Cairo tips, tricks, and traps

[kamilia]

Here's another CORRECT fact about Egypt: prostitutes wear a hijab, too. Wouldn't want to get mistaken for one of those...

It is a personal choice, and for me, it stems out of what someone I love has suffered. My Coptic boyfriend, his friends and his family have experienced a lot of injustice in that country.

When his sisters were in high school, some fundamentalist a$$holes threw acid on them for not covering. Luckily, they ran away in time and only got hit on the legs, and those religious freaks didn't know anything about the shelf life of some acids or how to make correct solutions. They got away with damaged jeans and some minimal scarring.

Right now, someone in my bf's family has been involved in a car accident. The Coptic defendant and his family are being constantly harassed to pay exorbitant sums (10,000 USD) and convert to Islam to avoid being tried in court by the Muslim plaintiff. They have yet to find a lawyer willing to charge the original plaintiff with extortion.

I have heard countless stories from him, and countless stories from people I've met from his community. There are more stories of forced conversion, rape, arson, murder...In most cases, perpetrators go unpunished. Those who speak against get punished.

Also, I have mentioned it before, but maybe the severity of the situation wasn't understood: a Coptic boy will get in trouble for merely holding the hand of a Muslim girl. I wouldn't be surprised if merely walking with one wouldn't get you in trouble. If people in the street don't get him first, the police will. That girl will get in trouble, too, but the boy is the one who will get beaten and thrown in prison for supposedly trying to convert a Muslim girl.

I cannot wear anything on my head as I am spending my time with him. I don't condone PDA in countries where the Muslim Brotherhood exists, but people could safely assume that we were a couple.

But imagine he weren't there and I assume the role of a Muslim girl. What if some unassuming Coptic boy wants to get me out of trouble and takes my hand? He would get in trouble for that. What if some malicious Coptic boy gropes me? He would get in much more serious trouble than a Muslim boy. I can't bear to think that I got someone in more trouble than they deserve only because I pretended to be part of some religion that I am not.

This injustice in Egypt was born out of religious fundamentalism. Increased pressure for women to wear the hijab was, too, for that matter. I don't think any religious fanaticism is worthy of respect.

To respect Egyptian culture, there are things to consider other than one religion.

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by kamilia

It is a personal choice, and for me, it stems out of what someone I love has suffered. My Coptic boyfriend, his friends and his family have experienced a lot of injustice in that country.

I agree, it's a personal choice.

I've heard a lot about the problems the Copts have been suffering in the past 10 years or so, and it is pretty dreadful. I can understand how that has influenced your choices. If I were in your situation, I'd probably feel similarly.

[SamiraShuruk]

Originally Posted by *Shira*

... And in my article, I mentioned the fact that I don't wish to have stereotypes about Americans erroneously applied to me, so I choose to dress in a way that defies the stereotypes and puts people's assumptions off balance. And there are other considerations, too.

Ultimately, it's your own choice. But I do feel it's important to make that choice based on CORRECT information regarding what the locals do. In this case, your statement that only "some" of the locals cover their hair is just plain wrong, at least in Cairo and Luxor.

I stand corrected about the percentages of women who veil in Cairo and Luxor.

As far as American stereotypes- there are other measures I'd choose to take before donning a veil so as not to perpetuate the negative stereotypes and to simultaneously show respect for the culture. First- learn Arabic. At least enough to communicate the basics. Second- not dress provocatively. Third- from being around Muslim Arabs a lot here I have a tendency to use my right hand for almost everything- especially eating, and also communicating with others, so that's easy to continue.

So, it's not lack of respect for culture. It's just lack of desire to contribute to practices that are oppressive or part of oppression.
I think someone above mentioned "blending in". Maybe from behind. Maybe. But with fair skin, red hair and green eyes- not so likely from the front.

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

I think someone above mentioned "blending in". Maybe from behind. Maybe. But with fair skin, red hair and green eyes- not so likely from the front.

I agree with you - I'm almost 6 feet tall, I have blue eyes, and blonde hair. I walk with large, confident strides. No matter what I wear, I won't blend in, and I accept that. I don't even bother trying to "blend" because it's not going to happen!

[Sashy]

This could come handy here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A759602

[kamilia]

What a great resource!! That site has loads of info for travellers.

I heart BBC, except 2 newscasters said "more calmer" last week when talking about the stock market What the hell happened to them?

[Nepenthe]

Wow, just found this old thread. It's like a treasure trove on "what/whatnot to wear" information, which is what I was looking for.

Basically I looked at my wardrobe and while I have plenty of conservative clothing for winter, I relish bare skin in the summertime. My office is highly air conditioned, so I wouldn't have anything office-appropriate that isn't also quite warmifying. I was trying to decide if I should buy any new clothes for my trip to Egypt - and I did end up buying a long linen skirt, a mid-thigh length tunic, and yes - a headscarf. But I got the kind that can also be just a wrap around the shoulders, around the neck, around the waist....so I guess I can judge the situation when I get there ( to see whether I agree with Shira more, or with some of the other people more.) Of course, I just read this thread today. Which told me that I was right to get some long flowing clothes if I didn't already own any (and I didn't). For evening wear, I think I"ll bring a jacket to go over a dress.

If there was a swimming pool on your cruise boat, would a one-piece swimsuit be modest enough, or would it be better to wear shorts & a t-shirt? Or can you wear a bikini since it's all tourists on the boat?

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by Nepenthe

If there was a swimming pool on your cruise boat, would a one-piece swimsuit be modest enough, or would it be better to wear shorts & a t-shirt? Or can you wear a bikini since it's all tourists on the boat?

A one-piece swimsuit would be fine. As for a bikini, well, it depends on what you want your tour guide and cruise ship staff to think of you. Do you want their respect?

By the way, beware of any massage therapist who may be offering services on your cruise ship. There was a rather skeevy one on ours last summer. Some members of our group were really uncomfortable with some of his behavior. I don't remember details, I just remember that it made the rest of us decide we didn't need massages.

[amity]

Bring toilet paper. It's like gold outside the hotels.

[outi]

Nepenthine,

Just like Shira said, a one-piece swimsuit is better. To be on the safe side you could take a t-shirt to wear over it. When you know the place where you will be swimming, you can see which way you are more comfortable.

I just went to swimming in Siwa. The place is very rural and the local married women are allowed to show only one eye when outside of their homes. There was two warm springs where tourists and local males can swim. The young boys are having the time of their lives jumping and playing around. I only had bikini and t-shirt. I ended up not wearing the t-shirt at all, because there was very few local men around. I just covered my body with my towel, when outside of the water. At the same time I kept my distance with all the men, both Egyptian and Western tourists, and talked Arabic to the staff to get them understand that I live here. If I were a tourists I would be more careful.

Sunbathing is not a very good idea. Where ever you are the staff will be local men even if the customers were foreigners.

Outi

[Nepenthe]

I have to add that it's very funny to me that all my communiques from the tour agency remind me that it's not okay to sunbathe topless.

I have heard this is common in Europe but in America, it's definitely a no no. It's ludicrous to imagine myself sunbathing topless! I can't even imagine what would happen if I tried to do that here. I think I would be arrested.

I guess that's the same kind of mindset I need to have when going to another country - that what's normal for one place is abnormal for another.

[tigerb]

Originally Posted by outi

Nepenthine,

Just like Shira said, a one-piece swimsuit is better. To be on the safe side you could take a t-shirt to wear over it. When you know the place where you will be swimming, you can see which way you are more comfortable.
...

Sunbathing is not a very good idea. Where ever you are the staff will be local men even if the customers were foreigners.

Outi

Now, when you say sunbathing, what do you mean? To me sunbathing merely means sitting by the pool rather than swimming in it. We're going to be in Cairo in March; if it's warm enough I certainly want to take advantage of this incredible pool at our hotel:

Cataract Pyramids Hotel

If I am wearing a one-piece bathing suit, is it inappropriate to sit by the pool in it?

[outi]

Yeah, that what I'm saying.

If you are in Huragada, Sharm el Sheikh, where the whole tourism industry is based in beaches or if you stay in very high end hotels in Cairo like Mena House or Semiramis, sitting sun with very little clothes is ok. Even when there are Egyptians around. Probably your hotel is ok, too.

If you like to swim, do it. In water you are quite covered. The "problem" is the sunbathing part. Most of the places sitting in sun with "skimpy" one-piece swimming wear is a very good entertainment for local men. So just get the atmosphere if the place and do like you feel.

[bintbeled]

At the Mena House last year during Ahlan wa Sahlan, there were a few women who swam and sunbathed in thong bikinis. The grass near their sunbathing spots was very well-watered by attentive gardeners!

[tigerb]

Originally Posted by outi

Yeah, that what I'm saying.

If you are in Huragada, Sharm el Sheikh, where the whole tourism industry is based in beaches or if you stay in very high end hotels in Cairo like Mena House or Semiramis, sitting sun with very little clothes is ok. Even when there are Egyptians around. Probably your hotel is ok, too.

If you like to swim, do it. In water you are quite covered. The "problem" is the sunbathing part. Most of the places sitting in sun with "skimpy" one-piece swimming wear is a very good entertainment for local men. So just get the atmosphere if the place and do like you feel.

Thank you for clarifying. We'll try to "take the temperature" of our poolside area before lounging. We planned on walking down to the pool area very well covered, anyway. (In fact, I wish people would do that at American hotels... it bugs me when people wander the floors in super-skimpy attire on their way to and from the pool!)

[sagira]

[quote=jessedan;6662][snip]
They're also used extensively in the south pacific in lieu of pots and pans. Banana paper products such as notebooks and stationary are sold here precisely in all the ecology minded stores. Could it be perhaps the ink and not the banana leaves that causes the Egyptian vendors to use plastic gloves? Or maybe they just don't want to smudge them or get fingerprints on them?


Regards
Priscilla (who has cooked with, eaten on, licked and even swallowed banana leaves)

[quote=lizajuk;4670]1

Malaysia/Singapore/Indonesia/Phillipines etc also use banana leaves to cook in, unwrap the food and you have a plate to go! Yum! I also use them. My husband is Malaysian & we lived in Indonesia for many years. Banana leaves are and have been extensively used for millenia. Oh they make fantastic umbrellas in sudden downpours!

The only bad thing I have heard about them is if they are planted in a cemetery the dead somehow use them to wake up and walk the night LOL! I found that myth very helpful as we lived with our back fence backing onto an old cemetery, we knew we were safe as the thieves or whatever would no way go through there to reach out 10 ft wall to try to scale it and enter our garden.

I think not wanting to smudge or dirty the papyri is the explanation for gloves. In China white gloves are often worn by vendors and taxi drivers for that matter to keep things clean and in the taxi case show how clean their taxi is. Yes the gloves remain pristine white

[LeylaAmir]

Check out my web for Leyla's travel tips to Egypt.
Leyla Amir, Las Vegas, Egypt tours, dancer, performer
Egypt National Tours