Travelog: Seeing Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds in Detroit, MI - "The Motor City"

Lobby of The Siren hotel

I've been there a couple times, but stayed mostly on the outskirts. This time I spent the entirety of my brief sojourn there in the downtown area, which is actually quite nice, although expensive. I was expecting to see more urban blight and abandoned buildings, and it wasn't prevalent in any of the areas I visited. I did see a lot of amazing vintage architecture and many old buildings that were restored and revitalized. For example, I stayed in a boutique hotel known as The Siren, which resides in the Wurlitzer building, and was once in danger of demolition, but it has been renovated into a beautiful and charming hotel in the heart of downtown Detroit.

The Wurlitzer building

One of the highlights of my there was my experience at The Candy Bar cocktail lounge on the first floor next to the lobby. This place requires a reservation, and I thought it curious. Afterwards, I totally understood why. It's a small cozy space, and each cocktail is mixed to perfection by hand. I was not disappointed. It's the perfect place to go on a late-night romantic date.

Potato chips in a silver goblet

The "Double" Negroni - a liquid Negroni on the bottom with a frothy version floated on the top

 

I had another delightful experience at one of the other hotel bars - Sid Gold's Request Room - a speakeasy with the entrance in the alley behind the building. A reservation is not required to sit at the bar near the entrance, but you do need to reserve a seat for the piano karaoke bar. I put my name on the waiting list and had a nice chat with the bartender while I sipped a French 75, but did not get into the piano bar. Oh well, maybe next time.

One thing that I particularly liked about staying downtown was access to multiple forms of free public transportation. The Detroit People Mover is an elevated train loop that runs around the downtown area, connecting various points of interest, such as the sports arenas and music venues with parking garages.

People Mover route

I witnessed this system in action first hand when I went out in search of a restaurant for dinner. A baseball game was happening that evening and I saw people who were wearing team colors, boarding from different locations and then disembarking at Grand Circus Park for the game. I also used the Qline - a streetcar line - to get from downtown to the Detroit Institute of Arts museum and the Masonic Temple. 

Map of the Qline

All of the above modes of transport were completely free, ran on a regular schedule, and were reasonably easy to use. 

Speaking of art, the museum was impressive. It has some very famous paintings that I was surprised to see there, such as:

Portrait of a Noblewoman (1620)
by Rodrigo Villandrando

The Wedding Dance (1566)
by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Eleonora of Toledo and Her Son (!545-50)
by Agnolo Bronzino and his workshop

Self-Portrait with Straw Hat (1887)
by Vincent Van Gogh

The Three Skulls (1898)
by Paul Cezanne

However, I did not get to see everything, so I must return someday. The primary reason I was in Detroit was for a concert at the Masonic Temple, to see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds on The Wild God Tour (North America 2025), and here is the video:

Honorable mention: Right next door to The Siren is a record store that also happens to be a bar - Paramita Sound. The records for sale looked mostly like a curated selection of new, high-quality pressings, and they have "open deck" hours where you can play DJ. The bar has a reasonable selection of beer, wine, and canned cocktails, along with non-alcoholic beverages. The vibe was very chill. 

Achievement Unlocked: Around the World in 15 Days!

I just got back from a work-related trip that had me in Madrid, Spain for one week, and then Bangkok, Thailand the following week. I managed to circle the globe in 15 days!

Photos:

Madrid
 
 Bangkok
 

Travelog: Egyptian cuisine

I've always liked Mediterranean cuisine in general: hummus, couscous, olives, grape leaves, etc. so I was very excited about trying real Egyptian cuisine. I heard about a dish called "Kushari" that is uniquely Egyptian, and got to try some at a popular chain called Zooba at City Stars mall.

I loved it! It is a mixture of rice, macaroni, lentils, onion, with a little red sauce. You can add hot sauce to make it spicy, and/or a dressing made of lemon, vinegar, and garlic. Topped with crispy fired onions. I would totally eat this at home. I also tried a dip made with Egyptian aged cheese and tahina, which was really really strong. It tasted like a highly concentrated and very salty feta cheese. I liked it, but could only eat a few bites with bread. There are also many varieties of pickled veggies, which I loved.

After I told some of my new local friends that I tried Kushari, they told me that I should try another uniquely Egyptian dish called Molokhaya. I got to do that last night, when one of my colleagues invited me to her home for dinner.

Molokhaya is made from jute leaves, or okra, which are muddled or whirled in a food processor and then added to boiling broth. Seasoned with coriander and garlic, it makes a thick green soup that has an unusual texture, which foreigners might call "slimy." I actually liked it. I thought it tasted a little like spinach, but we definitely don't have anything like it in the USA. We had it over rice, with some meat that was stewed in a red sauce. The whole meal was very comforting! I can understand why Egyptian people would miss this dish when they travel abroad, and it reminds them of home. 

Another culinary adventure that I got to experience was a famous and popular restaurant called Andrea. 

This first thing you see as you walk in - chickens turning on a rotisserie

Women bake bread in outdoor ovens near the entrance

Guests are seated on an outdoor patio; there is a childrens' play area adjacent

Other wonderful things that I've had here: Olives, dates, and melon - are all locally grown, fresh, and delicious. The melon is particularly sweet. Fatir - a rich, flaky pastry, and Ful - similar to refried beans - are eaten for breakfast. Fresh juice drinks, such as Lemon Mint - my new favorite. It's not nearly as sweet as lemonade. Bread and baked goods here are very good.

I had an awesome and decadent (expensive) meal at a Lebanese restaurant Al Dabke in the Fairmont hotel.

Mezzeh and Mixed Grill

You can find many other types of cuisine here. I had really good sushi the other day at Mori in Mall of Arabia.

Observations:
Nescafe is a thing here. If they don't have Nescafe, then it's Coffee Mix. The fancier coffee places might serve "American coffee" which is filtered coffee as we know it, or from a French press. What we might call Egyptian coffee - the strong espresso-like brew with a bit of sludge on the bottom - is what they call Turkish coffee. And, it's excellent. Tea with fresh mint is also very good. Fresh squeezed juices are very popular, and I love the lemon mint - it's not as sweet as lemonade and very delicious.

This is a Muslim country, but drinking is not banned. There are many non-muslims living here. I am not finding a great beer selection, but I'm not really looking for it, either. I could probably find an ex-pat bar with a better selection, but I'm playing it safe and staying in my hotel where the choices are:

Or, Heineken. Both Stella and Sakara are Egyptian-made beers. Both are lagers. They aren't bad, but they are not very remarkable, either.

I had better luck with wines. The popular Egyptian wines are: Kouroum of the Nile - Shahrazade (was my favorite), Omar Khayyam, and Grand Marquis.

Travelog: East vs. West Cairo

The west side of Cairo (Giza) is very different from the east side. I'm glad I got to spend a week in each place to see the difference.

East (Cairo governorate)

The Cairo governorate reminds me of New York City with its high-rise apartments and gridlock traffic. There are street vendors everywhere, and corner shops that remind me of "bodegas." 

Some older architecture remains among the newer highrises

I spent a lot of time in this traffic

Crossing the Nile

These are "unlicensed" developments

These vendors are everywhere with their cases of Fanta

A beautiful mosaic entryway

Crossing the Nile

A shaded street in a quieter neighborhood

West (Giza governorate)

Giza is a different story. It reminds me of Las Vegas. There are palm trees and new developments springing up everywhere. You see the large cranes building malls, resorts, hotel and office complexes - separated by stretches of desert. Driving around here is more like navigating the freeways around Las Angeles. The new housing developments look a lot like the clay tile and stucco apartment complexes that I've seen in Orlando.

You can orient yourself by seeing the tops of the Great Pyramids on the horizon. They are visible from all angles. I see them from my hotel window, and pass by them on my way to work.

Pan view from my balcony, at the Hilton, Dreamland

Mall of Arabia

Melon stacking level: Expert

Cleverly disguised cell phone tower

View from a local friends balcony in their apartment complex

This could be SoCal, right?

Pyramids on the horizon

Pyramids again

What a day in Cairo

One can't spend a week in Cairo and not see the pyramids. I also went to the Egyptian Museum today. It was all worth the effort.

The Egyptian Museum has more everyday objects from the ancient Egyptians than any other museum that I've seen. They also have a large collection of mummies, papyri, statues and monuments from the old kingdom, and most of the stuff from King Tut's tomb. It was fascinating. I learned a lot of things that I did not know. For example, dwarves were honored in Egypt and held important positions.

I saw this statue in the museum. This man married a normal size woman. The small figures below him are depictions of his children.

I got to see some famous artefacts that I have seen in magazines and on TV, like this:

Cameras were strictly prohibited, so I could not take any photos of it myself. But there are plenty of photos of it on the Internets, because it is an iconic piece, and I got to see it in person. King Tut was buried with an impressive amount of bling, and photos of many of the pieces I saw today are here - http://www.touregypt.net/museum/tutc.htm. 

Ate lunch at a place called Andrea. It was very good. 

You can watch the women make bread in this old stone oven.

Then, went to see the pyramids. I have no words...but I do have photos. Check out my album on Flickr. 

After a week in Cairo

I have so much to say. I don't know where to start. Cairo is very different from what I know, but it's also very familiar. The revolution is over, there are no more violent protests, and the city is eager for tourism to return. The people here are very warm, friendly, hospitable, and proud. They are very family-oriented, and religious (but not fanatics). They are concerned about the economy and the future for their children. They work very hard for a living, and they also want to enjoy life, just like anyone else.

Cairo is bigger than any city that I have seen, and it is full of contrasts. At one glance, it looks like a modern city, but it also looks Medieval. There are modern high-rise buildings and there are "unlicensed" buildings that look like rough and unfinished slums. The traffic congestion is formidable, and I have to wonder how some fruit vendors drive their donkey-drawn carts through the city. On the way to Giza, I saw herds of goats and something that looked like cattle being driven along the street near where a fabulous new mall is being built.

Speaking a few words of Arabic really opened doors for me. Everyone I talked to, after they get over their initial shock (because most foreigners, especially Americans don't even try to speak Arabic), took an interest in me and wanted to help. And not just for baksheesh. Egyptians say that they won't let someone carry the weight alone. They share the burdens.

I won hearts and minds at the university. I just did what I always do - be myself. Genuine, and confident. I blew their minds. They never met an American like me before, and they will never forget me. Mission accomplished. Now I just have to do that two more weeks (at two other teach sites).

Travelog: Cairo, Egypt (continued)

Today I got to experience the mayhem that is traffic in Cairo. It really is insane. All traffic lights and signs are merely suggestions. It is a free-for-all. Drivers just go where they want. Collisions appear to be imminent at every turn. Drivers pound their horns and shout at pedestrians who dare cross at the intersections, or weave around slow and stopped vehicles. I'm glad I wasn't driving. I do not recommend that anyone attempts driving in Cairo. Just don't do it. 

Work was also interesting. I'm on a large university campus, swarming with students. I haven't experienced that kind of environment in a long time. It's like any other university, but in this case, professors are greeting me like I'm a visiting foreign dignitary. I guess I am. One of the professors took me to lunch today at the university's guest house - where they usually entertain VIPs. 

The room where we ate was so fancy-looking that I thought I was going to meet the president. 

The campus also has some really neat architecture and beautiful gardens. 

Observation #1: stray cats are everywhere. There is one in photo above. They are even running around the fancy hotel.

Observation #2: the university and many businesses in Cairo employ "office boys." These are guys who bring you tea, coffee, water, whatever you need. They come around and check on you, or you can call them, like room service, and they bring what you want.