Al Azhar Park

Just as I was complaining about the weather being cold, Cairo has warmed up.  We spent last Friday morning at Al Azhar Park.  It's certainly a nice way to spend a morning, walking through the gardens with Wilf in the backpack and Finn on his scooter.  It's set high above Cairo, so you get a good view of Islamic Cairo and the Citadel.  And I find if I squint, it looks a little like the botanical gardens we visited in Singapore.  But I have to really squint.

It is undoubtedly the most beautiful and extensive green space in Cairo.  I thought we might visit more often, but we haven't.  Perhaps it's because it's in a conservative part of Cairo and it doesn't have the same carefree feeling that our own suburb has.  Where we live in Maadi, I'm just one of many Western women, and no one bats an eyelid as I walk down the street in my Western attire, with no headscarf on.  But at Al Azhar Park, we certainly attract attention.  And a crowd as it turns out.  I was sitting on a park bench with Wilf, while John was watching Finn on the scooter.  A group of 5 or 6 girls came over and asked if they could take my photo.  Wilf was really sick with snot everywhere but  I said sure, knock yourselves out.  It turned out he had measles and the spots came out two days later. Anyway, 6 girls soon turned into 10 girls, which turned into 12, with more on their way.  All sitting with their arms around me on this park bench, while their friends snapped away.  Fortunately for me, John and Finn returned from their scooter ride.  The girls were noticeably uncomfortable about being approached by a man, and they quickly dispersed.  Phew! Who knows how many social media pages I ended up on!

Relationships between men and women are complicated in Cairo.  Obviously, they are in Australia too, but there is a whole new code to learn and be aware of and it's different in different groups and settings.  The girls fleeing after John's arrival is just one example.  Hierarchy too is very different.  Age is important and so is social position.  It's far more explicit than in Australia and while there are lots of exceptions to the rules in the hustle and bustle of Cairo, generally the boundaries feel far more rigid.  It means that old people get respect, which is wonderful and often so different to Australia but it also feels like it's a lot harder for people of merit to prosper.

Here are some pics from the park.