We spend a day in Cairo before we head into the Sinai Peninsula. We pass by the great Al Azhar mosque, one of the oldest centres of learning in the world, dropping in for a quick look. Women visitors must not be wearing trousers and must keep their head covered. No shoes are allowed inside the marble courtyard and dim prayer area. We then head to the Khan El Khalili, a sprawling souk or bazaar in the heart of Old Cairo. It is a Sunday when we go, so many of the shops, especially the jewellers in the famed Street of Jewellers, are closed. However there are still many shops open and the atmosphere is jovial. In Cairo, as in the rest of Egypt, touts and hasslers are the norm. The best way of dealing with it is with an Oriental kind of laissez faire. Let their wolf whistles, pleas…
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