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.
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