Cairo's Chaos & Koshari Dreams: A Drummer's Dispatch
okay, so. cairo. wow. just…wow. i’m still buzzing, honestly. landed a gig here - touring with this weird experimental jazz band, which is a story for another time (involving a rogue camel and a very confused customs official). but the city itself? it’s like someone threw a thousand different textures and sounds and smells into a blender and hit ‘pulse.’
i just checked and it’s…a sort of shimmering heat haze right now. the kind that makes everything look slightly unreal. feels like 24.98 degrees, which is…fine, i guess. not exactly ideal for laying down some serious grooves, but you adapt. the humidity’s low, though, which is a win. pressure’s 1010, ground level’s 1009…whatever that means. i’m a drummer, not a meteorologist.
seriously though, the sounds. the constant, relentless hum of the city. horns, hawkers, prayers echoing from the mosques, the rhythmic clatter of donkey carts…it’s a symphony of organized chaos. i’m already getting ideas for new rhythms. i’m thinking a polyrhythm based on the call to prayer, layered with the sound of traffic…it’ll be intense.
food. oh god, the food. koshari. you have to try koshari. it’s like…pasta, rice, lentils, chickpeas, tomato sauce, crispy fried onions, and a spicy vinegar sauce all piled together. it sounds insane, and it is, but it’s also the most delicious thing i’ve ever eaten. i’ve been living on it. i found this amazing little place near *Tahrir Square - it’s called “Mama’s Koshari” (obviously). someone told me that Mama herself is a legend, and she’ll chase you out if you don’t appreciate the onions. i’m being very careful with the onions.
and the people! everyone’s so…intense. in a good way. they’re passionate, they’re loud, they’re always bargaining. i got ripped off buying a scarf at the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, but it was worth it for the experience. it’s a maze of tiny shops selling everything imaginable - spices, jewelry, carpets, lanterns…you could get lost in there for days. check out some reviews on TripAdvisor before you go - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297555-d163272-Reviews-Khan_el_Khalili-Cairo_Cairo_Governorate.html. seriously, it’s a sensory overload.
“Don’t trust anyone who offers you a ‘special price’ on papyrus. They’re all in it together.” - overheard from a very cynical tourist near the pyramids.
speaking of the pyramids…they’re…big. obviously. but seeing them in person is something else entirely. it’s like stepping back in time. i spent a whole afternoon just wandering around, trying to imagine what it must have been like to build those things. i even tried to climb one (don’t tell anyone). i didn’t get very far. security wasn’t thrilled. you can find some good tour options on Yelp - https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=pyramids&find_loc=Cairo,+Egypt.
my neighbors? well, if you get bored of the cairo craziness, Alexandria* is just a short drive away. heard that the library there is pretty spectacular, though i haven’t made it there yet. too much koshari to consume, you know?
“The taxi drivers will quote you double the price if you look like a tourist. Haggle. Always haggle.” - drunk advice from a guy at a cafe.
getting around is…an adventure. taxis are cheap, but you need to be prepared to negotiate. the metro is surprisingly efficient, but it’s packed. and walking? well, let’s just say you need to have good shoes and a strong sense of direction. i’m trying to learn some basic arabic phrases, but it’s slow going. “Shukran” (thank you) seems to get me pretty far, though.
“Don’t drink the tap water. Seriously. Just don’t.” - something a local warned me about while i was ordering koshari.
okay, gotta run. band practice. wish me luck. and if you’re ever in cairo, eat the koshari. trust me on this one. check out some local forums for more tips - https://www.cairowiki.com/.
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