Apologies

Apologies, apologies to everyone who reads the blog – now that I “Facebook” and we are busier I just find it hard to sit down and really write. Facebook is so bitsy, there’s really no concentrated writing but it’s kind of addictive and so easy to keep in touch with lots of people.

I posted an album of pictures taken on our bit of a trip around the Faiyoum on Facebook (look for me under Lyndall El Masry) – had a great day there really, seeing the water and all the greenery. And on the way out, not too far from home I looked off to the left and there were more pyramids on the horizon. They are the pyramids at Dahshur – especially the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid. In fact, although there are really only the 3 (well 2 really) famous pyramids, Egypt has over 100 and there are many more in Sudan also. In fact they recently found yet another near Saqqara buried under 65 feet of sand. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2008-11-11-egypt-pyramid_N.htm

So who knows how many more there are out there? Anyway, I really want to go and take a closer look at these and get some photos but we haven’t managed to make the trip yet. Far fewer people go to see them so I’m hoping it will be easy to get good photos. I understand you can also enter the Red Pyramid

The Faiyoum also has a couple of pyramids and I didn’t get to see those either. I have now bought a little guide book to the Faiyoum and have discovered just how much we didn’t see. It’s a fascinating area. I knew there was bird life and a national park but I didn’t know there were flamingos and it’s a breeding ground. I knew there were the big waterwheels in the middle of town, but I didn’t know that there are so many all over the area that it’s the symbol of the governate. I didn’t know there is a huge fossil park known as the Valley of the Whales because of all the whale fossils there and although you can’t get off the beaten track you can still see some of the large fossil skeletons from your sand road. I also didn’t know that there are Roman ruins as well as pharaonic monuments and early Christian buildings. In fact there’s still a small monastery hidden away. So the Faiyoum has lots to offer and I really want to go back more often.

We also went up Cairo Tower one day – 187 metres – gave an amazing view of the city and even out to the Dahshur pyramids. So here we are on El Gezira Island in the middle of the Nile and we look to the south west and we can see the pyramids and to the south and we can see the Dahshur pyramids, to the east and there’s the Citadel and the Ali Muhamed mosque, Tahrir Square is just over the Nile and minarets are everywhere. It has really helped me to get a better feel for the city on the ground. I also put an album of photos for that visit on Facebook; even though it wasn’t terribly clear (and the air smelled awful up the tower) there’re still some nice views of the city and some of its landmarks.

I have been back to Ethiopia for 8 days, I really enjoyed seeing all the kids again and I managed to do a little work, getting a financial report ready for supporters in the US and also re-jigging the forward budgets. Also started to write the text for a new website for Youth Impact but need to finish this now I’m home. It rained every day so it was quite a change for me, even thunderstorms. Since I have been back we have in fact had one shower of rain here – our second for the year. Saw a couple of movies in Ethiopia, one of which was Slumdog Millionaire – I think it’s one of my new all-time favourites – I thought it was just an amazing movie. Interesting construction, great story, terrific messages – we all liked it so much.

Although I had a great time I had a litany of woes to do with my little trip. At the airport a lady put her bag down right behind me (and walked off to get a visa) in the passport line and when the man beckoned me to go around into a new line I turned around and fell straight over her bag fair onto my knees on the marble floor – really badly bruised them both and the right one is still sore. Then after 3 days I caught the flu, from which I am still suffering with a sinus infection and asthma. Theeeeen, coming home, in any one of my 3 airport security checks and searches and taking everything off, one of my Pandora charms came off my bracelet without me noticing and the flash drive fell out of my handbag without me seeing….. Hopeless! I think that’s all – otherwise it was great!

I’ve also created a Facebook page for Youth Impact Ethiopia – the aim is to spread the word as much as possible in the hopes that somewhere, someone with some spare money will help support the organisation and get it onto a secure footing – they desperately need financial assistance, they struggle continually and above all need to secure their housing. The other aspect of spreading the word is that they always welcome people to volunteer with them or just visit; they do get some US students to help tutor the kids in summer and occasionally have visitors stay at one or other of the kid’s homes. All interest and assistance is welcome. The library still needs books, the kids need clothes, and the list is never-ending.

Mohamed remains a non-smoker, I think it is around 2 months now – he misses it very badly but remains smoke free. He keeps threatening to return to smoking because he seems to have been far less well since he gave up than he ever was when he was smoking. I keep trying to tell him it will take time (he’s been smoking since he was 15) and that at first his body has to get rid of all the rubbish and he might not feel so well, but the explanation’s not really cutting it. Still, I am keeping everything crossed that he will stay off the cigarettes, mostly for him and his health, but also a little selfishly for me – life is much more pleasant these days…

Once he gave up Mohamed went to the dentist because he developed sore teeth and mouth but mostly to get his teeth cleaned. That was an exercise! Although the elderly dentist seemed very nice it was an eye-opener for me, I think my dentist that I had in childhood was more modern than this surgery. No assistant of any sort, no masks, bibs, spit suckers, cotton wads – the list goes on and on. The dentist’s desk was in the very small treatment room so I sat in the visitor’s chair at the desk and watched the whole thing. The filling composite was in the desk drawer. Treatment was very inexpensive. After several goes Mohamed’s teeth were pretty much cleaned but he does have special toothpaste to use for a while. All-in-all a very interesting experience….

Perhaps the biggest news is that the office is about finished, we have a company name – Nile Wave Travel – and the men from the Ministry come to inspect the office next Tuesday (Monday is a public holiday). All being well we will pay all the fees etc. in the following week and we very much hope to be able to commence business by 1st May. Given that Mohamed made a first application in November 2007, we made another in June 2008 and a third in September 2008 it does seem that we’ve been waiting forever. It’s actually the September application that’s been approved; can’t wait until we’re open. I think the office looks fabulous by the way. It will all be cleaned up on Sunday, will take some photos then and will put them on Facebook.

We have also been Downtown a bit, one of the main companies we deal with has moved down there just off Talaat Harb Street. Talaat Harb is one of the main streets in the heart of Cairo. One of Egypt’s best-known novels – The Yacoubian Building – is set in a real building at 34 Talaat Harb. I’ve read the book a couple of times so I always try and relate when I’m Downtown in this area. There’s a building being renovated on the outside and we think that is the Yacoubian building, right on Talaat Harb Square… And I went into Groppi’s – featured in another famous series of novels by Mafouz Naguib - who won a Nobel Prize – but didn’t find it had the atmosphere I expected. Cakes were amazing though…

Have also been to the local orphanage and met all the very beautiful little girls (35 girls aged between 3 and 7) and will go back and volunteer on a regular basis.

Also Logan is great – 4 teeth now, Lahni says he got 3 all at once at Easter. He’s very adorable.

Anyway, enough for now, I invite all of you to the Facebook page as well for the latest in photos, take care

Lots of love

Lyndall

PS – To Jeff Payne – if you lived in Singapore in 71 and 72 then yes we did know each other – glad you enjoy the blog, staggered that you ever came across it. Sorry I can’t reply to your email – comments come in as “anonymous” without an address.