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

I've heard and now I'm fully convinced that Cairo is one of the most polluted cities in the world.

The cars are centuries old, many of them held together by chicken wire and duct tape.
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.

Every time I crossed the crosswalk, I felt I was putting my life on the line.

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.

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.

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.

The Hidden Tomb of Giza

This is a project that shows the excitement and intrigue of the Pyramids of Giza as well as the Step Pyramid of Saqqarra and the beautiful Saharan Desert

Nile and Giza