People Watching in Islamic Cairo

The area surrounding Al Hussein Square is a great place to walk around. Narrow streets are crammed with colourful bazaars and there seems to be a gleaming white mosque on every corner. The cafes lining the square are the perfect place to sip some tea and people watch. I sat in one of the cafes late one afternoon just before the sun began to set. I watched the flocks of tourists jump on and off their buses recoiling in terror as the waiters from the cafes thrusted menus into their faces.  The locals at the next table were having an animated conversation that sounded moments away from a fist fight, while piles of nutshells formed on their tables. Every couple of minutes I would have to bat away a seller with an armful of scarves or a fist full of cheap silver necklaces. No matter how shiny the eye of Horus charms were I knew the hassle that even a glance would cause. A few elderly ladies who passed by my table pleaded with me to let them permanently scar my hands with their henna kits. The perfect way to experience a slice of life in Islamic Cairo.