Taxicab Confessions

Boston Time: 4:56 PM 19 May

Cairo Time: 11:56 PM 19 May

 

Most of the cab drivers I have encountered have not been fluent enough in English, or humorous enough to withstand my Arabic, to have any sort of conversation. It also does not help that I have not yet learned the address of our hotel in either language.  Today I learned how to say “turn left” but promptly forgot after stepping out of the taxicab. 

Jean, 43, who drove us to the zoo, was born in Egypt. He has been driving a taxi in Cairo for two years and acknowledged the polar driving styles of Egyptian and American drivers, as he merged with buses, honked, and avoided fearless pedestrians.

He lived in Sacramento, California for eight years as a cashier and doing accounting for an Indian casino. He has two boys, 6 and 9, who were born while Jean and his wife, who is from Morocco still lived in the States. “California was very interesting,” he said. “Not expensive, different from New York.” 

When asked about how well he does driving his cab and making a living in Cairo, he did not give a unique response.  “Here? Now? One job is not enough,” said Jean who has a second job doing accounting of government taxes when he is not driving his cab. 

Very willing to answer our questions about his life, Jean proved to be a caring individual. “When you go in the zoo, don’t touch the animals…They may be dirty,” he warned us.

But Jean’s caring disposition was not limited to hosting tourists or other clientele. Jean felt obliged to return to Cairo to care for his mother who is 89 years old. “I have a green card [from the United States], but I am waiting for my mother. She is very sick.”

Cairo Zoo

A tiger protects her meal at the Cairo Zoo.

A camel plans his escape as the guard sleeps.

The experience at the zoo yesterday was not unexpected considering what the rest Cairo’s appearances. The zoo, which cost only 1 LE, was a definite hang out for young children and their families. Many women in hijab and niqab balanced their children and the heat, setting up blankets on the walkways and grass wherever they could find a piece of shade.

It was hard to look at the animals, not only because their artificial habitats, but because it was so amazingly hot out. None were incredibly active and they seemed to also just be searching for the coolest shade they could find. The lions, were especially lethargic. It soon became apparent that, at least some of them, were, in some capacity, sedated.

When two members of the zoo staff beckoned us to a large gate with the possibility of holding the lion cubs, it was hard to say no. They invited us behind the grown lion cages and opened the cage in which two 5 month old cubs were sleeping. Considering all the horror stories that regularly air on Animal Planet, I was a alarmed by the prospect of entering their home. Stupidly, I trusted the supposed animal handlers with whom I shared no language. The two lions were sleeping and not at all aggressive, which I attributed to the extremely warm weather and their weak, fur coated bodies. For 10 LE we all took turns holding one of the cubs (even though our taxi driver on our ride over had told us not to touch any of the animals.)

The 2 month old cub they showed us next was in very different spirits, my main reason for believing the larger cats to be drugged. In his small cage, he was making chirping sounds and moving about his tiny wooden cage. I conceded to also taking a turn holding him, but he was soon taken away because he was getting rambunctious and threatened to scratch or bite. As we left, the zoo handlers followed up relentlessly, asking for more baksheesh.

A turtle munches on his hot lunch.