Ringing the Changes?

Well, there's not much to report as far as I can see. Some people are up in arms about a supposed lack of police on the streets; but it seems to me that there are actually more than ever! It doesn't matter where we go, we come across groups of them. (They're like the Geordies in that old song, "Wherever ye gan you're sure to find a Geordie!") Every tourist hotel has at least one plain clothes officer and one uniformed one, there are pick-up trucks full of them at many of the major road junctions, all the Christian Churches have at least one outside in uniform (and sometimes several) Gold Street (the continuation of Mustapha Kamel Street where all the gold shops are situated) has a pick-up truck full at the top end and a plain clothes officer and his uniformed mate at the other end. Then we have all the new 'Wendy Houses' scattered around, these seem to be manned a lot of the time, and all this is without mentioning the motor-bike snatching gangs which suddenly appear anywhere and stop all the youths on motor cycles; confiscating them for the slightest infringement. (Not before time!!!)

Never mind, there are changes afoot in Luxor; here's one that you'll not see again:

That's correct; it's your's truly, putting some kofta on the grill! It's really the job of this next bloke, Hassan at Chez Omar's restaurant down the street.

It's quite possible that you might think that you know this man, but by another name; Hussein? That's OK, Hussein is his identical twin! We have several of them in our small community, the other nearest ones who are two huge lads, I'd hate to have to keep the two of them going with food! We had kofta and chips for our lunch today, that's another change, as we usually have kofta in the evening.

We're busy cleaning, and making changes to try to reduce the temperature in the guest apartment. We don't usually rent it during the summer, but summer came early this year, and we've been experiencing temperatures up towards the 50 degree mark during the past six weeks or so, already! We have a lady coming tomorrow, and with the addition of sun-block curtains on the balcony; we've managed to knock about 5 degrees off the livingroom temperature during the hot  afternoons. I'm so pleased! (It's now really quite comfortable, at around the 27/28 mark.)

I've also made a significant change to our livingroom upstairs. I've clagged (Colloquialism: clagged = stuck on) some 40mm thick expanded polystyrene sheets to the inside of the wall which gets the sun nearly all day. They've reduced the inner surface temperature considerably, which means that the A/C doesn't have to work quite so hard! Depending on whether I can get a good decorative finish on the polystyrene, I might even have a go at doing the same in the guest apartment. Changes, changes, changes!

As I was hanging the newly cleaned curtains in the guest livingroom, I was aware of a lot of hammering outside. Looking over the balcony, I saw what looked like a bomb-site!

It wasn't till I actually went out, that I saw just how bad the situation was!

The two dikkehs (bench-like seats) lying on their ends against the walls at either side, have just been repaired with about a stone of three inch nails and bits of scrap timber, by a 'carpenter'. They've been (along with some other scrap furniture also belonging to Coffeeshop Adam) cluttering up the street for some time now, and he's promised time and again that 'some man' will be taking it all away 'bukra' (tomorrow). But we know he's a fibber, don't we, Dear Reader?

Anyway, more changes here, as he's re-shaped the coffeeshop yet again, and it's being decorated by a professional painter. Here he is with a very proud Mr Adam Osman:

Insh'Allah, they'll have it all finished, and the street cleared, by the time our new guest arrives tomorrow night. (Who am I kidding?)

Moving on: You remember how the old Mercure Hotel (the Etap to many of you) was taken over by Misr Travel and suddenly renamed the El Luxor Hotel? Well, what do you think of this?

There you are; Egyptian spelling aside, it's now back to being the Etap!!!!

So, there you have it Dear Reader, 'Change Is'. (That was the name of a Newcastle night-club, many moons ago, owned, if I'm not mistaken, by the famous comedian Bob Monkhouse!)