"Rest to the weary"

Well, we are getting on a bit, you know? And, at our time of life, we're allowed to take things as we do; slowly!

A short break at our favourite hotel was (is?) just the ticket. The Cataract beckoned!

As we prepared for our arduous 3 or 4 hour journey in a First Class Carriage on the VIP train up to Aswan, I had to do some shopping for essential supplies, biscuits and the like, for the trip. I got a great pic of the working at the Four Seasons whilst out and about:

I also had a rather frightening flashback when I passed a wagon near the station. Just look at this back spring, the very sight of it had all my weary old muscles aching at the thought of getting it out of there and then back in!

Thankfully, those days are now long gone, and only re-appear in the odd nightmare from time to time! They like their big Mercs here, and they always seem to be so high off the ground, that's because of those huge springs, of course.

Coming up here on the train I saw some great wagons! There were about 6 or 7 six wheelers with drawbar trailers and double height sideboards all together at one point, but I was too slow with the camera (OK phone camera!) but I did catch these at another place:

There are some areas of towns in Egypt which seem to specialize in certain trades. Close by to where I captured the tippers above, I also shot this:

Here, we have a little wrought iron workshop, as you can see by the lovely set of gates in the process of being made. But they also carry out vehicle repairs too, evidenced by the small tipper with the body raised and the short inspection pit to the right of the gates. Everything here is similar to what we see in our own countries, but on a different scale and usually with a lack of what we would term 'proper' equipment. The mechanics and artisans etc just get on with the job in hand, where necessity becomes, quite literally, the mother of invention!

We were allocated a room on the top floor of the Nile Wing of the Cataract, here's a quick panoramic view from our balcony, just to finish this little posting off|;

 That's the Mausoleum of the Agha Khan, the smallish looking square building towards the left and up on the desert sands, with the Coptic Cathedral behind the Old Cataract Hotel, to the right. Cracking view, eh?

Nearing the end of the Summer Season, but possibly the beginning of the Four Seasons?

Yes, Playmates, I was past the Iberotel last night as I went shopping at all of the supermarkets in the South of the town. I noticed the tower cranes, between Ibn Khalid Walid Street and the river, as I came along the Corniche on Mr Badawi's caleche.

I should have got him to stop earlier, as there's a gap between the old Novo and the new wall, where you can observe the whole site. But, I missed the chance. And so I ended up precariously balanced on the driver's seat of the conveyance, hanging onto the hood for grim death with my right hand, and trying to take a video with the phone in my left. Here it is for your delectation, Dear Reader:

They're certainly getting on with the job now! I hear a little rumour that some of Egypt's great hotels have been sold by the Government to the UAE! Of course, this would include our Winter Palace here in Luxor. We'll see, I suppose. 

If foreign governments are buying into Egypt's tourism sector, and foreign hotel chains are investing their cash here, maybe there's still a possibility for the Luxor population to rise from their torpor and to make tourists feel welcome again. I hope we can all hope and pray for such an outcome.

It's only by connecting with people from different cultures that we can possibly get to know what makes them tick. It's only then that we can begin to accept their differences, and admit that perhaps we shouldn't be trying to change each other's cultures, but to be fascinated and in awe of their otherworldliness!

This is what makes travelling worthwhile (to me, anyway) to find connections where we may not notice them in our hurriedness, and to just stop and admire 'le difference'. (My word, I'm getting a bit carried away here!)

Firstly, we went to the Forty Market on New Hospital St. All I managed to find there was the skimmed milk, fruit yogurts and crisps! Just along the way a little, is the fruit and veg bloke whom we know though our little (long dead now) mate, Mr Goma, for lemons and ginger. Next nearest was the little bakery where we get chocolate coated croissants and soft sweet buns for our cups of tea, and then on to the relatively new and flash Rayah market on Medina Street. I was looking for Lurpak butter, but I only found porridge there. I left the caleche while I walked back up the street to the Omar Market, we'd passed there on our way, but don't like to use it except in emergencies. (For historical reasons, which I won't go into at this juncture!) They had no Lurpak either, so it was back to the caleche and along the road to Kheir Zaman on TV Street. Now, of course we were on the wrong side of the dual carriageway, so Sayed dropped me outside of Mr Bahaa Sherif's underground (household goods) shop and left me to cross the road while he followed on up to the roundabout and came back down the other side. He arrived just as I emerged from the shop with two 200 gram packs of the beloved Lurpak unsalted butter!

During the journey, we encountered several folk to whom we had to have a natter, so it took quite a bit of time! On the way back, we were reminded of the very different culture yet again, this time one driven by religion. Coming up is the birthday of the Prophet (Muhammad), commonly referred to as the Moulid el Nabi. I'm not sure when it falls, as it's eleven days earlier every year due to them using the Islamic calendar! Anyway, here are a couple of the stalls selling the huge sugar dollies with their elaborate dresses, and the red sugar warriors. I'm sure that some of them have been in storage since last year, uuuurgh! Also the Turkish Delight, which bears no resemblance whatsoever to that which carries the Fry's name. (Could just fancy a bar of that now!)

Well that's about it for tonight I think, as it's shower time. Oooh, just in case you're the slightest bit interested, I bought another melodeon today! It's a 1 row Italian Busilacchio, possibly from the '30s. I hope it's as nice as it looks in the photo! 

                            I'll have to wait another 6 or 7 weeks to find out.

Friday Night's 'Amami' Night!

Is there anybody out there who is old enough to remember that TV advert? Ladies giving their hair a 'home perm' so they'd look their best for the weekend!  I doubt it, or at least that you'd remember it anyway, Dear Reader. 

Well here in Luxor (as in most of Egypt, and other Muslim countries as well I suppose) the ditty would be that, "Thursday Night is Wedding night!" It's thought to be a good omen to start your wedding on a Thursday night as, after sundown, it becomes Friday; and Friday is the Muslim Holy Day, when thoughts turn to Allah and his Messenger.

So, here we are on our first Thursday back in Luxor, and there's this wedding celebration across the school yard. thankfully, it only went on until about 1.30am or something, I'm not quite sure, as I eventually fell asleep. But, God bless them anyway, they'll need all the help they can get, getting married just now here in the Land of the Pharaohs!

Talking about weddings.....we've come back to the news that our neighbour and friend, Mr Adam (of coffeeshop fame) is preparing for his eldest son to be married! They're so far on that they are building on the roof across the alley, so that No. 1 Son, Hagagg and his new missus can move into the family building. This is the traditional scenario, the young wife moves into the family home and becomes the helper of the mother. (Or, I've been told, often the slave of the mother!!!) I've no doubt though that Mrs Adam will be a welcoming and loving Mother-in-law. God bless them all, as well. 

Here it is after the first day of building. Two labourers mixing and carrying all day, one (seemingly) apprentice bricklayer and one gaffer bricklayer. You can see the new brickwork against the wall of the next building, as well as that at the edge of the roof above the alley. 

I'm pleased to say that it looks as if it won't impinge on our still stunning view of the West Bank Mountains! I love to sit in my chair in our living room, where I can peer out at this view, day or night!!!

Now then, I know that one or two of you might be thinking that I've lost interest in blogging about our favourite place,  but I'd like to assure you that that's not the case! We've had a difficult few years recently; along with both of us catching (lol) cancer and being operated on to remove it (successfully in both cases, I'm very grateful to report) we've also had to nurse the other three members of my family as they all sadly died, I'm the only one left! 

Although we both love Luxor and wouldn't have missed our 15 years of being here for the world, we have been slowly coming to the realisation that as we get longer in the tooth, we cannot carry on indefinitely in travelling back and forth and looking after guests from all around the world. (Even though we'd love to!) So we are going to sell our beloved home here, and retire properly to our first home back in NE England, in good old Windy Nook.

So, if you're young at heart and fancy completely changing your life to one which delights you every day with new experiences and challenges, then we could help you achieve that for a surprisingly affordable sum of money. Drop us an email with any questions to ourluxor@yahoo.co.uk 

Oh, nearly forgot; we came via Hurghada and stayed at the Marriott hotel overnight. Come the morning, I thought that I'd almost persuaded Freda to jump into the water with me at the private beach, but then we came across this sign...... foiled again!

                                              It's no fun being orphans!

                                                             TTFN