Houseboats and Minaret at the Nile

It was one of those mornings when you know something is afoot. Police jeeps with rows of blue flashing lights above the cabin and armed and helmeted men sitting on the open backs moved in convoy through the streets causing people to stop and stare, and then look at each other with a 'no idea' shrug of the shoulders and pursed lips.

Dd told me via a text from the school as my taxi approached our 'home' square. 'Explosions in metro. So you know. Traffic will be worse maybe. Take care. Xx'. I 'actioned' the news to my driver who rolled his eyes and signalled, 'What can you do?'.

The lady who cleans our flat took up the theme as soon as I was in the door. 'Three bombs. All over. People want Egypt to be like Iraq, Syria...what's that other one...Libya! Sisi wants us all to come together and work together. We can't have war. Too many people...90 million.'

Earlier, one of my contacts said this morning over an early morning coffee in Zamalek, where this photo was taken, 'You know, there's something going on in the region...what with Iraq and Iran coming in...we can't afford to have it here. I don't know if you have heard about the journalists jailed on Monday?'
'Terrible.', I said.
'They deserved it. Every time there is a small bomb like the one you had in Nasr City, Qatar who own Al-Jazeera plays old and false footage and makes it look like there's a war here. It encourages certain people to come out and fight because they think the situation is worse than it actually is. It's not right. Sisi needs a chance to do his work.'
'How long until we see Sisi's reforms coming through?'
'A year...there are already good signs. Government ministers have to start work at 7am now instead of 9 or 10, and they are checked! And Sisi refused the draft budget yesterday which would have brought another two or three million of deficit and the need for more foreign loans or donations. ''No! We need to cut back on the costs of how government works first!'', he said. So, that's positive. And that's why we have to put up with the increased security vigilance. We've got no choice.', he concluded.

So that's another perspective on recent events in Cairo, and here is another perspective on this scene of houseboats and minarets taken with the big camera here in July 2011.