Back home! OT, on-topic, eight photos.

[Hreow]

On the off chance that this is where one posts long-winded, dull stories with too many photos...
Please let me know if another place is better (Daily Shred?), posted here as there are photos and I know
some have slow download capabilities.

Just back from my holidays in Egypt (awake 42 hours now...).
We did a week of Egyptologising (see proof (think this is Bast(et)):

) which was interesting.

Whole trip covered in cats, and not a single one I saw looked starved or mistreated.
This is one of the cats at our small hotel. She adopted us for our stay:

This kitten adopted us in Dahab:

She was very polite and pleasant to be around as she wouldn't try
to steal food of plates, but sat at an easy distance with the kitten-
charm turned to max. I'm sure that worked exceedingly well, except
on miserly, cruel types like me, who happily provided as much of my
fresh, sweet drinking-water as the cats could hold (Dahab's tap-water
is fairly salty and not the cleanest.) but refused to feed obviously non-
starving animals of any description. (Ok, the mozzies didn't give me any
say in the matter, but I only got bitten twice.)


We did some diving with the guide-place we chose last time, as they are
friendly, good and care about the enjoyment of the divers without sacrificing
the fragile coral:

Also tried riding - girls' half-day out:

and will now be in need of a walking-frame after spending almost four hours in the
saddle after a year's break. Ouww.... Very nice treat for all three of us.


Moon-rise from our "local" in Dahab:

Rover sniffed me, but refused to talk to me for all of five minutes when I went to
collect him. He's been spoiled more than usual by our friends, so I'm finding it slightly
hard to feel *very* sorry for him. We've been out five times today, and he seems
to have forgiven me. Good!

Here's a photo of him as he tried to pack himself by sneaking into my hand-luggage
and "hiding":

Time to sleep, I think.

[Emm]

excellant photos!
I'm so jelous (sp? - complete mind blank can't remember how to spell!) I have always wanted to go to Egypt.

[Fran]

Wow!! what great piccies, looks like you had a wonderful holiday

[yola]

What amazing pictures!!! I went to Egypt several years back but your hol looks more fun than our rather 'sanitized' Nile Cruise thing. Either way - it's the most amazing country with stunning history that just takes your breath away

[Mags]

Great piccies....sounds like you had a fantastic time!
I went to Egypt a few years ago and would love to go back to see more of it.....

[Hreow]

I cheat! We go with friends who speak some Arabic (I know "Yes", "No", "Thank you", "Sorry", "Husband" and 1-10), know the history and we're all used to backpacking/camping/roughing it together. The only expensive and planned bit of the trip is the return ticket, the rest we wing on the day. Whatever sounds good on the day, or is recommended to us as unmissable. We get there by local public transport or walking, stay at local accommodations or camp in the desert, eat whatever is on the menu (if properly cooked. Tourist tum is a waste of holiday time).

The desert bedouin are very friendly and seem genuinely interested in who we are and what we do. Generous with their hospitality as well, we've had more than a few cups of their minty-sweet tea. Most speak a little English as well and charades works well for the rest of the basic communication. Amazing people.

Cairo is completely different. A loud chaos of delerict but inhabited buildings, and beautiful ancient architecture. I like the traffic. Lanes don't matter, red lights don't count, skin-of-your-teeth distances and constantly bleeping horns. They do pay attention to the other road-users, though. Refreshing.

Dahab is relaxing. The sun-sea-sand part of the trip, but with enough interesting things to do and see to keep me from climbing the walls. Can't do pool-side holidays even with my far advanced, chronical and severe bookwormery.
Small and insignificant enough to convince the menfolk that it is safe for their women and children as well. Not worth while to blow up. Luxor was probably the most risky part, though I think the tombs etc are probably safe. You don't blow up that sort of cultural heritage without it being detrimental to the cause. Having said that - we've never encountered any hostility anywhere. Even the toughest sales-pitch (found at any tourist-trap) will end with a "no hard feelings, mate"-esque "Welcome (to Egypt)!" and is generally pitched to make you laugh (good for business).

Haggling is a national sport - we have pub-quizzes for social interaction and a good brain work-out, they haggle (and play dominoes and backgammon. Don't *ever* be tempted to play even infants for money - they play *well*). I'm *rubbish* at it, but I can see how it works and can survive the discomfort I feel at "arguing" over a few pennies. It's so clearly my problem, not theirs.

If you ever get the chance - go! It's amazing how different it is to see it in person, even when it looks just like it does in books. If you are planning on avoiding the beaten track (and I *am* talking about small, out-of-the-way places) - do bring something with long sleeves and a long skirt or trews (and perhaps a head-scarf). A gesture of respect for the culture/religion is generally enough to avoid offending even the most narrowminded (that's not the word I want, but...) native and it's definitively worth the small effort to get to know the people. Bigger places - it's still respectful, but they're desensitised to tourists. Also; I don't tan as much as instantly turn lobster red, so I will wear "sunfactor: cloth" (loose cotton or silk) plus my version of the Hitchhiker's Guide towel (a bedouin scarf. Useful for *everything*) to shade my face and keep my hair from turning haystack dry. I find that I get a smile and a "You bedouin?" where the two-belts-and-nothing-else-clad females around me get badgered for a tip, asked for an alm, invited to buy horrid plastic tatt, the occasional frown etc.

[Jac]

Waht a fantastic Holiday!!!! Now if I shut my eyes...................................
No still here.

[Snoof]

What a beautiful set of pictures! I especially like the moonrise - but nothing beats Rover of course

[Hreow]

Not even Ninja?

Easy to post good pictures when you have a choice from just over seven hundred, but thanks for the compliments.

[Snoof]

Well of course Ninja does, but he's not in this thread