Qype: Coptic Cave Churches of Cairo and The Garbage Village of Muqattam in Cairo

Cairo

Some places just leave you thinking about them. This centre of the Coptic people and the Coptic religion in Cairo’s Eastern suburbs was one of them.
There are a lot more Copts in Egypt that you might think. I don’t know the stats but they account for maybe around 20 percent or more of the population.
I don’t want to get bogged down in politics or religion – as I only have an outsiders interest in either – but I had two experiences with the Copts in Egypt – one invloved me getting escorted out of Asuit by about 15 soldiers and two vehicles after the YMCA seized my passport (it’s a closed town – not their fault) the other involved a visit to the garbage villiage of Muqattam and a wander through their amazing churches.
As I understand it there is no offical persecution of anyone in Egypt based on their religous orientation. However I believe that it is illegal to convert to another religion. So personal choice is taken out of the mix. What you are born into is where you are supposed to stay.
Cairo’s garbage is managed by the Copts. They collect it basically for tips, and then make their money out of recycling and re-using it and feeding pigs – yes pigs in a muslim country -on the organic scraps.
As you drive through it the smell hits you first. But don’t picture the rubbish tips of Manila with starving children fighting for scraps – this smell is no worse than an organic farm with a bit of manure and some rotting vedgies. Nothing stops here long.
I don’t know the inner workings of the place but what I witnessed was very, very organised. Trucks brought things in and out. People sorted the goods. Pens full of pigs ate well and looked very healthy.
I had pork for christmas and I assume it came from here.
The road leads through the villiage and up into the mountain behind. This is a very different Cairo. Everyone here is Coptic.
A service had just finished as we got out of our car. Families wandered past around the little paths in their Church clothes, eating icecream and seeming very relaxed.
We squeazed past them and went on to look at the churches.
There are two churches are built within massive caves. Each cave fits around 4 – 5 thousand people. (Such a shame we missed the service) Modern speakers, microphones and other parifinalia sat next to traditional decorations including substantial religous cave paintings. I can only imagine how great the accousitcs might sound.
I had a real sense of a living community, as traditional as it was modern.

Check out my review of Coptic Cave Churches of Cairo and The Garbage Village of Muqattam - I am gotiges7 – on Qype

Qype: Crac de Chevaliers in homs

homs

Crac de Chevaliers is simply the best castle in the world – I think – I havn’t seen them all – but in this I am agreeing with T.E. Lawrance who said it was “perhaps the best preserved and most wholly admirable castle in the world”. I think he said something more poetic about it as well, something about it being the stuff of childrens fairy tales – but I can’t find that one with a quick google search and I’m not going through Seven Pillars.
Everything about it is amazing. Just the adventure to get there on dodgy busses from Alleppo was exciting enough. I’m a “never pay for a tour if you can possibly avoid it” kind of traveller, so I was out there straining my Arabic and backside on the local transport.
It appears on top of a hill amidst barren undeveloped land, similar I guess to how it has looked for a thousand years.
Those crusaders must have really known their stuff because it sitll looks remarkably intact, especially being in an area hardly renound for its political stability or economic success.
The entrance fee is discounted 90% if you can prove you are a student. (They are rightly suspicious of dodgy student cards although I’m embarressed to admit mine worked)
The two well meaning guards that allow entrance to the castle were the only staff I saw in the entire complex. Coming from the west where every single hystorical monument of any significance is fenced off, guarded, restricted, put behind glass and covered with so many signs as to be invisible; the Crac de Chevaliers was actually a little scary. Maybe there were were people watching behind the scenes but it felt like you could go anywhere here and do anything. My mate and I spent hours just running around and exploring – pretending we were knights, trying to find secret passages. Amongst the many dangers were crumbling roofs and a moat that was not only full of water but absoloutly crawling with snakes and frogs.
I think there was one sign in the place – somewhere in the middle and I didn’t read it.
Obviously a bit of interpretion is what most people expect when visiting a world heritage cultural site – and money will need to be spent if this place is to be preserved – but what a joy to explore one of the wonders of the world without having to be silent, respectful, stand in line, pay lots of money, listen to a boring talk or otherwise behave like stuffy old adults.

Check out my review of Crac de Chevaliers – I am gotiges7 – on Qype

Qype: Fixed Wheel Bicycle Trend in London

London

Most crazes strike young people. There are times in a young persons life when having a skateboard, a Yo – Yo or a Barby is a drug like necessity, a pathway to acceptance, a passport to friends for an insecure mind.
Next time you cross the road – check out the vehicle of choice for London’s 20 to 30 something middle class, retro t-shirt wearing, technology imbued coolster.
It’s normally an old looking bicycle (nothing really new about that) except that it has no gears – often no breaks, and has its rear hub locked to its rear wheel. This is called a FIXED WHEEL BIKE.
Simplicity is it’s mantra. When the wheels go around the peddles go around. Forward or backward. Many bikes have not brakes (although apparently this is illegal) and stopping is achieved by skidding the rear wheel.
The popularity of these things is growing so fast that the piles of discarded cogs and de-railers are no doubt being sold back to china as scrap to make more bicycles.
I first heard the term Fixed Gear at the bike mechanics near the Castle Climbing Gym at the start of this year when a young woman was making the decision to “Fix” her bike. (sounds a bit like “fixing” a puppy)
“Wow! Fixed gear in London!” She said excitedly. “I can’t believe I’m going fixed in London! I’m going to die!!”
I haven’t seen her since.
I should say that I haven’t ridden one. I will. I have a friend who is right into “the scene” and he’s offered to let me ride his. So far I’ve found excuses not to.
These bikes must work. Many bicycle couriers choose to ride them. There can be no better proof of their usefulness than that they are selected by people who are paid to ride quickly and safely around the centre of London.
I think fixed bikes demonstrate that most bicycles are unnecessarily complicated. You don’t really need 24 gears and the ability to ride over rocky trails if you only cycle around London.
Proponents of this style point out that riders of fixed bikes are more observant of the road as they are locked into a continuous state of flow with the traffic. They can’t “freewheel”. They make the argument that the increased danger of being forced into continual movement is mitigated by the increased concentration this necessitates. I’m not quite sure if this is true but I like the sound of it as an argument. I’ve done a lot of rollerblading through city streets in the past and that offers a similar experience of having to be aware – knowing that you can’t stop but can only change direction, jump or slowly reduce speed. I would have been much safer on a regular bicycle – but I would have had nowhere near as much fun.
“Fun” is probably the key here. People ride fixed bikes because they offer something exciting in an otherwise very boring environment – ie getting home from work though urban London.
“Go play in the traffic!” is a buzz phrase you hear bandied around the scene.
Like any trend I think that this one will burn out in a year or so and the cool kids will move on to something else. Bicycle riding is obviously only going to grow in popularity and the lesson demonstrated by these fixed wheel bikes, that simpler is better, will be headed by both riders and manufacturers. Like in Holland – we are heading for a city with more bikes, simpler bikes and a better environment because of it.

Check out my review of Fixed Wheel Bicycle Trend – I am gotiges7 – on Qype

Qype: The Grand Bazzar in Istanbul

Istanbul

What I really like about The Grand Bazzar in Istanbul, is that it isn’t primarily a tourist market. It’s like a 600 year old shopping mall that sells anything that’s portable enough to be carried away. This is not a historical relic but a thriving buisness centre. As a tourist, you are very much in a minority, albeit a very attractive minority to the vocal shopkeepers.
Think imitation Levi jeans suspended next to 16th century mosaic ceilings.
When I visited the market I came specifficaly looking for clothes to take back home. I had been in the Middle East for around four months, so was a little inured to the charms of Eastern markets and architecture. Here though I found all the clothes I wanted at great prices but also found an exciting living example of Eastern market culture.
Compared to other places I visited – particularly the khan al khalili in Cairo and the alhamedya souk in Damascus, they really speak perfect English in the Grand Bazzar and have a much more acurate knowledge of the Western tourist. The benefit of this obviously is that it’s much easier to communicate what you do or don’t want. The negatives are that they know how much money you are capable of paying and are much more pushy and persuasive with their sales techniques.

Check out my review of The Grand Bazzar – I am gotiges7 – on Qype