Commentary – Cairo, Egypt

Everyone in Egypt is working for tips. It is really bad. It finally got to the point where I had to get a stack of one dollar bills and keep them in my front pocket. This would allow us to tip as needed with ease.

Cairo was very cool. Cairo was also very different. It was not what we expected to see in a major international city. We were surprised by the level of poverty and trash in the city. Something good must be happening in Cairo. The city is packed. The traffic is unbelievable. It was also common to see livestock in the street with the cars. On more than one occasion, we saw small children riding donkeys.

It does not rain in Cairo. We asked a few people about this. The last rainfall was three years ago for about 15 minutes. People went outside and celebrated. If it does not rain, you can do some interesting things. There were parks in Cairo with padded chairs. You don’t have to worry about the seat cushions getting wet. The lack of rain also helps preserve the monuments.

The tax rules in Cairo are interesting. As long as a building is not finished, you do not have to pay taxes on the building. This means that most buildings in Cairo are in a permanent state of construction. The building owners add a new story as they can afford. Once one story is completed, people move in and the cycle continues.

One fun detail, President Obama visited Cairo just a few days before we arrived. Everyone in Cairo really liked Obama and was happy for his visit. Almost every Egyptian we met, said “Obama” at least one time in our conversation.