McDonaldization and Commercialization
To continue my diatribe on Egypt :-) here is a great picture we took from the combined KFC/Pizza Hut just outside the entrance to the Giza Pyramids. I think it speaks for itself.
Secondly, as I mentioned before, the 'tourist police' really just want money and are there to cash in on the commercialization of their national treasures as much as any of the vendors or small children constantly dancing around with identical paperweight pyramids, postcards, and other pointless kitsch to sell. It is sad and abundantly evident that the monstrous profits reaped from the entrance fees (and at the local fast food restaurants) are by and large not reaching the local population.
That being said, we did our best to contribute to the local economy by renting camels and paying backsheesh (tips, often forcefully demanded) to our camel drivers.
The materialistic onslaught continued at the 200-year-old cafe, where the lively music and conversation was only rivaled by the lively flow of men, women and children of all ages trying to sell everything from, well, take a look...
The merchants range from cute and friendly (like the kid with Justin) to the incredibly rude, pushy and occassionaly downright disturbing (like the dirty, bedraggled, and far from coherent man who repeatedly tried to touch everyone and was thrown out twice while we were there).
All told, the cafe was definitely one of the most fun and interesting experiences we have had, on this trip or any other.
Secondly, as I mentioned before, the 'tourist police' really just want money and are there to cash in on the commercialization of their national treasures as much as any of the vendors or small children constantly dancing around with identical paperweight pyramids, postcards, and other pointless kitsch to sell. It is sad and abundantly evident that the monstrous profits reaped from the entrance fees (and at the local fast food restaurants) are by and large not reaching the local population.
That being said, we did our best to contribute to the local economy by renting camels and paying backsheesh (tips, often forcefully demanded) to our camel drivers.
The materialistic onslaught continued at the 200-year-old cafe, where the lively music and conversation was only rivaled by the lively flow of men, women and children of all ages trying to sell everything from, well, take a look...
The merchants range from cute and friendly (like the kid with Justin) to the incredibly rude, pushy and occassionaly downright disturbing (like the dirty, bedraggled, and far from coherent man who repeatedly tried to touch everyone and was thrown out twice while we were there).
All told, the cafe was definitely one of the most fun and interesting experiences we have had, on this trip or any other.
posted by prairie at
10:57 AM
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