Life in Cairo-Our Apt

I know friends and family have been curious about life here in Cairo.  I am really hard pressed to give adequate descriptions when asked what’s it like.  There is such a mixture of old and new, religious and secular, rich and poor.  Anyway here are some pics of our apt.

We live on the top left.  There is no elevator, so just about everyday, there is a hike up five flights of stairs. 

Front door and hallway.

 

This is the living/dining area, usually called the ‘reception’, pronounced with an Egyptian accent of course.

Our kitchen.  Yes, that is my washer.  Washing machines are either placed in the kitchen or bathroom.

The bathroom.  There are two, one full bath, one half.  Yes, the toilet is square!.

This is where dh keeps his books and desk.  My son sleeps on the little sofa, which rolls out into a bed.

We have a three bedroom apt (the two girls share a room, we usually homeschool in there, and it’s seldom in a state fit to be photo’d.

If anyone is looking to move to Cairo, prices have really gone up.  For something like ours: spacious, three bedrooms, no elevator, and oldish linoleum tiles (rather than the more popular ceramic) you’d pay about $200.  That is non-furnished.  Furnished you could pay double.  An elevator in the building can add up to $50 to the rent price.  Inshallah, I’ll post later about our last apt, which was double the price and much worse, because it was furnished.  I can not tell you how good it feels to have my own stuff, after living with the junk that is stuffed in the furnished places.