Ramadan-Deserted Roads and Traffic Snarls

Over the past month of Ramadan, the traffic scene in Cairo has been different-empty roads around the time of Iftar and traffic snarls of the kind that can only be imagined

A couple of days back, when we decided to go to City Stars, we chose to leave at 5.45 p.m-these days the iftar takes place at 5.50 and we thought that this would be the best time since the roads would be empty.

Definitely, there was not much traffic but the few cars that were on the road were in a tearing hurry to get to their destination-their drivers feeling hungry and ready to risk life and limb to get to food. With hubby at the wheel, it was a nightmare dodging these cars that were driving as if they are auditioning for the Formula One races. Might be a good idea to keep a few dates and fruits in the car to break the fast.

And then last evening, there was the biggest ever traffic snarl that I have seen on the Gamaet-el-Dwal road. Cars standing bumper to bumper, moving an inch at a time. Even the by-lanes were packed with cars trying to get onto the main roads. While walking to a friend’s hosue, I had to frequently stop to allow a car to pass. And in the midst of this, there was an ambulance with siren blaring trying to move forward, but with very little luck. With repeated requests issued on the loudspeaker by the driver, the ambulance managed to crawl forward at a snail’s pace. Its movement was hampered by the other cars that had aligned themselves with the ambulance and were trying to take advantage of the break in traffic to get ahead. I only hope that the person concerned received medical help in time.

Today is the last day of fasting for the month of Ramadan and most of the government offices are closed. This morning, the roads are deserted. After a “night out” last evening, it seems that people are resting and recouping their energy. But it is only the lull before the storm-I can only imagine the traffic after iftar this evening when people come out in large numbers to celebrate Eid.

Names for streets and bridges

26th of July, 6th of October, 15th of May….these are just not dates but names of important streets in Cairo. When I first arrived in Cairo and saw these dates as names for the bridges and streets, I found it a bit strange. But these are no ordinary dates-they occupy a special significance in Egypt’s history.

26th July is the name of the bridge connecting Mohandissen to Zamalek-an arterial road in many ways and always extremely crowded. This bridge has been named for that day in the year 1952 when the extremely unpopular King Farouk abdicated and left the Egyptian shores. Thus Egypt was once again ruled by egyptians for the first time since the Persians invaded Egypt. The 26th of July bridge culminates into the 26th of July street in Zamalek, home to a host of restaurants and shops.

The 6th of October bridge and 6th of October city are named for that date in the year 1973, when Egypt launched a surprise attack on Israel and succeeded in breaking through the Bar Lev Line, across the Suez Canal. Since that year, this day has been celebrated in Egypt. In the year 1981, the then President of Egypt Anwar Sadat was assassinated during the annual 6th October victory parade in Cairo. It is also a national holiday.

The Tenth of Ramadan city is located some 55 km from Cairo. The name comes from the fact that the date 6th of October in the year 1973 corresponded to the 10th day of the Muslim festival of Ramadan-and hence the name.

Am not sure about the significance of the date 15th of May. In the year 1948, this date marked the commencement of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the first in a series of wars fought between the two parties.

In India, most of the streets are named after famous historical figures. Naming streets and bridges for important historical dates is something unique that I have come across in Cairo.

Ramadan and Iftars

This is my first Ramadan in Egypt and such a different experience from the Ramadan in Saudi Arabia. Majority of the Egyptians fast during this holy month- no food or water from sunrise to sunset. However, most of the cafes and restaurants are open during the day for the expatriates and the non Muslims. This is in sharp contrast to Saudi Arabia where eating or drinking in public places during the holy month of Ramadan is a punishable offence. Some of the other gulf countries like Dubai and Bahrain too are fairly strict in their observance of “no eating and drinking in public places” rule. Egypt, with its bustling tourism industry is much more “open” in this regard.

The offices work on curtailed hours like that in the any other Muslim country; and the expat non-muslim management in some companies also observes the fast during the office hours to show solidarity with their Egyptian workforce.

Cairo’s roads are the most unsafe at the best of times and an hour before the Iftar is probably even more dangerous and nerve racking with traffic at its peak coupled with reckless driving as the people are trying to reach their destinations to break their fast. During Iftar and for an hour after that, Cairo roads are blessedly empty and it is the best time to go out and get your grocery shopping done as I discovered a couple of days back when I went to Metro; no crowds at the shop and no long queues at the checkout counters. However, this is not possible in Saudi Arabia as all establishments close before Iftar and open only after the Iftar and the Maghrib prayers

Of course, the one thing that is universally common during Ramadan, whether it be Saudi Arabia, the gulf countries or Egypt is the difficulty to get any work done- whether at office or at home. For example, my landlady had been trying to get hold of a plumber to take care of a leaking toilet in our house and she told us how difficult it is to get anyone to come out and work during Ramadan. And when she finally managed to send over a plumber, he has done a stop-gap kind of repair that will tide us through the remaining days of Ramadan with a promise to come and complete the remaining work- but only after the end of Ramadan and EID.

There is a lot more that needs to be taken care of in our house but even we have now adopted the refrain-“After EID”!

The magic that is Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan saved yet another day for us in Egypt. Over the week-end, we had gone to Dahab, a laidback beach resort on the Red Sea. And the most oft repeated word that we heard on our drive to and fro to Dahab was “Amitabh Bachchan”. At every check post (and boy! were there many!), when the officials learnt that we were from India, the first thing that they would ask us is whether we knew Amitabh Bachchan. And with a request to pass on their regards to the Big B, we would be waved through. It was as if the words “Amitabh Bachchan” were the magic words that put us above any kind of suspicion. To hear the Big B’s name spoken of with such fondness and adulation in the Sinai desert was a revelation of the reach of cinema and the magic that is Amitabh Bachchan. Moreover, the cafes at the petrol pumps also had their television sets tuned to Hindi movies starring Amitabh Bachchan and sub-titled in Arabic.

To hear the Big B’s famous dialogues from the movie “Hum” while I waited for my turn to go to the washroom at a Mobinil petrol station in the town of Nakhl (middle of the Sinai) felt unreal but at the same time also made my chest puff up with pride. You are a real hero, Big B!