Maadi

I had a long wander around the streets of Maadi today, using the time before I (hopefully) start work to familiarise myself with my new area and hunt for potential blips. It's a funny area in as much that you never know what's around the next corner.

There is obviously lots of poverty. Over the train track and North to road 77 (I couldn't resist for obvious blip reasons) is the dirtiest, smelliest, dustiest, ugliest area I've seen yet. There are many beggars: some selling pocket tissues for a bit of cash, others sitting with young children hoping for some charity. It's also not uncommon to see old people sitting on the side of the road; not begging, not waiting for something, just sitting amongst the rubbish doing nothing.

Turn the corner onto road 79 however, and you are walking down a clean tree-lined street with mansions and security guards. Cross the train track and follow 206 all the way round and you're never short of nice shops, cafes and restaurants off the side-streets.

I am becoming increasingly aware of people around me when taking photos and most of the shots taken today were done so quickly to avoid potential hassle. There seem to be uniformed people at every corner. Some have guns, some don't. The traffic-control guy at the rail track had his eye well and truly fixed on me and so I had to pretend to use my mobile phone to stop him staring. It was only when he was distracted by a car parked where it shouldn't be that I had the opportunity to whip out my camera and grab this shot.

The bicycle you see here is crossing the track from road 80 to road 206. It's one of the busiest sections of Maadi traffic-wise and so I was extremely lucky to grab the shot with not a car in sight for a split-second or two.

I've never actually seen a train on this line yet but if one does come along, I hope this guy hears it with enough time to move his feet a little to the right.