A First impression of Egypt

Hutt News, 13 August 1941, Page 2

A First impression of Egypt

j. ;t .w; . \.r : ■ ■. 1 ''$• ' .. M- ' , /(By L/Cpl. N. H: Chadwick)

After many weeks at sea we Anally arrived in Egypt where we were soon, to see for ourselves some of the wonders of this country (which dates back beyond the Stone Age), and learn something a,bout the Egyptian people and thdir primitive ways, handed down to them through the Ages, and which, even to-day, have not been cast aside for the l&ter methods of a modern world, i?

After leaving the ship behind, our journey to camp took somfe and for mile after mile our train rattled along over desert waste stretching .as far as the eye could see, on either side; The only signs of life to relieve the monotony were an occasional Arab driving a herd of goats or a mob of queer looking sheep, while now, and then a camel would appear on a sand dune miles away. Looking at this desolate space I wondered an animal could possibly live on, for I could not imagine any growth in a barren desert where no rain ever fell.

The monotony of all this was soon relieved by the sight of datepalms and acres of green crops which seemed like a mirage after having passed through all those miles of desert. This was my first glimpse of the rich pastoral land of the Valley of the Nile, and explained to me the saying "No Nile, no Egypt." Here and there were mud huts which provided shelter for the natives who were respnosible for the growth of these rich crops.

The scene changed again as we entered "the outskirts of Cairo, and 1 was astonished to see rows of native quarters that "were the remains of what had once been, perhaps, neat s<tone buildings, but now looked like dirty crumbling ruins that were the result of a disastrous earthquake some years ago. Though the speed of the train allowed me to catch only fleeting glimpses of all this, I could see old women going about their daily work, while halfnaked, dirty little children played in the confined space of some backyard, or perhaps among the filth and debris of some roof-top. Animals of various kinds seefnqd to wander at large among the buildings and even inside them. heard of modern Cairo, and the. sights of natives living in such conditions made hie wonder how modern Cairo really was, and why in a civilised world there could be humans living like animals ,so near to a city known the world over to be among the list of modern cities.

We had soon passed through all this, and arrived at our camp a few miles from the city, and after an appetising meal we settled down in our new "home" among the sandhills, where we were to go through our next period of training. The light began to fade and the sun sank down behifid the Pyramids, making them into silhouettes which stood out against the slate blue sky, mingled with the golden glow of the sun's setting rays, and painted one of the finest pictures of a sunset one could wish to see. To the right the shadows slowly fell on the buildings of the city, and as darkness claimed them, I knew that my first leave would answer many questions, that had formed in my mind after what little I had seen durin;? my first day in Egypt, and I was contented to wait rather than form a hasty opinion of my first impressions in this country.

The next few days soon passed, and with the week-end came my eagerly awaited day of leave. Leaving the bounds of camp, I set off anxious to see how life went on in ihe great city. I sat back in my seat in the stream-lined Diesel train as it sped along the bank of the Nilfe, and looking out of the window I could see the extreme in methods of transport, for slowly moving along the road were quaint carts drawn by donkeys, and camels almost hidden by the huge loads they carried. A few of the natives would stop and gaze upon this modern intruder, perhaps wondering at ihe marvel of this modern age, and then shake hia head as a glittering streamlined car flashed by, too close tor his comfort. The train glided to a halt at the Beb-el-louk station, and stepping on to the platform I was greeted by small urchins on all sides crying "Shine, mister," even though I had previously paid a hdlf piastre (or "acker") for the bright shine which was still on my number nines. Once in the street I set off to walk towards the centre of the city, but was pestered by hawkers at every turn, trying to sell all kinds of cheap articles, and not being very familiar with the Egyptian money, I would rather not learn its value by the "wog" method of ringing the changes. One trick Is to give a 1 millieme coin for a 20 mill, piece, for there is very little difference in appearance. I was helpless when it came to telling them to go away,, and soon found that it was easier to ignore them. "Gharry Kiwi," and 1 turned my head to see a grinning old Egyptian sitting on his Gharry (or cab) drawn by two fine Arab ponies. This seemed a novel, mode of transport, so I got in and gave the address of the N.Z. Club, deciding that It Was far too hot to walk In thlis tropical heat. |As the gharry moved further into Cairo, I saw its modern side, for

well-designed modern buildings towered high above the footpaths, and late model cars flashed by in the Taxi drivers seemed to delight in blowing their "honK-honk" horns contipually as they dodged in and out of the traffic. 111 contrast there were the old 'carts drawn along the Btreets by donkeys, on which were squatted a dozen or so old women —the natives' taxi. The well-dressed Egyptian in his spotless white suit, and girls displaying the latest styles in summer frocks, mingled with the countless numbers of hawkers and slioeshine boys along the footpath, but perhaps the man in most evidence in the street was the soldier. Dressed in khaki shorts and shirt, he was to be seen everywhere, for here there are soldiers representing probably every country in Britain's huge Empire.

Then I arrived at the N.Z. Club, and tossing the driver his couple of "ackers," I went into the bar for a while and sat talking to some of the many N.Z'ers over a glass of cool Waitemata, about their many experiences in this country. I then .went on upstairs into the comfortable lounge, where light refreshments are served by Egyptian waiters, who are far too slow to cope with the orders of the large numbers of soldiers there, and who rarely deliver the correct order. I made use of the convenient, hot and cold showers, then went into the reading room to spend a quiet hour before going back to the noise and bustle in the streets.

Once outside again, I was immediately approached by a welldressed and well-spoken dragonman, or guide, who wanted to show me the Pyramids or some other place of interest. But I was only interested in Cairo that day, and set off to have a look around the city. The shops displayed souvenirs of all descriptions, and though I was tempted to buy some of them, there would be other days, and I was content to just look at them. The

shopkeepers were all friendly, especially the Greek people, who were very hospitable and seemed to hold the New Zealand soldiers in high esteem. When I came out of a Greek restaurant after having my evening meal, the light was fast fading, and soon the city was in semi-darkness, for there is a partial

black-out here. I wandered about the dimly lit streets as a stranger in a large city, and when the strains of a four-piece orchestra came to me from a cabaret near by, I knew that the night-life had begun, so thought 1 would investigate. Inside was a small square dance floor raised in the centre of the cabaret, where a number of soldiers were dancing with some of the floor girls. I sat down and ordered a driuk. Soon one of these girls sat down beside me wanting me to buy her a drink, for these girls get a percentage of the price of every drink bought for them. To dance with one of them costs you another drink. Knowing this was an expensive ' hobby, I showed no enthusiasm, and she took the hint. As the music stopped the square was cleared and the floor show began. There were Egyptian dances by girls clad in tights, showing as much as they dared, and a rather clever turn by some tumblers. All this was only cheap vaudeville which, after all, was as much as one could expect to see for three "ackers." Looking at my watch I saw it >was time to leave for camp, and though there was much night-life to see, my paybook was still clean, and I did not want to have it marked with red ink foi- being A.W.L. I called a gharry, which was my only hope of finding, the station in the darkness of a strange city, and returned to camp. I turned in to bed very weary, but satisfied with my day on leave, which had answered some of the queßtlonß that bad been puzzling me. I had seen, modern Cairo. My next leave will be spent in the fertile "Valley of the Nile."