Rain in Cairo

Moderate, Short Rain: On October 25, Al Ahram Online reported: "Moderate rains and lightning brought traffic to a halt in Cairo on Wednesday. The rains came a day before the start of the four-day Eid al-Adha holiday." Rain in Cairo is like snow in Washington, DC. When it happens, people appear so startled they don't know what to do. I was at a a nearby apartment having dinner with friends. The rain came maybe about 6:30 PM and lasted all of 5 minutes. There was thunder and Nazli (Rizk) did see a flash of lightning out her apartment window. When I walked home, the streets were wet with a few very small puddles. That was it. Does make for a bit of excitement, however. Over the next two days, all of the stalls I see around town filled with goats and sheep (some cows) will be empty. They will have been sacrificed for the Feast of the Sacrifice. The meat is shared with family and the poor. Egyptians eat and give away a lot of meat during this "solemn" celebration. [Photo is: Light Rain in Cairo, Egypt, by Bakar 88.]