Dying an Early Death in Cairo

By 6 AM, the thick cloud of smoke and dust has finally cleared allowing one to saunter out in the predawn darkness with some hope of running in tranquility.

Yes, there is danger lurking in Cairo. Just last year, an open-air hotel cafe packed with tourists in the Khan al-Khalili market experienced another deadly bomb blast, the second time in less than four years.  One needs to keep your head on a swivel here, but just about anywhere when traveling in foreign lands. (See Footnote)



But there is another danger, just as pervasive and perhaps more insidious.

They say that living in Cairo and breathing the foul, smoke-laden air is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes per day.

I say it's worse -- it's like smoking hashish without a sieve.

I've heard many times before and now I'm fully convinced that Cairo is one of the most polluted cities in the world, if not THE most polluted.

The level of air pollution in Cairo ranges from 10 to 100 times higher than the standards set by the World Health Organization.

The cars are centuries old, many of them held together by chicken wire and duct tape, squeaking by with horns that scream all night long, only to be interrupted by the sound of prayer.

The drivers are even more edgy -- they don't stay in their lane, they don't stop for pedestrians and they completely ignore the sea of traffic cops that are attempting to keep things in order.

Everytime I got in a cab,  it was an adventure to say the least.

Everytime you walked into a bazaar, a souq, a crowded cafe, you never knew what danger lurked ahead.

Every time I crossed the crosswalk, I felt I was putting my life on the line.  In fact, near death experiences are a daily part of a pedestrian's life in Cairo.

What's almost as bad as air pollution is the onslaught of honks, beeps and clangs throughout the busy Cairo streets -- drivers and bicyclists feel that they need to announce their presence with an unofficial siren.

Living downtown, where noise levels reach an average of 90 decibels is like spending a day inside a factory, according to a 2007 study by the Egyptian National Research Center.  In fact, the noise level in some places are well over the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

What many people may not realize, is that noise can have the same debilitating effects that chronic stress does.  Noise can cause "an accumulation of stress hormones, inflammation and changes in body chemistry that can lead to problems such as impaired blood circulation and heart attacks."

The noise is deafening, especially if you have to sleep through it. And Cairo doesn't go to sleep until 4 AM, and by 6 AM, the thick cloud of smoke and dust has finally cleared allowing one to saunter out in the predawn darkness with some hope of running in tranquility and respiratory peace.

God knows, I needed some exercise after an unhealthy week of noise, stress and elevated blood pressure.

So it was with great pleasure that I had the golden opportunity to run with the Cairo Hash House Harriers during one of their weekly jaunts to the desert.

See the video on YouTube: Cairo Hash House Harriers "The Climb"

Yes, you meet people, you have fun, you do wild and crazy things while trying not to spill your beer, and perhaps most significantly, you get a chance to run out wild in the mountains and desert and see and breathe the real Egypt, as it was in the time of mythology and Hieroglyphics.

** The attack took place on Feb 22, 2009, killing a French teenager and injuring 24 other people.  The attack has said to be linked to the anger with Egypt's role in the Gaza conflict.