Egyptian Nightlife, late night cafe culture (Part III of III)

Now my three part series on Sharm El-Shaik comes to an end, with this somewhat long post. This post has been a long time coming, and covers not only Sharm El-Shaik, but all of my time in Cairo. It has required much "research", going out late at night until the wee hours. My thanks to Ahmed, who has been invaluable in this regard.

The Cairo skyline at night, Cairo Tower in the middle

The biggest difference between Egypt and back home is that alcohol is generally a no-no, while not illegal, it carries a heavy social stigma. It has three major replacements: coffee(Turkish and Normal), cigarettes and Shisha (aka Hubbly-Bubbly back home). In addition to discussing them, I think I will describe my nights out in Sharm el-Shaik, as well as the difference between Egyptian and um, normal coffee-shops (cafes).

Me smoking Shisha (with the Nile in the background), not one of my best moments

First let me discuss Shisha (aka Hookah). Technically it is a water based pipe for smoking, usually tobacco of some type. Since the tobacco smoke passes through the water before inhaled, it becomes moist and becomes less harsh on the tongue (apparently, I don't have any points of comparison). It is really common in Egypt (although it originates in India), it is as common as tea and coffee is in any social situation. I'm not sure I enjoyed it - it made me rather dizzy and pretty nauseous, although I did feel rather relaxed (that could have been because I was finally blending in).
Cigarettes and Coffee come in a close second to Sisha in terms of popularity. The Egyptians smoke like chimneys (not quite as bad as Italians, but close), although the government is starting to crack down on the practice. Cigarette prices are a lot lower than South Africa, although I don't recognise any of the big brands, so they might be of a lower quality. Coffee comes in Turkish and regular varieties. Turkish coffee makes you knurd (well, its Discworld equivalent), according to Terry Pratchett, the far side of sober, and I completely agree. I don't remember much of my knurd time, but I came to with several empty bottles of water around me, and a bad feeling about the ANC conference. I will and try acquire some of this substance when I get back to South Africa, it is in a word, awesome.

The Naguib Mahfouz Coffee Shop, a rather classy Egyptian Coffee Shop in Khan al-Khalli (see the shopping post)

The next topic is naturally the location of where these substances and practises are observed and abused. There are what are called Egyptian Coffee Shops, which date back about 200 years, and can be found on many a street corner. They vary in furnishing (usually just some small, brass tables and chairs) and quality, but contain several common elements:

• Men Only - men go here to get away from their wives (hence most of the clientèle are older men), also there is usually a TV with sport on.
  
• Sisha and Black Tea are the order of the day - anything else is considered slightly wimpy for some reason
• Several Old guys will be lurking around any time of the day or night - this is to provide background noise. No one appears to understand them, really.

Inside one of the many cafes in Cairo

The other location that are increasing in popularity are cafes. If they sold alcohol, they would be upmarket pubs back home. They are popular with younger Egyptian people of both sexes, and form the backdrop of what is the Cairo social scene. An interesting mix of styles are available and incorporate everything from Mediterranean to Parisian to American motifs. One of my favourites was a French styled one, in what was once the Hotel Versailles (there is actually a surprisingly strong francophone influence in Egypt). All of these cafes provide the traditional Sisha, tea and coffee, along with often a spectacular array of culinary offerings and beverages, depending on the cafe's particular styling.

I apologise for the rather lopsided nature of this photograph of Naama Bay's main street at night (12am) from the Camel Bar's roof.

Finally I must cover the night life of Sharm El-Shaik. Being an international tourist spot, it invariably caters to foreigners who want to drink and then embarrass themselves on the dance floor. Besides the before mentioned beach bars, there are several well known night clubs (all of which only get going after 12am). I visited the one called Pacha on Sunday, and it is clearly modelled on Ibiza lines (The cover charge would make even a Capetonian baulk, and the drink prices were downright criminal). I was lucky enough to get the funky house night and all was right with the world (I even taught some Russians the Wetsuit). This explains the hangover I had during the trip to Ras Mohammad (the previous post, remember, honestly). Finally, I would like to express my deep-seated thanks to the African continent, somehow it has imbued me with a sense of rhythm (well, compared to the Russians).

Thus finishes my three part account of my trip to Sharm el-Shaik, with a little bit of Egyptian night life for free. I have left out quite a bit, but that was because me lying around on gorgeous beaches all day and swimming in a nice, warm ocean is boring to read about. I cannot thank Ismail enough for organising my little holiday, during my big holiday. I really enjoyed the rest.

Coming Soon: The Shoppers Guide to Egypt - my penultimate post, mostly about pretending to be a penniless refugee from war-torn Outer Mongolia (I got bored, OK?).

On Egyptian Society (Part II) - this one might be a while coming. Expect a lot of disjointed ramblings with little underlying merit to them.