End of Days?

Well, we've had a right couple of days here! Two nights ago, we were sitting in the Nile Palace, in our favourite spot there, having some good old fish'n'chips with a good lady friend who had just arrived form England. (I've got to say right now, that this is not our usual choice of food in Luxor, but it does no harm now and then!) As usual, I was listening to the ensueing converstaion, when the hotel shook. Although it felt a bit like a large vehicle was perhaps trundling past on the road outside, I knew instinctively that it wasn't: it was an earthquake! I've been reliably informed (by one of my Egyptian neighbours) that it registered 4.6 on the Richter Scale! It wasn't frightening, but I certainly wouldn't have liked it to go on for much more than the few seconds which it did last.
They do say that natural occurrences are sometimes linked togther, so I wondered if the sandstorms of the past two days have anything to do with our earthquake? I haven't seen so much sand in the air during the past three years of being here. Have a look at this photo, at first I did wonder if our beloved Governor had decided to do away with the Theban Mountains, as he has with most other things which have been "in his way". But I'm hoping I'm wrong and that it's just sand. Those of you who know the view from our roof will find this a bit strange.



Click on the picture to make it bigger.

Sorry, a missed photo opportunity!

As is my wont, I was reclining on a dikkeh on the edge of the desert on the West Bank this afternoon. I was finishing reading my latest fascinating book (An Islamic Perspective on Legislation for Women, Part One. by Dr. Magda Amer) when one of my colleagues started to tell me about his friend who had just been killed yesterday in a road accident on the outskirts of Luxor. Sadly, I quickly realised that I knew the young man in question, and that he had an English wife who was a good friend of ours! Had someone told her? No-one in the family had her English phone number. I rang Freda to give her the sad news and she volunteered to break the news to our friend in England. It was obviously a thankless and very difficult task, and involved getting another of the lady's friends to be with her when the dreadful news was passed on. Our thoughts are with her as she struggles to come to terms with his untimely death.

Back to the book, as I couldn't yet leave the West Bank. After some short while I heard someone hailing "Salam Aleykum". "Aleykum Salam", I replied, as if I knew what I was talking about. I looked up to see two scruffy looking Sayeedis (country bumpkin types) approaching on equally scruffy looking donkeys. My two Egyptian companions exchanged greetings with them with a flurry of "Ak Barak"s and "Ham dul Allah"s then one of them was obviously addressing me and gesturing as he walked back to the donkey. "Cobra, Snake" then miming taking a picture! He was the snake catcher, wasn't he? It was only then that I noticed the two or three plump sacks fastened onto the donkey. Of course, being the numbskull that I am; I just waved him away, even though my camera was in my bag, not two feet away from me! One of the boys then went over to him and gave him some small backsheesh, as it seems to be very unlucky to let these types pass by without helping them on their way. It wasn't until I was recounting the tale to Freda this evening and her berating me for not getting a picture for the blog that I realised the missed opportunity, how stupid can I get?
Anyway, I just thought that you might like to know that Danone (I know, they're French!) are producing a very nice "Fruit Pieces" pineapple yogurt, and it tastes exactly like pineapple "Spangles" from my chidhood! The other week I had some Weetabix, from Hurghada, which also jerked me back 50 years or so. The taste was another taste from childhood days, I hadn't realised that Weetabix had changed at all, but when you taste the "Original" (as they were labelled) it comes as quite a shock!
If you're a person who prays, I would ask your prayers for our dear friend in the NE of England as she mourns her dead husband from 2000 odd miles away, please? I don't want to even try to imagine the pain she is experiencing.