Some initial observations from my first hour in Cairo:

And I thought lane markings were mere suggestions in Paris. If Parisians want to know how North Americans must feel when they drive in their "belle ville", they should try to drive in Cairo. North Americans should under no circumstances try to drive in Cairo.

A sampling of the ecclectic dashboard collection of the van driver who took me from the airport to my hotel: the kitschiest possible mini-pyramids and sphinx set (still enveloped in the original shrink-wrap, presumably to forestall the erosion that has eluded the originals for some 5000 years), a well-weathered and sun-beaten Qu'ran, and a bright red Kleenex box emblazoned with the slogan "Happy Valentine" and with a little cupid figure obviously not observing the rules of conservative dress outlined in the book to his left...