My Apartment

So- I arrived in Cairo, back in march 06, and stayed with a friend, Anna, until I found an apartment to rent. Found a stunning place in Zamalek, with views over the Nile on both sides (Zamalek is an island in the middle of the Nile in the heart of Cairo), on a clear-ish day (never really get a clear day) I can see the pyramids and also the citadel. The Gazira club (a private owned, expensive to join 'country' club which takes up the majority of the land on Zamalek is directly underneath my bedroom balcony so I can watch the golfers and runners out in the morning, and the horses being washed down in the stables. Idyllic really. The apartment bock has its Egyptian traits- the bowabs (doormen who sleep under the stairs and who's job it is to open lift doors, carry heavy bags, sort the mail, run errands, keep entrance way and stairs clean and lifts functioning and generally know everybody's business- who visits who, how long they stay- no joke, it is said that, in the time of Nasser, various members of government had planted spies in certain buildings to keep a close eye on the comings and goings of the residents!) There is also the small matter of the flat above me which is being refurbished- and all the noise that that entails- but thankfully they seem to be nearing the end of their project and have completed all the wall knocking down they had to do!!! Here's a photo of my beautiful manzar (view!).............