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Discussing Everything and Nothing in al-Horreya, Cairo
Al-Horreya, in Downtown Cairo, is not your average coffee shop. Granted, it does have peeling, vomit-coloured walls, rude serving staff, and a floor so encrusted with the detritus of revelry that every sticky footstep is a battle against fag butts and bean casings. The difference is that this coffee shop also serves beer. More accurately, it aggressively pimps beer, thrusting bottle after bottle of local Stella into your increasingly powerless hands. This constant flow of liquid courage dissolves the social hierarchies of daily Egyptian life, and you are swept away in a maelstrom of high-octane conversation. Artists, taxi drivers, and lawyers literally rub shoulders with expats, students, and the occasional tourist that has stumbled into the boisterous fray. As the night wears on, and empty bottles pile up on the table, it’s worth remembering that “cheers” in Egyptian sounds suspiciously like “fizzy headache” … and you must always pay the piper come the morning!
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