Cairo, Egypt is Just Like Paris, France

Cairo is just like Paris except it's full of Egyptians. Otherwise, all differences are trivial at best.

This city has a surprisingly European feel to it. Old stone monuments, traffic circles, dilapidated filigreed buildings full of charming hotel suites

Of course all of this is based on my impressions of Europe from films and what Gabriel has told me of his travels. So I have no honest point of comparison. But I'll tell you one thing, Cairo is nothing like I expected.

It's cold in Egypt, I'm wearing a hooded sweatshirt to stay warm and protect myself from the rabid mosquito population. It makes perfect sense that Egypt should have seasons, but I often forget that postcard locales exist throughout the year not just the idyllic time when such photographs are taken. Oh, and the Great Pyramids, they aren't in the desert, they're in the middle of a suburb surrounded by parking lots. Folks, there's no hope of saving your neighborhood from Walmart if we can't even save the wonders of the world from suburban sprawl.