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| All this talk of holidays in Italy has reminded me to let y'all know that I'm about to go on holiday too.
I'm off work from 05/11 to 16/11 so my only internet access will be via my mobile phone and internet cafes so I won't be on-line much.
Fee |
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| fee:
only a week before you go? have a great time!  |
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| Hey Orbilla: Where in Egypt are you going? |
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| Zoebird, absolutely only a week. I'm sick with nerves and can't sleep. I don't know what it is specifically about air travel that winds me up but I turn into a neurotic wreck with OCD tendencies until I'm actually on the plane!
Kulkarnn, I am starting in Dahab but travel the next day to Alexandria with Aymn by coach to meet his folks. We're hiring a flat whilst there and will be taking an excursion to Cairo. It's my birthday on the Thursday so Aymn's arranged some celebration withn his friends. I finish back in Dahab.
I'd planned going to Dahab and taking an internal flight to Alex for just a couple of days and maybe just mooching around the Sinai a bit (e.g. seeing more of Sharm el Shiekh than just the airport) but things have been taken out of my hands somewhat by Mr Unstoppable Force *lol*
I think I may need a holiday to get over my holiday!
Fee
Edited by Orbilia 2007-10-30 6:34 AM
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| Sounds great, enjoy yourself! Shelly |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
 
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Okay Fee, I don't want to hear any of this....you're suppose to be the "expert" travelling yogini....and what's an OCD?? YOU???? Go Neurotic...can't believe IT!! You didn't mention any of this??? 
Happy Trails and Happy Birthday to YOU!! |
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| You mean my endless check list didn't give the game away Cyndi *lol*?
OCD = Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and is characterised by counting things (ceiling tiles, wall cracks, hand-washing etc) and repitious behaviours (e.g. that the front door is really, really, really, really, really locked).
I must check I have my passport and tickets at least 50 times from 10 minutes before leaving the house to being through the boarding gate.
In fact some have been known to comment that my military-campaign style approach to travelling is just everso slightly bloody annoying.
  
Fee
Edited by Orbilia 2007-10-30 12:05 PM
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| Fee, have a great time!!! You're not coming back hitched are ya?? |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
  
| One thing I have been meaning to add is that one friend of mine says to always travel with a pashmina or other light shawl. Very versatile and can be bundled up and stashed away easily when not needed, as well as looking truly fabulous |
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| Jos, not this time though the Mad Egyptian would wish it so  I think we're going to get engaged though.
I've managed to persuade him as to the advisability of taking a one hour internal filight to Alex rather than a 10 hour incarceration in a coach with me getting progressively greener.
The shawl's a good idea but I'll probably just take my sleeveless fleece waistcoat as I've not yet managed to find one of those whisper-light wraps yet (suggested suppliers greatfully received). I am taking a number of scarves though as an extra cotton layer over the head and shoulders really helps avoid heatstroke and sunburn.
The final hurdle is sorting out my friend, Gary, as he's still not got his butt round to see me about arranging what time he has to get to mine to drive me to the airport and to remind him what my lord and lady feline masters will require of his serfdom whilst I'm away. The latter's not so much of an issue as my friend Samantha and my mother would do this if he let me down, it's getting my flight that bothers me. It's at 09:15 which means being at Gatwick at 06:15 which means leaving home no later than 5am
Finally, I have to work out how to explain to the hotel in Dahab that my fortnight booking is largely wasted due my having had my travel plans changed so that I'll only need a couple of nights either end *sighs*.
Remind me, why am I going on "holiday" again?
Fee
Edited by Orbilia 2007-10-31 6:07 AM
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| Here's a shawl similar to one my husband gave me.. I LOVE it!!
http://tinyurl.com/3d5c62
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| It looks great Jos. Is it a warm one? I've been looking for something to cover myself with in the final relaxation in class but most things I've seen have been way too heavy to tote on top of the other junk this sad, sad, sad Iyengi takes to class.
Fee |
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| Here's the thing about it.. it's warm, but not hot, and not bulky at all! The one my husband got me is huge (I also have a smaller wrap)-- but it's about 8ft X 4ft and when folded, it's about 1 1/2 inches thick. It's great!!! The wrap that I have is only about 4ft X 2ft- definitely more of a "wearing out" size. But the big one is great for chilly mornings, wrapping up after practice, etc. because I can completely wrap my body up in it! |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| If you get the ones that are very, very fine wool and silk, they fold up into nearly nothing and are so light, but warm |
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| Thanks gal pals! Deffo something I'll be following up after my holiday.
Fee |
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| i have two and i wear them everywhere, all seasons. they're amazing. i got mine in a turkish shop for $40/ea.
i wear one every day. |
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| Ok, I'm back in body if not in spirit :-)
Complete non-achievement of goals as only spend two days with Aymn whilst not in a coach due to a death in his family minutes after we arrived in Alexandria. More later when I've climbed out from under a pile of mail, etc at work.
Sorry Neel, only got driven through Cairo so no chance to contact your pupil.
Fee
Edited by Orbilia 2007-11-19 9:58 AM
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| i'm sorry about your friend's loss, and i'm sorry that your trip didn't go as planned. i hope you had a great time and I look forward to hearing about it! |
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| Neel has just asked me an interesting question in a PM that I'm answering here as I think others would like to hear my reply?
"How did you see the general condition in Egypt as compared to a western country like usa?"
I think like many third world countries, it's like an exercise in extremes at times. The flat in Alex had the potential to be superb but was so filthy, I suspect it was flea infested (witness the 90% of bites being on my lower legs). It also had the rather odd addition of a wet bar in the corner of the lounge complete with disco lights and mirror ball!
The private room I was taken to in Dahab to borrow the loo was a sad, dark little place with glass-less window frames facing the communal corridor. Clean, but basic and very sad.
Last time, I saw someone's single story home in Dahab. It was a beautiful open plan affair inside but looked like an emergency bunker outside, complete with bullet and shell holes!
The vehicles are an exercise in life preservation and completely explain the law on 5 prayer sessions a day in Islam all on their own!
The public loos are either glossily modern affairs with the addition of buckets for used tissue (water conservation measure) and a potable water jet for cleansing one's tush or ceramic lined holes in the ground with a half empty plastic bottle and bucket of potable water for cleansing oneself and the hole after use. The worst were in Sharm el Shiekh's new terminal. Modern but stank to high heaven. Fortunately I had my perfume in my handbag!
One noticeable difference however is that many beggars have obvious physical disabilites though Ayman tells me that they have their fair share of con artists, druggies, and run aways too.
There is a disappointingly high level of western 'cuisine' on offer including the dreaded McD's. In fact it's almost impossible to detect truly Egyptian cuisine unless eating over a charcoal fire in the desert with the Beduoin. Most Egyptians eat fish with rice, salad, fuol (a bean puree) and tomato/chilli dips, and flat bread as a staple. I've had a river fish similar in taste, texture, and shape to Trout, Red Snapper, and Grouper whilst there. Of the three, I prefered the Snapper. It is best baked in foil. Fried calamari also features heavily. There is far too much fried food and sugar used. Salt too, even allowing for the need for some extra in the diet in a country that hot.
All in all, I think a lot of the differences reflect variations in Islamic achitecture and western and in life priorities.
Last visit, I opted for dinner in the desert with the Beduoin with belly dancing classes and a drive up Mt Sinai to see St. Catherine's monestery. My earlier Egyptian thread, Retreat or Transformation cover these. This time was more about seeing real life in Egypt but didn't really happen to any great extent due to be being stuck in the hotel in Dahab on my own most of the time. I could have done other things but I was trying not to add to Aymn's stress levels and was, frankly a little too miserable to stir myself.
Actually, I still can't beleive I've been to Egypt twice now and still not seen a single classically Egyptian landmark, not even the Nile as we crossed it via the Ahmed Hamdi tunnel at night.
Fee
Edited by Orbilia 2007-11-20 11:44 AM
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| Thank you dear Fee. Now, one can decide:
- what kind of tour one wants to make
- what kind of yoga training one wants to get
- what kind of activities one want to do
- decide whether to visit a particular place in the context of their goal.
Otherwise going to a cactus tree to pluck oranges! |
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| Hi Fee, sorry your trip didn't go as planned. I hope you had some good parts to remember. Oh, and belated Happy Birthday, you go globe trotter. |
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| Thanks :-)
I'll write more later when work permits. I guess I'd summarise the 10 days as an experience rather than a holiday. What time Ayman and I did get together was lovely as was getting some sunshine after the drearily wet summer we had in the UK.
Fee |
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| Bit more :-) :
Due to a death in Ayman's family, I spent most of the 10 days on my own and three days travelling across Egypt. I found out afterward that Ayman's best friend and his wife were meant to have held us a combined engagement and birthday party on the 8th but had to cancel it.
Ayman is in the process of buying some land in Fowr (sometimes spelt Fuwa) City, near Alexandria, ultimately for a three floor apartment building. He hopes for the ground floor to be for his parents (to ease caring for his disabled father), one floor for guests/family/renting and one for us either as our regular home or as a holiday apartment.
He has got rid of one stressor in his life this week in that he has found full-time employment for one of his brother-in-laws in Dahab who formerly only had seasonal work in Alex. His brother-in-law is a chef so I'm going to wait for a suitable opportunity to suggest he pays Ayman back by giving him cooking lessens :-)
I still haven't met Ayman's parents though I did meet his brother Hannay and several of his Dahab friends. One owns a perfume shop and is married to an English woman who alternates three month periods between Egypt and the UK. He has known Ayman most of his life and mimed giving him a clip round the ear and a kick of the backside when I commented on this. I told Ayman that I just *knew* he'd been trouble as a boy!
No plans at the moment about what we're doing next or when. Ayman is going to visit the British Embassy in Cairo to establish what he needs to get a visitor's permit to come here for a holiday. This may not happen for a while as he has a lot of money to find between now and April for the remaining 50% installment on the land purchase.
I did find out :
- that Ayman's father used to be a weaver before his head injury.
- that Fowr City is a noted centre for weaving.
- that Ayman put himself through college, starting with a making money be drawing pictures for tourists (a lot of the shop lads in Dahab seem to be artists too).
- that Ayman's first business in Dahab was as a fish seller.
Fee
Edited by Orbilia 2007-11-22 6:04 AM
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| Hurray. |
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Egypt-bound, the Sequel
