Next time

The photos have a couple of problems, I've uploaded twice without fixing it properly, will maybe try again another time

So here it is next time and I’m still here, we are both still here. In fact, after the small demolition by the police on the Sunday after the visit to the governor (and we stayed in a hotel that night, just in case, bought pjs and toothbrushes and had the hotel laundry service see us ready for the next day) things have settled down a great deal. For us personally I mean. We feel more safe and hope we're not being lulled into a false sense of security.

The police visit and the knocking off of a bit of the slab and one wall certainly didn’t stop ole no 88. He’s just keeps on building, finishing the interior walls of the top floor and the external rendering, having windows installed and even re-building the bit of wall that was knocked down. And now the workers are bringing bricks up to the top to build something else on top again. As I was saying to Leah, it’s so ridiculous it’s actually laughable. Not that I laugh at it very often but in my more hysterical moments it seems very funny.

So we are continuing to live our lives as usual – still waiting for the final license for the company and grateful that the piece of paper from the bank didn’t come back for changes for a fifth time. That’s given us a little hope that maybe now all the paperwork is correct at least. The final criminal check for Mohamed is finished and with the lawyer, yesterday the tax documents came back to us and now it really is just waiting for the last license to arrive. The lawyer says we can begin to ask him/chase him tomorrow. Can’t believe it might nearly be this close. Etisalat have almost sorted out the complete stuff up of the phones when they gave our number to another company to use, the signs are up (even if the phone numbers aren’t there yet) and the office sits, cleaned yet again, and waiting for the starter’s gun. If I didn’t have the Internet sometimes I think I’d go crazy.

Apart from all that we haven’t done anything too exciting – went to the Cairo Car Show but it was a total fizzer, very poor, nothing new or exciting and nothing grand or expensive; some manufacturers, like Mercedes, didn’t even show up and many others only had one or two models there. Toyota had a slightly funky looking concept car there but the turntable it was on wasn’t working so we could only see the back of it as it was in a corner :-) I think that sort of summed things up. Mohamed also hoped to be able to look at buses but only 2 low-end models there.

Otherwise our outings seem to be driving through Dreamland and looking at villas and dreaming. The other night we got to see inside the one owned by the Sudanese man that we’ve driven past over and over, asking price 6.5 million pounds with furniture but probably could get it for a bit over 5 million. That’s a partly underground floor of large, open Egyptian/Arabian style room and two large other rooms, ground floor of 200 sq metres of living/dining etc. (known as reception or halls in Egypt) and a kitchen and bathroom, first floor of 4 bedrooms and small central reception and bathroom and top floor of largish bedroom and bathroom and then the large roof. I wouldn’t use that top one as a bedroom unless you had to as you have to go through it to get up onto the roof. And also a room and bathroom for the doorman/maid family on the ground. Quite nice landscaped gardens of around maybe 350 sq. m. Furniture looked high Italian, French or something but I didn’t like it at all. So you can have it unfurnished for 6 million. Beautiful mosque over the road in landscaped gardens and hospital just down the street and international school a little way in the other direction. Mohamed LOVES it!!

I liked the internal finishes, not crazy over the top ornate in the worst taste like the last one we looked at (also 5 million but much bigger), but very classy in fact. No pool, Mohamed says you’d have to put one in (the owner said he had thought of putting one on the roof, I'm so glad he didn't). Apparently the family have never been in it, barely had a holiday in it – the kids want to live somewhere with more action like Mohandaseen. Don’t know what he does but I’m guessing money is no object. So we’ve bought a ticket in the Oz Lotto 90 million – I think that’s the only answer personally. And that's given Mohamed license to dream about a new car as well...our outing the other night was to the Audi showroom :-)

Anyway, am at the office and need to be doing something else, just thought I should put your minds a little at rest – thanks for all the concern everyone

Lots of love

Lyndall

Almost over

Another partly cloudy day yesterday and the pyramids were at it again, ducking in and out of shadow and looking amazing. Taken through the bedroom window.


Hi everyone, Ramadan is now drawing to a close and although we don't know the exact date yet, it will be over and the Eid here in 4 or 5 days. That's not quite the end of the fasting - there will be 6 more days in the month that follows but you can choose how and when after the Eid you fast for those days. Mohamed says he thinks for him maybe 2 days a week, but I figure I'd rather get it all over at once. So we'll see after Eid. Muslims believe that if you do the extra 6 days it is as if you had fasted for a year.

Today has been a really nasty day with a very strong wind blowing and a temperature of 41 - there was so much sand in the air that we couldn't even see the pyramids when we went up to water the plants on the roof. It has looked like being in fog all day and the wind was really rattling the awnings. Very like the khamseen although that comes in March-April.

I hope it has cleared a little by tomorrow as I will be up reasonably early tomorrow (well, by 10.30 anyway) as tomorrow we provide an iftar meal to our drivers and the people at the park where the vehicles stay overnight, and for the doorman and his family and the family over the road in the little one room shop/house. Hagar is coming at around 11.00 am and thank goodness really as Masry has put in an order for a range of Egyptian dishes, most of which I know how to cook but have not cooked yet. The doorman's wife is also going to cook the rice - Masry says it's a farmer's dish - rice cooked in milk in the oven but with salt and butter, not sugar. SO that's one thing I don't have to do. The meal we'll provide is:
- dates
- toshi (pickled mixed vegetables)
- bread
- olives
- mixed salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot
- mulukhiyya, a soup made of a green leaf that I've never seen before and garlic and coriander and chicken (or rabbit) stock. Masry loves it. My little phrasebook says you'll either hate it or love it! Given the meat broth I have only barely tasted it, to me it doesn't taste much like anything except the garlic.
- maHshi koosa - zucchini and small eggplant and small peppers stuffed with a rice and tomato and dill mix and cooked in a tomato sauce (these are already made, a friend of Mohamed's sent them home with him tonight, along with a full meal for him)
- potatoes sliced and baked in the oven with sliced onion and garlic in a tomato sauce
- makarona bil beshamel - macaroni and mince layered with bechamel sauce and baked (sort of like lasagna but with ordinary penne or elbow or twist pasta)
- meat, chunks of rump, first boiled for about and hour and a half and then baked/browned in the oven
- juice

That's all to be prepared tomorrow and I guess with Hagar's guidance all will be well - insha'allah. The food has to be ready to leave here by 5.00 pm latest and when they get to the park it will all be spread out on carpets on the ground and all the men will sit round and eat and drink as soon as they are able. I won't be there to see it - it will be men only. Don't know if Hagar will be staying the night or not. So I might have iftar by myself tomorrow but that will be OK. Mohamed has been invited out to some of his friends for iftar a few times but he has always declined to be with me; I am sure one night eating by myself won't hurt. Mind you he has gone out often later to the cafe with his friends so it's not really as if he's been deprived.

We went out to the supermarket last night - another of my very rare evenings out in Ramadan. We were also asked out to one of Masry's friends house last night for iftar but preparations for the big meal took precedence. Instead, we will be going in the Eid to Osama's house. Osama doesn't have any English but I spoke to his wife on the phone and she and I should be able to communicate quite well I think. (Yes, Osama's house - I'll keep you posted) We went over to Carrfours in El Maadi, it's a bit of a department type store as well as supermarket and there's not a bad range of clothing stores in the same complex. One of the Ramadan customs is that you get new clothes as a gift before the Eid and we were looking for Mohamed but he didn't see anything he liked. We had been to City Stars earlier in the week but he didn't really find anything there either. Fingers crossed that he can see something he likes in the next few days.

It has been lovely being out on the streets and seeing the lights and the people out taking the evening air, the cafes full and the streets busy, even at 1.30 to 2.00 am when we come home. I think maybe now I can appreciate just a little the special atmosphere of Ramadan.

I don't really have too much else for now, it's 1.30 am and Mohamed is still at prayer, he will finish about 2.00 am and then we'll eat a little earlier tonight. After midnight he prays for an hour, a mixture of reading the Qu'uaran and praying - basically singing the Qu'uaran just as they do in the mosque. This is an important part of the extra religious rituals of the last 10 days of Ramadan for him.

I want to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has written, it's been great to get your letters and hear all the news from your part of Oz. I look forward to hearing more from you all. We are both fit and well. Sorry I don't have any new photos of Logan - news is that he's over 7 kg and laughs lots. I also know he's slept through the night and is being good. Sounds like a great baby, can't wait to see him again.

lots of love for now

Lyndall

An entertaining week

Baby update for everyone - he's really very cute and obviously and of course growing fast


Saturday night

I found it amusing when I opened my iGoogle just now and the picture for today’s “Places to See Before You Die” on my computer is the Pyramids.


Anyway, hello and how are you? Time seems to be flying by, I only just realized it’s now over a week since I wrote last (not, mind you, that I’ve had a letter from ANYONE) and that I should be sitting and typing another posting.

We are up on the roof – me with my computer and Mohamed with his phone, pacing up and down. It’s been so hot since I got back, even though I knew it would be, day after day at around 40 degrees or plus means that you take any possible opportunity to get some fresh, cooler air. And the roof is very pleasant tonight. Of course we have the air conditioners, thank goodness, but we got last month’s electricity bill (first month with the aircon going very much) and Mohamed is now very much on a power-saving kick. Must say we still sleep with it on all night however.

The one in the bedroom had developed a leak inside and we got the man to come and fix it and it still leaked so we got him to come again and he made it worse than it was before and so we couldn’t use it at all. That was Tuesday and he said he would come back on Saturday and fix it.

We therefore had one night without the bedroom air conditioner and Hagar staying with us so we couldn’t use the spare room. At 4.00 am Mohamed rang the air-conditioner man (we had had about 30 minutes sleep by then) but didn’t get an answer (I did protest but he told me "I am not sleeping, he is not sleeping!"). However, he rang enough times the next day that 3 men came at 2.30 in the afternoon and it has been fixed temporarily – they are supposed to be coming back in a week to finish it off. But at least we are sleeping OK again.

We had Hagar staying most of the week but she went back to Rania’s on Thursday night. It was great to have her here even though I get really worried at how bored she must get. She is not a great one for TV and doesn’t read, or didn’t have anything here to read anyway. We can’t do housework all day and Mohamed was out all day basically. Hagar has the most English of the sisters but still not a huge amount so conversation is not exactly easy.

Back down into the air-conditioning – it got too hot for Mohamed on the roof.

On Thursday night Mohamed told me around seven that we were having guests for an evening meal – his friend Mohamed Elkardy (a policeman, his best friend) and also his wife and two children, little boy about 4 and baby boy, who has been born since I’ve been living in Egypt. I was quite excited at the thought of meeting another woman. Anyway, we took Hagar to Rania’s and I went to the supermarket and got a few things and got organized when we got home – Mohamed also helping to clean and tidy.

As you might expect, it's all quite different, entertaining in Egypt. There are foods that are acceptable in the day or the night, and ways of serving and eating that are all so different to what I'm used to in Oz, and it's really easy for me to make a mistake. So the evening meal was lots of different sorts of cheese, fresh bread, mashed potatoes, hot chips, packet chips, salad of tomato, cucumber, onion, little grated carrot with lime juice, honey, white cheese mixed with chopped tomato and cucumber (it’s both salty and peppery – Istanboli - very soft white cheese), lettuce and then some grapes and bananas after. They didn’t arrive until about 11.30 so we ate around midnight. Still it was nice to meet another woman and she has a little English and seemed very nice.

It's not suitable to have meat at an evening meal, and Mohamed thought not beans either, so we had what he thought would be the right thing. All food goes into commuity bowls, you cover the table with plastic sheeting (you buy it specially) and you use the table as a plate or your bread as a plate. Most food is retrieved with a piece of bread held in the fingers or with your own spoon. Yes, everyone dips their bread or spoon into the one big bowl. Not what we are used to. Not just double dipping... I'm sort of getting used to it. I have explained this to Mohamed but he tells me when he's in Australia he will have to have his own bowl becase he will never remember to use a serving spoon.

However, I brought the bananas to the table in my hand and Mohamed tells me that is very bad. All food and drink must be presented on a tray or in a bowl, never in the hand. Now I understand why Hagar took one glass of water to the airconditioner man on a tray (I used to think they used a tray to serve drinks just because if you were serving a few people it was easier). I made a faux pas with the bananas. But it seems so back to front to me - everyone eats from the same bowl (and there's no hand washing ritual or anything before a meal) but you must serve food not in your hand even when it has a skin on it or is in a cup.... Different strokes I guess...

And the plastic sheeting - well you put all your food rubbish, like olive pits or other scraps, plus of course all your crumbs, onto the plastic and at the end of the meal you roll it up and put it in the bin. Perhaps not the most elegant but certainly practical.

The El Kardys brought a traditional "congratulations" gift - a wrapped tray of sweets and sweet biscuits, it's a very nice touch and gives us a huge sugar fix - they are always so sweet.

We tentatively arranged to go to Sokhana together next week but I don’t know what that will mean in terms of me going swimming – or maybe me not swimming, at least not in my Aussie cossie…. I thought it was all arranged but Mohamed tells me that Elkardy has been posted to Sharm El Sheikh for a month beginning today so not now at least. I eventually found out the wife’s name – Sabah. There was a strange moment when I introduced myself and she didn’t tell me her name. Mohamed didn’t know it - he had only met her twice before. But about an hour later at the table she did tell me here name, so not sure what that was about… Yet anoather social something I don't really understand.

Then on Friday we had Rania, Allaa and Hagar and the boys. I hadn’t seen Rania since I had arrived back and I was anxious to do so. Mohamed had decided they would have ringaa – that really smelly fermented fish I talked about before – so eating was on the roof, not in the house. The meal was pretty simple and seemed to be standard – the fish, fresh bread, an onion quartered and in a little vinegar. That’s it. I sat at a separate table (felt like I was at the kid’s table) coz the smell is nearly enough to make me vomit, and I had cheese and salad. Mohamed brought them back after he’d been to the mosque and the barber so lunch was around 4 pm again. Each day during the week we’d had lunch around 5 pm, waiting for Mohamed. I guess we’re almost getting into practice for Ramadan which begins on 1st September. No food or drink from sunrise until sunset. Apparently we get up around 4.00 am and have something to eat before the time of first prayer at 5.00 and then that’s it. Not even water until sunset (fourth prayer) which will be about 6.30 - 7.00 pm. Ramadan lasts for a month but I guess the first week or so is the hardest as you try to get used to it.

Went to the movies today and saw Hancock which was about 2 1/2 stars I guess. Not one of Will Smith’s best. We also ordered the bathroom cabinet and mirror for the big bathroom today, will take about a week I think and then we need to find a plumber to put it in. The rest of the week has been very quiet – just at home with Hagar and doing the house work with a couple of quick visits to the supermarket, otherwise watching the Olympics whenever I can, although I tried not to watch them all day when Hagar was here because I don’t think she was terribly interested. Occasionally yes but not always. Mind you it was very nice having help with the housework. Hagar also showed me a couple more dishes to cook and I tried a casserole recipe from one of the cookbooks I brought over and they both seemed to like it. That's one point for Aussie food.

What have you all been up to? How’s work for everyone? Are you all well and happy?


Anyway, it’s quarter to 11 and I need a little food and then bed probably although I was so tired last night – I slept for 12 hours. Mohamed actually woke me up at 11 am this morning; I was still very sound asleep. He says hello to everyone. He’s currently driving the Xbox time trial demo with which he has a great deal of fun. So did Rania's two oldest boys - they were very good at it too.

Looking forward to the closing ceremony of the Olympics - the opening ceremony certainly had its spectacular moments. We get a couple of stations with commentary in Arabic and otherwise mostly New Zealand commentary although we did have some Australian commentators, for the diving I particularly remember. We were lucky, Al Jezeerah had a high definition broadcast in English for the whole games. Didn't see all sports of course and missed some really good performances in order to see popular Middle East sports like wrestling (Egypt's only medal was a bronze in wrestling) but all in all it was pretty good.

So will write more soon, until then

lots of love

Lyndall

More photos

The pyramids in sunshine and in shadow




Looking back towards the Al Haram area and the city




The walls and floor have some inbuilt decoration as well as the huge variety of tiles used to finish them. This is an example.



The roof looking out over the pyramids reserve towards Cairo, kitchen and bathroom on the left

Sorry for the delay

Tuesday

It’s been a real pain having the net café close down – I was actually feeling far more connected with the world there for a while and I miss it again. The weather is warming up, it’s quite warm up here on the roof today and lately I have spent a few days up here in short sleeves, although I have to put my jumper on again to leave – Masry says this is a traditional area and I can’t walk around in short sleeves – don’t know how that’s going to go when I live here and it’s the middle of summer. Guess I’m buying lots more of those fine cotton long sleeve shirts!

It’s all go at the house all of a sudden. Today there are painters, electricians, plumbers and the air-conditioning man all here working. Masry says it will all be finished by next Monday, kitchen excepted. That will take another week or so. And then it has to be cleaned up, our responsibility incidentally, not the tradesmen. At first Masry says that his sisters and I would do it but I told him I didn’t want his sisters’ first visit to the house to be to do work, so now it’s me and the wife of the doorman and maybe one of the other women from around the buildings nearby.

Mind you we still haven’t finished buying all the light fittings. The ones we chose for the main bedroom - they ended up only having one of them so we have to take something else. And there’s still one bedroom we haven’t chosen for. We went into the “electrical” area of Downtown last night but didn’t see anything we liked. Not sure what we will do, just know it has to be done by Sunday (the last day the electrician will be here). All the appliances and the jacuzzi bath got delivered yesterday and are sitting waiting to be installed by the plumber.

So, with the house being nearly finished and all it looks like I will be moving at the middle to end of next week, depends on when it is furnished I guess. At least once I am here, and as soon as it is connected, I will have the net at the house so that will be MUCH better.

One day next week Masry also has to go to Alex again to collect the two Toyota HiAce – Lahni he saw a picture of your van and says you can drive one if you like – come and stay and have a job, I’ll get to look after the baby – and get them organized onto the road. The two Coasters have both had work every day since he got them and have work lined up for the next couple of weeks. I’m sure that he will make a success of this; he’s very competent at everything he does so, insha’allah (God willing - in Egypt I must learn to say this a lot), the future looks fine.

I can hear lots of banging going on down beneath me – I hope that no-one is damaging the tiles or beautiful walls – might go down for a quick look shortly. The plumber was pretty rough yesterday and now around the taps we have chipped tiles that you can see – will have to get the ceramics man to do something about that I guess. We’re getting him back to make some repairs and finishing on the roof so maybe he will be able to make some small fixes to the damage as well. The electrician also managed to make a problem around a couple of switches; again, we’ll see what the ceramics man can do.

We’ve made some adjustments to colours, the main living area is now broken into 3 with one part pale grey (entryway etc.) one part white and one part that beige/string colour. One bedroom is green, one white and the main one is blue. Masry says if we don’t like it we’ll get it re-painted in a year or so. We’ll see how it goes.


Thursday

Well, as you can see, didn’t get to the net café yesterday – we were at the house for 12 hours – Masry likes to supervise the guys as I’ve said. We didn’t eat until almost 6.00 pm, must be what it’s like in Ramadan (the fasting month) when you don’t eat between sunrise and sunset. One loo visit in the day (can't wait until the plumbing is finished!)and we left at 10.30 pm.

Most of the electrical work is done and most of the painting and the air conditioners are all finished and the plumbing about one third done. Today the windows go in and more painting to be completed and more plumbing. Tomorrow will be a day of rest; I won’t see Masry as they are having people to visit in the afternoon.

Have had a break in the day – I just made my first drive by myself to go anywhere significant – I went down to the coffee shop at the servo and also to Felfela to get lunch, about 45 minutes to an hour what with the traffic and all although it’s really about 20 minutes max there and back if you had a clear run. I went by myself and wasn’t nearly as nervous as I am with Mohammad in the car and I didn’t have any problems so feel much better having achieved that once. I’m sure there were times when some of the horns were being blown at me but I just ignored all that; there are so many horns going how was I to know? At least that’s how I rationalised it. I’m sure I didn’t cause any accidents.


Most of the windows are in – very nice. The painters are still sanding and patching after the first coat in some places and two coats in others, doing some cover up after a few places the air con guys left marks etc. Couldn’t see that the plumbers had made much progress in the morning – Mohammad says “nothing new” even though there are 4 of them there. We’ll go out after the windows and doors are in I gather.

The lift is now working – which is a good thing and a bad thing. Mohammad came and got me when it was installed – “come, you will be the first” so we went for its first official trip up and down. It’s tiny but nice. So it’s a good thing that sometimes the lift is there but then I don’t get the exercise so I try to still go up and down the stairs a fair bit. But the lift is good late at night when the stairs are so dark you get to feel your way down – taking the lift is then an excellent option.

It’s hard to believe that next week I will be moving out here. Not that we have any furniture yet mind you – I think on Saturday we are going to get the first of it. We’ll begin for certain with one bedroom and all of the living area, then the other two bedrooms. Some things we have chosen, some not. I’m sure there will be a flurry of activity Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

It feels hot today – I think I am going to find summer VERY hot, given that we have just barely finished winter.


Saturday

Well, as you can see, I still haven’t been to the net but tomorrow morning I think.

Meanwhile, today we spent at the house all day again, the plumber is almost finished and the painter will finish on Monday. The electrician comes Monday to finish off and we still haven’t bought the lights. We went to two places on the way home tonight and couldn’t see anything. Will go to another 2 on the way tomorrow – there’s one right beside the net café (and it was closed when we got here!). The other one is where we got the other lights and I figure even though there wasn’t anything we loved (or liked) before we’ll just have to make some choices anyway.

The rest of the screens go on the doors and windows tomorrow. The carpenter will come after Monday to finish off the doors which are still being stained. The curtains for everywhere except the “reception” (well the outside ones, the blackouts are done) will be put up on Thursday. We didn’t get to go buying furniture today – soon I hope. As soon as Masry gets his head a bit clear of company matters I guess. But I have to move in one week’s time. So I hope I have a bed at least. It’s great to see the ensuite finished and the big bathroom mostly, just no bench for the basin yet or towel racks etc. Everything else is in. I think it is going to be a beautiful house, it’s already got a nice feel.

I was going to have a fairly early night but Saturday Night Fever has just come on TV so I might just have to watch it all over again. Mind you I think I like the older John Travolta better but I need to brush up on my disco skills…. Hmmm his body wasn’t half bad really…. And Ley – I think you have those moves just right….

Anyway, soon I’m sure I’ll have more news than house news…

Lots of love to everyone

Lyndall

Another 10 days gone!

I was lucky enough to see this amazing sight the other day, but unlucky enough to only have my little point and shoot and not to be on the roof for once - we were just leaving because of the rain. Still it was quite incredible to see.... Hope you enjoy it too







Well here it is Thursday already and the last couple of weeks seem to have flown by. The house is progressing, painting being the order of the day and colours almost settled. Preparation of the walls has taken the longest time, but the ceilings are now completed and looking fabulous and the walls will be started on Saturday or Sunday. Only a couple of colours to choose.

Some of the curtain fabric has also been purchased at last and is with the maker, we have decided to leave the main reception curtains until last, they are expensive and we figured we'd wait until all the furniture etc. was in and make a final choice.

The last of the plumber's requirements have been bought, the jacuzzi bath will be delivered on Saturday and the plumber will commence work then too. We'll go looking for lights on Sunday. The windows and glass doors have been delivered and are awaiting installation when the painter finishes. The carpenter has mostly finished will be back to put the door handles on when the painter has completed staining them etc.

All the appliances are also being delivered on the weekend to await the plumber and then the kitchen installation. So there will be a huge amount happening in the next 2 weeks if all is to be finished for me to move in. I only have my place in Mohandaseen until the 15th March.

This week has been a big week for Masry as he has taken delivery of the first two vehicles as a beginning for the new tour company and they are now all ready to begin work tomorrow. It's wonderful to see him so happy and excited. This also meant that I didn't see him for 2 days this week and a fairly boring two days they were - I am out of reading material and am reading David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas for the third time! It's a great book but really.... We tried to find a bookshop today near my place but like many things one tries to find in Egypt it was a failed attempt even though we drove the entire length of the street in peak traffic... There are 5 TV channels in English and sometmes there are good things but quite a few of the shows have seasons behind Oz and the movies have been seen before. I must admit that occasionally I get something really good however, it's just pot luck. Masry says when I go back to Australia in May I can bring back heaps of books - he might be sorry he said that when he sees the bill for the excess baggage!!!

Anyway, have been here a couple of hours now and better go, Friday tomorrow so it's mosque day for Mohammad and I won't see him until after 2.00 pm. So I get to do my housework and washing - lucky me!

Hope all is well at home

love to everyone

Lyndall

The house - next stage

Looking from the dining area back towards the entryway - all the ceramic down and beautiful




Looking towards the dining and office areas




Main living area looking towards the balcony





The toilet off the main living area




The main or "big" bathroom




The ensuite




Looking from the bedroom down the hall to the kitchen




The bedroom looking towards the pyramids from the doorway




My "office" in the main bedroom now the tiles are down

Egypt - photos

Just as I sometimes see them



My view of the pyramids from the roof - in sunshine and shadow - it's ever-changing and yet never-changing



Watching the world go by


At the front of the new library of Alexandria



The Nile by night




The pyramids are everything you imagine




Near the pyramids - there's lots of donkeys used for carts and as personal transportation in this area. My feeling is that this young lady was fetching water.

House photos

Taking it easy on the bedroom balcony



The doorman's wife with a friend and chilren