Driving in Cairo

I hinted previously that traffic was every bit as bad as we had heard.  I think the State Department website warns that driving in Cairo is extremely hazardous and that this may be one of the most difficult cities to navigate by car.  They are not exaggerating!

Imagine your local city interstate/state highway: you've got at least 2-3 lanes plus medians, with restricted access and minimum speeds.  Everything moves smoothly on these roads because of these norms.  

Now, in Cairo, you have the same structural design with none of the norms.  Rather than traveling two or three cars wide, you are traveling 5-6 cars wide with motorcycles and mopeds in between.  Add your donkey carts to the side, people crossing the road (even old men with canes), buses pulling over to stop to pick up/let out pedestrians, and the 2-3 cars wide of merging traffic from entry ramps--oh, and I can't forget the occasional speed bump--and you have the ingredients for the chaos on the main highways!

Now, in the cities, all of that takes place with added trouble of multiple streets of traffic entering/exiting on any given route, along with mobs of school children passing through, not following one way streets, double parking as needed, roundabouts, u-turning 2-3 cars wide, debris & potholes, and a host of other variables you can't fully describe--it is perhaps even more tricky in town than on the highways.

And we'll get to get a car--this will be quite an adventure!

(one air travel note:  I love flying on Airbus jets, regardless of the airline; the economy class is roomier, individual entertainment consoles, and comfortable seats :).  I had never flown Swiss Air before, but they run a great, clean service.  And the Zurich airport has to be one o the nicest in the world!)