Gina and Shelbi try to ride the bus

I just wanna talk about my first experience with public transportation here in Cairo.  Now, I like to use public transportation whenever possible (cheaper, get to speak with people, etc..) but the first day of trying to ride a bus in Cairo almost made me want to never try again.  The busses here do not have a schedule.  The destinations are written (very small) in arabic on the side of the bus, along with a number pertaining to the route that bus takes.  However, there are usually 3 or 4 numbers on a bus.  A different one on the front, on the side, etc.  We learned that the number on the side is usually the right one...

Anyways, so we were coming from Islamic Cairo (where the Citadel is) and trying to get back to Masr Gadida.  Now, this is a 20 minute taxi ride.  It took us 2 1/2 hours by bus!  Not because it takes that long, but because we kept getting on the wrong bus.  And everyone wants to help!  Now, you might think that is nice, but the people who are "helping" you usually have no idea what they are talking about.  We were told to get on the wrong bus, or the wrong direction, 3 or 4 times.  If you are looking at a sign, someone will, without fail, come up to you, ask you where you are going, and tell you (what they think) is the best way to get there.  There is no concept of letting someone figure something out on their own.  Now, this could be seen as nice, but after you have had 10 different people tell you to go different ways, you don't want to deal with it anymore.

Exhausted from the heat, the smell!, the long trip, trying to translate...

It was also about 95 degrees this day, and we were traveling around 3 PM.  The hottest part of the day is actually about 5 hours long, from 11-4, 12-5, it's always hot.  And the busses are crowded!  So Shelbi and I were very depressed after this day.  Exhausted from the heat, the smell!, the long trip, trying to translate...luckily we have since then figured out the system (mostly).  Alhamdulillah!