We are now in mid-January and winter in ا لقاهر ة (Cairo) has set in hard and fast. On Friday there came grey sky and rain, and in El Maadi,(one of the only places I have found with greenery in vast quantities), the leaves were actually falling off of the trees!The weather at the moment resembles English Autumn (or ‘Fall’) and, as I said in my first blog, it really does get cold in Egypt. One of the girls at work said she heard that in Alexandria, up in the North of the country by the Mediterranean Sea, there had actually been snow! Do consider this when packing to come for a winter break. Although it is nowhere near as frosty and freezing and places like England the chill can still get to you and you will need long sleeves and layers. As someone coming from a country that is prepared for cold weather, what gets to me most is how cold it is inside the buildings. I am currently sitting at my desk in a jacket and scarf, rubbing my hands to stop them from getting stiff with the cold! All the buildings in Egypt are geared up to be cool in the heat of the summer; unfortunately this does however mean that in winter the lack of central heating, fitted carpets and double glazing (to name but a few of the ways we keep our houses warm in the UK) allows heat to escape very quickly!
For all the ladies out there who love the comfort of cuddling up to a hot water bottle in slippers and a dressing gown, bring it all from home! Most pharmacies sell the rubber hot water bottle (information about pharmacies below) but no one seems to understand the concept of a cover, which I find very odd. Rami brought me a hot water bottle, but to stop it burning my skin and make it nicer to cuddle I had to fashion a make-shift cover out of a cuddly toy duck! Don’t ask me how but it works perfectly! 4 bar heaters and fan heaters are available as well, to give the room some heat, but the effectiveness of these in comparison to the amount of power that they use up, in my opinion, is debatable.
In these few short months there seems to be far fewer people out and about, especially in the cafes and restaurants in which the seating is primarily outdoors. I wish I could say that a hardened ‘Brit’ like me, used to the cold, would be different, however I have never truly made my country proud when it comes to bearing the winter weather, and I am as much of a wimp as the next person! However, don’t give up on going out and socializing just because it is cold, as there are still lots of options. Many reputable cafes (at the moment we are favouring ‘Armada’ on the Nile in El Maadi) will have a good stash of outdoor heaters, which allow you to sit outside in relative comfort. There are also all the usual indoor options such as cinemas, bowling, sports facilities and coffee shops. In fact a foreigner can have a fab time in Cairo relatively cheaply whatever the weather as long as they know where to go (and exchange rates dependent!). Most places are easy to find through Google or just Word of Mouth from other students at IH Cairo ILI and other more seasoned expats for example.
Mosquitoes
The one bonus about the cold weather is that it seems to kill off most of the mosquitos; well I at least haven’t come across many recently, and they do seem to seek me out somewhat.
I have heard more than one person complain about the huge welts that form when they are bitten by these little delights. I have no idea whether it is something in the venom, or maybe it is because the last thing they were munching on was a stray dog. Whatever it is, these things are evil! The good thing is, they do not carry malaria- that would just about top off the horror of being bitten by one! The little critters are unlike any other mosquito I have ever come across. They are totally silent when they fly- unlike the English version that produce an annoying buzz to irritate you and put you on your nerve. However, unlike the English version, which I have always found pretty nippy and a pain to find and kill, the Egyptian mosquitos are ‘thick as two short planks’ and sort of waft around the room in full squashing range most of the time. I think I racked up a total of about half a dozen mid-air kills in the first 6 weeks of my time here.
In essence, mosquito bites are best avoided. I do seriously urge anyone visiting to wear a good insect repellent when out at night. I brought Jungle Formula from home and it seems to work well. I also hear (but have not yet had the courage to try) that Avon’s Skin So Soft is also an unsung hero in the repellent market. I have brought some of this from home and when I try it I will document the results!
In Cairo there are lots of sprays and various products available to help get rid of these little blighters and to help soothe and heal the after effect of a bite. The effectiveness compared to the expensive British stuff is questionable but it’s worth experimenting with a variety of different methods. For example, the Raid aerosol spray seems to work pretty well to get rid of mosquitoes in your house- you have to shut the doors and give it time to work. You can mix this with plug in vapourisers or even the blue insect lights that attract and zap insects.
For your skin, if you don’t bring any spray-on products from home then cans of stuff like Off are readily available. Word of warning, make sure you cover every inch of exposed skin or else it may not be as effective.
For the bites you can get many different pills and potions. When my eye swelled up (I put this down to a bite) I got anti-inflammatory eye cream and anti-histamine tablets to take the lump away. Pharmacies in Cairo are everywhere - in fact there is one right by IH Cairo ILI - and most will speak some English. I am assured that pharmacists are all well trained and qualified and certainly, on the rather too many times I have visited them (mainly for bites!), I have found them to be efficient and the treatments they give me effective.
I have also tried and tested a very simple method of cooling the red hot itchiness of bites. A simple method of running the affected area under ice cold should takes the swelling down almost immediately and means you don’t have to rely on chemical solutions all the time.
One piece of advice that stands to reasons is do not keep your windows open unless you have something absolutely sound and impenetrable across it to keep insects out. Most flats I have been in have wire mesh across the window and then a net curtain in front of this. Also, try to keep doors to bedrooms or bathrooms shut to stop them from getting inside.
Most of these tips are probably ones that everyone knows, but I saw a lot of forums asking questions about mosquitoes when I was doing my research before I came to Egypt, so I thought I would try and compile all of the advice I have both read, and trialed since arriving.
I am sure that all of my advice above about cold weather and mosquitoes will change in just a few short months when the weather gets hotter; I have been informed that the heat is an experience like no other! Well, bring on the challenge I say! Anything to stop me shivering so much all day long!
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