CAIRO - first week first touch

As an artist in residence I just spent my first week in Cairo:

This city is absolutely insane! All my senses go crazy!
I live Down Town just a few minutes away from Tahir Square. It's loud, dirty, dusty, noisy. The streets are overcrowded with people and traffic is sheer hell. To cross the street is almost like a suicide commando. Nevertheless I really enjoy this incredible chaos and slowly I start to walk like an Egyptian.

Tahrir Square

Former Mubarak political headquarters building

Egyptian beer, wine, whiskey

Egyptian beer (Stella) is quite OK and drinkable. So are some of the local wines. But Egyptian whiskey is definitely not to enjoy. It rather tastes of a mix of rum, cognac, caramel flavors and some chemical substances. Although it is forbidden in Islamic religion to consume alcohol beverages, many people do it privately. There are some special liqueur stores with no signs and narrow doors. It feels a bit like entering a strictly prohibited area where you get your bottles in deep black plastic bags.

Wallpaper city guide's introduction:

Cairo is hard to love at first sight. Loud, dusty and chaotic, Africa's largest city is a jumble of architectural styles bisected by the Nile and criss-crossed with Blade Runner-like flyovers. But take the time to look beyond the apparent anarchy and you will discover one of the world's most compelling metropolises, a cosmopolitan agglomeration of 20 million people that buzzes with life. Leading African capital, Arab cultural hub, strategic political centre - Cairo is many things to many people. A history incorporating occupation, cultural and political experimentation, and extremes of wealth and poverty has left its mark in the array of Cairene faces and in a uniquely diverse cityscape. Cairo is about looking beyond the obvious.

Another 17 weeks ahead!