If ever you're planning to go to Cairo and the rest of Egypt, please remember that the idea of walking city streets is often a Westernised luxury... Unless you are heavily into adrenalin and pollution, Egyptian traffic is generally horrendous and most of the drivers are truly crazy! Traffic lights and pedestrian crossings lose all meaning, indicators just don't exist, and car horns are used as often as the accelerator pedal. In short, one old joke we'd heard should actually be taken as a rule - "If you want to cross a road in Cairo, you'd better take a taxi!"

On our first visit, we attempted to find a street map of Cairo. We didn't know at the time that it's pointless because the few signposted Cairo streets are written only in Arabic, or that the handful of signs in English are only near posh hotels in the very centre... Then Allah intervened and we met our first and best Egyptian friend HESHAM - taximan extraordinaire!

If you're going to Cairo, you can just contact Hesham in advance. He knows the swarming city inside out and backwards, and can help you with everything from picking you up at the airport and hotel reservations, to sightseeing and camel exploitation. Luckily, his English is excellent and his prices couldn't be fairer. He certainly isn't one of the thousands who are just trying to extract as much of your money as possible. Just check out his taxi visitors' books if you need any more confirmation from hundreds of other satisfied customers!

Hesham's main asset, however, is that he offers the same kind of services for the whole country! In his trusty Cairo cab, he has driven people all the way down South to the temple of Abu Simbel near Sudan; West to Siwa Oasis near Libya; East to the Sinai Peninsula; and North to Alexandria and the Mediterranean. Through arid mountains and deserts, green irrigated lands, or nice coastal roads and beaches (and with Egyptian petrol prices at around $0.16 per litre), the sky's the limit to Hesham's mile-eating!

Thanks to Hesham, we completely changed our opinions of Egypt and the Egyptians. He showed us the REALITY of the country. It is so much more than just pyramids and tombs, camels and donkeys, sphinxes and temples. We've been to places as yet undiscovered by tourists. We were all alone inside a pyramid which was opened up just a few years ago. We've visited towns where we didn't see another Westerner. We were guests in Egyptian and Bedouin homes, and saw what life is really about outside the usual ghastly tourist traps. We have been introduced to culture, music and art (thanks to Hesham's translations) that most visitors can never hope to discover. And one of our best New Years ever was spent at home with him and his large family - all smiles, good humour and open hearts.

CONTACTING HESHAM

You can phone or SMS his MobiNil mobile in English (remembering that Egyptian time is GMT+2):

(00-2) 012-3443791

Or e-mail him at least a month before you plan to travel:

[email protected]

If ever you do get to Cairo, please tell him it was us who told you about him, and have a great time enjoying some genuine Egypt!

Mark Bence & Sasha Godina
February 14, 2004

visitors so far!

Music now playing - Gana El Hawa ("Love Will Come To Us") by Abdel Halim Hafez
[Egypt's finest singer and band-leader until his tragic death in 1975]

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