I get LOADS of questions, from friends, family and total strangers who have found my blog and are coming to Egypt. Most of the questions run in the same veins, so I am posting an edited version of what Jack lovingly refers to as “THE MANIFESTO”. Hopefully, this will help answer some of the most… Continue reading So you’re comin’ to Egypt?
Disillusionment
The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. This adage is often over used, but is also frequently apropos. I am struggling with this phenomenon now, as I was when I first applied for this job. Then – Egypt seemed to have so many more opportunities and so many fewer problems… Continue reading Disillusionment
Movies
Jack and I watch very few movies. Mostly (according to Jack) it is my fault. When he asks if I want to see or go out to a movie, the answer is frequently “No”. In my own defense, that is usually because I’m tired or ambivalent. Still, we know little about current movies. We belong… Continue reading Movies
Flocking to Rehab
Like lemmings to the sea, or shoaling salmon in front of hunting orcas. Not me, you can’t make me. I’m not going to Rehab. Rehab is for quitters (a very old joke, borrowed from unnamed sources). Rehab – actually el Rehab city – is a gated, planned community about 4km from the New Campus of… Continue reading Flocking to Rehab
Releasing fear
I chide myself frequently for the things I fear. They are not the “normal” things like death (mine or loved ones), political instability around me, or even aging. My fears all center around not being able to do things properly (which for me means perfectly). It sounds really egotistical and trite when I write it… Continue reading Releasing fear
Donkey Shot?
Lovely restaurant Your Pronunciation May Vary (YPMV)
Christmas Sights and Sites: Aswan to Abu Simbel and back
After our cruise, we spent one night in Aswan before heading down to Abu Simbel. David Roberts litho reproduction (from: All About Ancient Egypt) The plans had been quite convoluted, and “arrangements” changed many times. The extra day in Aswan, although not a real “tourist-let’s-go” day, was nice for rest and recuperation. In trips past,… Continue reading Christmas Sights and Sites: Aswan to Abu Simbel and back
Christmas Sights and Sites: Kom Ombo and Aswan
After the lovely but butt-chappingly cold (remember, I’ve been in Egypt for 16months!) nighttime visit to Edfu temple, we climbed back on the boat and headed south to moor alongside Kom Ombo village and temple of Haroeris (another incarnation of Horus – the falcon god) and Sobek (the crocodile god). David Roberts litho of Kom… Continue reading Christmas Sights and Sites: Kom Ombo and Aswan
Christmas Sights and Sites: Esna & Edfu
Our cruise took us to a number of sites that are, otherwise, difficult to visit. The “tours” were mostly cattle-calls, and we chose to use them simply to get us to the site and in. Beyond a series of transportation and ticket provisions, the “planned excursions” were not for us. We started our “bad form”… Continue reading Christmas Sights and Sites: Esna & Edfu
Cruising the Nile
Otherwise entitled, how I spent my Christmas vacation. Sunset on the Nile – photo courtesy Sara Lawrence Last year, my mother, brother and niece came to visit just after the holidays. We went to Luxor, and saw the sights of Cairo – all chronicled here (in TOO much detail, I am quite sure). This year… Continue reading Cruising the Nile