tabey on gameat el dowal elarabeya street -- It is the meccah authentic egyptian food. It is the favorite of egyptian and is their destination for falafel and foul
• From: Sam Alfred, PA • Posted: Feb. 15, 2006 • Comment: WOUNDERFULL COUNTRY
• From: Sam Sdaek, Kuwait • Posted: Feb. 15, 2006 • Comment: I dont know what nationlity is MC Solar and is he a singer becus heading of his written inpresion of Cairo he said ALL HIS SONGS COME FROM THERE! I personally think that the impression of any person visting a City and waht he will write about his visit later .depends on his own background and cultuer and may be also if he is before he visites that City he was missinformed by others . I think what Solaar wrote about cairo was like he does not want any tourist in the world to ever visit Cairo. i realy dont know why he is doing that unless that was his personal impression of his vist and he was taken to the wrong places by a very stuped guied.I will say it in very short and not detailed manner, Caoro is the a city that has so many places to see ,historical and on the night life and entertaiment side. Cairo in simple words has evry thing that one can imagin.
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