Maybe it’s their desire for a better life, maybe it’s the lack of good institutions, maybe it’s the inherent greed of human nature.

As soon as we got off the plane, we felt the chaos and backwardness of management in this typical third world country. There is no distinction between domestic and international passengers when exiting customs. As for automatic exit, don’t even think about it. The person who verifies the documents is like a Chinese village cadre working on-site, moving a desk and chair for students to work there. Apart from wearing the simplest masks, the "village cadres" did not take any isolation measures.

It was already one o'clock in the morning in Egypt when we finally got out of the customs. We were surprised that the company selling mobile phone cards at Cairo Airport was still open at such a late hour. Because we didn’t believe that Google offline maps would work well in Egypt, we bought mobile phone cards. This was the first time we bought one abroad. Only later did we realize how right we had done. Although our flight was almost the last one, there were crowds of taxis soliciting passengers both inside and outside the Cairo airport. Don’t you think Egyptians are lazy? They were still working hard in the middle of the night. They must be a group of very hard-working people. My first impression of the people in Cairo was good. But when I came to the car rental office and started renting a car, all this good impression disappeared.

Due to air ticket changes, we arrived 3 hours earlier than the car rental reservation time. I imagine they are open 24 hours a day, so arriving early shouldn't be a problem. But who would have thought that there was no one at the car rental location, and no one answered the phone number left to contact them. We kept calling and asking people in Cairo at the airport. They all said they had no choice but to wait. It was already past 2 am.

Just when we were at a loss, two Cairo people came, one dressed in a handsome manner, the other like a follower and asked us if we would like to rent their car. We were a bit wary of strangers and asked them if they could give us the price for booking during the same time period. He looked at my itinerary and started to give me a quote, I bargained with them, and then they started calling, and the final price was $50 more than our reservation price, and repeatedly assured that their car was better than the one we had pre-rented. Thinking about the extra two hours of sleep we could get for $50, we agreed.

When they were taking our luggage and preparing to leave, the people from the car rental company called us back. It seemed that their insiders were lying when they said they couldn't be contacted. I started asking: You said it is open 24 hours a day, why is there no one at the counter? He said there is no car now, and there is only one at 4:30. God, we used a car rental company in the United States, how could we not have a car? This is the first time in our car rental history that the dealership has no cars. He said I could cancel if I didn't want to wait, and I said I would consider it. I kept an eye on "If you don't see the rabbit, don't let the eagle fly." I won’t cancel until I see the new car.

I followed "Renmo Renxiang" to the taxi hall and heard that he wanted to take their car there. I regretted it at that time. Anyone with any intelligence knows the consequences of sitting in a car with two men at around 2 o'clock in the morning. While I was arguing with the two of them, my cell phone rang again. The person from the car rental company asked me if I wanted to rent a car from their company because he had heard that we were going to rent a car from another company. Listening to what he said, I knew that "Renmorenlike" was not a liar. I told the person at the car rental company that I would think about it, and he said to give me 5 minutes.

"Renmo Renlike" said that his company is inside the airport, but it is not close at all. After a while, my phone rang again. I knew who it was, so I didn’t answer it. Immediately afterwards, a "human-like" cell phone rang. I guessed it was someone from the car rental company. It turned out that they all knew each other.

When I arrived at his company, "Renmorenyan" said to wait a moment, but before I could figure it out, a silver-gray car drove over, which is my favorite color. A handsome guy came down. When I saw his temperament, I suddenly realized that he was a "shill" and this handsome guy was the boss. Sure enough, the handsome guy said that they called him and asked him if he was willing to do this business. Of course he thought about it, so he got up in the middle of the night and came here. At this point, the truth is revealed. I looked at the "shill" and he acted like nothing happened.

But the "routine" is far from over. What the "shill" told me was completely different from what he told the handsome guy. When renting a car on an American car rental website, I found that many car rental quotes in Cairo had mileage restrictions. I thought it was strange at the time, so I specially booked a car without mileage restrictions.

When the handsome guy confirmed the contract text with me, I realized that I had been fooled. My itinerary clearly stated that it was 14 days with no mileage limit, but the "sitter" told the handsome guy that I wanted to rent it for 12 days, and did not tell the handsome guy that there was no mileage limit. The handsome guy told me that I have to pay 40 US dollars for each additional day. It is free within 1440 kilometers. Beyond this range, I have to pay an additional 0.3 US dollars for every kilometer. As soon as I heard this, I quickly calculated in my mind how much more we would have to pay since it would take at least 3,000 kilometers. Being good at math, I calculated that I would have to pay almost $550 more. I became anxious and asked what the "shilling" was about. He said that he did not count the number of days I rented the car, and also said that although I booked an unlimited mileage, there would be a mileage limit when I picked up the car. I don't know if what he said is true. Anyway, it was too late for me to change my mind, because just when the handsome guy was preparing the documents and I didn't know these "routines", under the urging of people from the car rental company, I called one after another. The order has been cancelled. At this point, even if I didn't cancel, I doubted they would take us back to the airport. Now, it is dark outside, and two men are dealing with my daughter and me. This is definitely not a problem that money can solve.

But I won’t let them treat me like a fish on the chopping board and chop it up as they say. Anyway, my English is better than theirs, so I started to argue with them, and finally they allowed me to drive 3,000 kilometers in 14 days and paid an extra US$150. In fact, I drove more than 3,300 kilometers, and they defrauded me of US$250 in one day. . Listen to this number, I am really worth two hundred and five. When I signed the contract with the handsome guy, the "shill" asked my daughter if I was a lawyer, because not only can I speak, but I can also respond quickly and have clear logic. I don’t know if this is a compliment or a disservice to me. If I am as good as he says, can I be fooled by him?

When the final process of vehicle inspection began, I almost wanted to use "shameless" to describe "shill". The car he described as a good car not only had more than 100,000 kilometers on it, but was also "covered with scars." It was the worst car we had ever rented in our travel history. Not only that, after we got on the highway, the car started to "shiver" after driving 100 kilometers, and the dashboard in the car started to "alarm" after driving 120 kilometers. When we drove to Alexandria, we found that the tire was still flat. . I sent a message to the handsome guy and asked him why he rented me a low-quaility car. Didn’t he say it was a good car? He said it was a good car, and this was all a "reminder" to us. I said, "You're lying. It's obviously because the rotation of your tires is not good." Then he stopped replying to me. I don’t know if the handsome guy received inspiration from Allah when he was praying. He called me the next day and said “I’m sorry” and asked me to go to the gas station to get my car repaired. In your words?

Although I was unhappy when I saw the broken car, I comforted myself that it was good and low-key, and no one would look down on my daughter and me. But when the "sitter" got the "stolen money" from the handsome guy, he asked me before leaving if I was satisfied with his help. I said OK out of politeness, but he said that he had found the best deal for me. A tip is expected. When I heard this, I was furious. Why could he be so thick-skinned? Thinking that it would be better to do less than to do more, I ignored him and drove away. I secretly thought to myself that this is the first time I have been fooled, and I hope it will be the last time. At this moment, I looked at the dashboard in the car, and the hour hand pointed to 4 a.m.

Next to the Egyptian Museum, an enthusiastic Cairo man knew that we wanted to eat authentic Egyptian food, so he took us to Felfela, a restaurant that he thought was very expensive, and then said he would wait for us outside. Any tip? The interior of this restaurant is beautiful and the food is very well prepared, especially the sauerkraut, which is delicious when served warm. This was the first delicious Egyptian meal we had in Cairo. When paying, the Cairo people's "routine" came again. I wanted to pay with a credit card, but the waiter said that only cash was accepted. Tax and tip for food and beverages were 495 Egyptian pounds per pound, equivalent to about 30 US dollars. However, the sign on the table clearly stated that credit cards could be swiped. I didn't say anything and gave him 600 yuan. What kind of money is he looking for? One is 20 yuan, three are 10 yuan, and the rest are all 5 yuan. I was suspicious as soon as I saw it. Why was such a good restaurant asking me for a bunch of change? Wasn't there 100 yuan? I asked him, "Did you change the money correctly?" He said no problem, and he counted it in front of me. After counting, it was 100 yuan. I said you should ask me for 105 yuan, right? He looked at me without any embarrassment at all, turned around and left. Then he gave me 5 yuan, which I didn't hesitate to put in my bag.

If I hadn’t had the experience of being scammed when renting a car, I wouldn’t care if it was only 5 yuan, equivalent to 30 cents in US dollars. I know that tipping is everywhere in Egypt, so I prepared a lot of 1-dollar US dollars for small expenses before leaving, but I just don’t like the “routines” of Cairo people. On the surface, we have an innocent face, and then we do little tricks, playing tricks on our intelligence like monkeys. I want them to know that trying to get what they want through trickery will result in nothing.

The Cairo people are not done with their shenanigans yet. At the Egyptian Museum, the total tickets for my daughter and I were 240 yuan. I gave the 100 yuan that the restaurant asked me to give to the ticket seller, and added one 100 yuan and two 20 yuan. After counting, she said there were 10 yuan missing. As soon as I heard this, the alarm in my head went off again. Without saying anything, I asked her to take the money. She was stunned for a moment and was reluctant to return the money to me. I counted them in front of her, but she was speechless. Bullying my IQ again, I will never agree again.

In the Tutankhamun Hall of the Egyptian Museum, although I was not deceived, I experienced a very funny thing. Just as I was admiring the golden mask of Tutankhamen and trying to take a photo, a male administrator stepped forward to stop me and then asked me in English where I was from. After I said America, he immediately asked me if I could marry him. I told him that I would ignore him after I got married and went to see other exhibits in the hall. As a result, this man repeated this question after me, and I was so angry that I called my daughter in who was looking at the mummy in the corridor. He actually asked my daughter if she could marry me, and then started to explain it to us for free. I don’t overestimate my ability to think that he is attracted to me, who is wearing a long dress, a headscarf, and a mask. All I can say is, is he going crazy when he thinks about the United States?

The loss of trust in Cairo people made me count the money I exchanged at the airport again after returning to the hotel. Previously, after exchanging 500 US dollars at the airport, I put it directly into my bag without counting it. Although I don’t remember how much I spent, I was generally right, which made my impression of the people of Cairo less than terrible.

I thought I was immune to the Cairo people’s tricks, but I still couldn’t escape. When I went to Al-Azhar Mosque, in order to find a parking space, a Cairo man pointed me into an alley with a gesture, and then I boarded a pirate ship. The people inside asked for 50 Egyptian pounds and could not bargain. As soon as I heard that they were asking for a lot of money, I knew how much parking spaces in Cairo charge. At the National Museum of Egypt, I parked for nearly 4 hours for only 20 yuan. They were obviously "robbing people." But we have no choice. We can't retreat because this is "the same road in Mount Huashan through the ages." After I said yes, he asked me to get off the bus. After I did, he helped me park the car on the spot. Unexpectedly, he drove away with my daughter in his car, which scared me so much that I ran and bumped after her. Fortunately, it was an alley and he didn't drive very fast. I opened the back door and got in and asked him why he was like this. This man didn't understand English. It turned out that he had parked the car for us, and he parked in a road that was so narrow that it could only accommodate one car. Next to the alley. I have to admire the Cairo people's parking skills. They can park their cars just like the cracks in the huge rocks of the pyramids, and it is difficult to insert a razor blade.

After coming out of Al-Azhar Mosque, I finally understood why they were so "horrible" and had no room for bargaining. This is a Muslim residential area. There is only one alley in the entire area, where cars cannot be parked, and there is no exit. We could only move forward in the winding alleys. There were houses and small shops on the roadside, and they were full of people. The mobile phone signal was also missing here. We looked for the exit like headless flies, but couldn't find it, so we had no choice but to move forward. My heart was beating violently. In this "maze"-like Muslim area, I didn't know if there would be any danger waiting for us. The danger is coming. There is an oncoming car in such a narrow alley that it is difficult for even one car to pass. I used my hand gesture to instruct the car to retreat, and the car retreated to a small corner. The driver in the car yelled at me. I didn’t speak a word of Arabic, and I didn’t know whether it was him driving the wrong way or me. Anyway, I couldn’t understand it, but my trouble was not solved. There was a sharp right turn that I couldn't turn the first time I tried. The locals helped me with directions, but I got a little scratched. Now we know the benefits of renting a junk car. These scratches are not "showy" at all on a junk car that is "covered with bruises". I got out of the car and asked the man who yelled at me to help me. He was also very nice and helped me bend over with three strokes, five divisions and two strokes. When we saw the main road again after wandering in this "maze" of Muslim alleys for more than 40 minutes, I felt like I saw a savior. At this time, it was already "the east wind was getting stronger and the sun was setting."

This kind of experience of being "cheated" when parking a car also happened in the Coptic District. Originally, the police said parking on the roadside was free, but an old man said it would be 50 yuan. I said 20 yuan, and he agreed. If I hadn't seen his age, I wouldn't have given him a cent. The last time I was "cheated" was in a hotel. The hotel provides free parking, but in the early morning of the day we checked out, another old man came over and asked for the parking fee. I didn't argue with him. I happened to have a 5 yuan ticket in my bag, so I gave it to him. As a result, he gestured with both hands and said 20 yuan. I wasn't happy when I heard it, so I challenged my IQ again and told him "free". I don’t know if he understood, but he later retracted his hand and took the initiative to wipe the dew on our car. I softened my heart and wanted to give him more, but I gritted my teeth and drove away with my foot on the accelerator.

Although we are often deceived by Cairo people, we can still feel the simplicity in the hearts of Cairo people with faith. My daughter and I, two foreigners wearing unorthodox headscarves, walked through the streets in a Muslim neighborhood without encountering any trouble. This made my impression of Muslims grow stronger and stronger. As we drove through the maze of Muslim alleys, countless Muslims volunteered to guide us, cleared the roadside obstacles that hindered our driving, and waved to us warmly. Even though the hotel we stayed in had all kinds of bad qualities, they had a great attitude and didn't charge for our early check-in. These good things are deeply etched in our memories. While we hate the Cairo people's tricks, we are also enjoying the warmth that their kindness brings us.

Cairo, one of the four ancient capitals in the world along with Rome, Athens and Xi'an, is a city that we cannot forget even if we turn around countless times. And this is unforgettable, definitely not because of beauty. If there was a regret medicine in the world, I would take one for the sake of the day in Cairo. Cairo in the daytime is a city that makes us feel that we will regret not coming, and regret even more if we come. However, when the curtains are drawn at night, when the filth and decadence of Cairo are covered up by the night, when we are on the rooftop terrace of the hotel, we watch the Giza Pyramids changing colors in the light show while listening to the sounds behind them A magical story, and we felt that if we didn’t come to Cairo, which is known as the “Land of the Gods”, we might regret it for the rest of our lives. In our life, some people will light up our way forward, some people will wipe away the dust in our hearts, and some people will leave us with eternal pain, and Cairo is a collection of "some people" . Although time has wasted its appearance, it cannot erode its temperament. It is like an orchid in a deep valley, not unpopular and fragrant.