An alley in Cairo

I went for a walk through our neighborhood this morning, and snapped a few photos along the way. I walked into "Arab Maadi," which is only a few blocks from our apartment and strolled down a very narrow alleyway between some apartment buildings. This area is working class poor, and Egyptians work hard to just to get by here. I bought some lollipops from a vendor - as a little economic stimulus for that particular alley, plus the local kids love them. I wasn't too sure how I would be received here. The best way I can describe it is that I was an outsider getting an intimate view of life in that particular place. I hadn't walked 200 yards before I was offered a chair and Pepsi outside of a small (very small) store in the alley. I sat and chatted for 1/2 and hour with a 22 year old computer student whose job prospects upon graduation are probably not good. During this chat a horse drawn cart ambled by (pic 1). I left after a while, but my attempts to pay for the Pepsi were refused, proving that Egyptian hospitality extends into Cairo's back alleys as well.