Interesting Observation - Egypt

What really struck me as fascinating in the capital city Cairo is the lack of vegetation in the city and the fact that there is a city in what appears to be built in sand! Interestingly not many people paint their houses here and even if they do, it is always a sandy colour, because there is always sand in the air and the paint would eventually not be visible. It makes for a spectacular view and looks like sandcastles. Below is the view from the plane, you can see a similar view near the pyramids.