A day out in Cario 2 days after Mubark resigns

[Karenh]

Not really sure to where to post this but i thought i would put it all all side of this forum just to let anyuone thinking of returniing that egypt is now returning to normal and I felt I can walk around in safety.

Well I had a great day out in Cairo yesterday. I had to go to Mugamma Building in Tahrir Square for my extended tourist visa and was apprehensive as my current one had expired during the protests. When I got there there was a lot of Military Police standing around Tharir square along with Military and a few tanks were visible on some of the side street,s but the square itself was spotlessy clean and very few people there at 9am. I went to the government buidling with a little intrepidation but was met by very polite and helpful security staff who told me to go to the first floor and which window number. They lady there was also smiling and helpful and advised i had to go to another window to pay for my visa and come back. As soon as she saw me she took my stampes to avoid me stanidng in what was begining to be a queue with quite a few EU nationals all doing the same as me. She also advised that there was no fee or problem becuase my visa had expired during the prior weeks. I was then told to come back in two hours. While waiting I sat in the gardens infront of Mugamma building and watched many people walking around and several tourists men and woman some on there own also walking around. I was smiled at and even shouted welcome back to by some egyptians. I went to walk around downtown and it was sad to see the burnt buidlings, the damaged shops and many shops even at 10.30am ,11am still not open but others opening slowly, then i heard a commotion ~ bus drivers were protesting for more wages, then another further on shop workers were protesting for more wages, and when i went back to get my passport and visa, there was another one outside mugamma buidling protesting for more wages...... When i got to the designated window to collect my passport exactly 2 hours after i had left it it was there and again i was greated by a smiling employee who handed it over once i had signed for it.
I then was taken for a drive to the Carfour shopping Mall on the Alexandria Road where also there you could see burnt signs, walls had been built around some of the entrances that had not been there before and security was high on all cars entering but all in all i felt very safe and very welcome. On the way back later to Cairo and driving through Cairo we again came across more protestors all asking for more wages and one lone man sitting outside in the middle of the street right outside the shop he worked in asking for more wages. I understand they all want and maybe need this and they think that with Mubarak gone the government/military should listen, but surely this is where some egytians need to realise that before they can protest and demand higher wages there country must start to recover from the economic damage that has been done during the protests and that the military and and future governements need to start building the future...
But all in all it was a lovely day and as a tourist i felt very safe and very welcomed again by the egyptians

[LovelyLadyLux]

Very glad your experiences in the "NEW" Egypt were positive. I hope this is how it can be from now on.

[Susue]

Glad you're ok hon, and visa process went well.....
Sad about the burning and destruction..... but hopefully the long-term results is good!!!

[Hurghada Lady]

I wish it would hurry up and go back to normal here, the banks are closed again and when they are open there is no money, no police, no law, people moving into empty flat's finished or not and claiming them as their own and Stock exchange still not open they are now saying Sunday!

[LovelyLadyLux]

Are the flats they are moving into empty? As in owned by people who just vacation in them? Or are they still being built?

Guess I'm asking 'how' are people able to move into somebody else's home if they are there?

[Hurghada Lady]

Some are finished but empty so they have broken in, others are unfinished but it seems to make no difference they have still moved in