MENTION Egypt and, to many, the image immediately conjured up is that of the pyramids.
Built at Giza, the capital has spread to almost touch these massive structures, but this still does not detract from their historic grandeur.
Unfortunately, their huge tourist appeal, together with the air pollution of modern-day Cairo, has taken its toll on the stonework. This has greatly accelerated the erosion and resulted in extensive reconstruction on parts of them.
Still intact, however, is the eagerness of the salesmen who engulf tourists alighting from buses and taxis, entreating them to take the most knowledgeable guide to the area, or take a ride on the best-looking camel for photo opportunities.
Cairo is a crowded, noisy city, with a population twice that of Hongkong.
There are several five-star oases of calm to be found along the banks of the Nile but to reach them may require enduring the lively and imaginative driving style of a Cairene taxi driver.