old shali

Mud built houses with palm tree support beams.... all well and good- unless the rains come.................. The old mosque- still being used...
..... what happened when the rains came.................

sitting amoung the ruins...
Surreal somehow................

Look at the cracks in these walls (and people were living here!)

The textures were wonderful- all that melted mud (reminded me of porraige- or maybe that was just because we went out to take these photos before breakfast!!!!) all those wooded doors- I could have taken hundreds of pictures just of doors (in fact I maybe did!!!!!!!!!!)

That mottled effect....................... talk about the plaster falling off the walls.....................The walls might crumble- but the rafters remain................Who else thinks this looks like a hobbits home?!!!!!

at the oasis...............

Getting our feet wet in the hot sulpher spring.... last one in's a rotten egg!!!!!!!!!!!
Calm, peace, beauty.... amazing............

having a dip...
The crazy jeep!

general Siwa shots

head in the flowers!its a donkey's life....
playing..................
early morning shave..........

coca-cola rest stop............

Sandy photos.... from Siwa

on the 'road' to nowhere............

Moira. I didn't even know she and Jackie from Edinburgh were coming on this holiday so it was a LOVELY suprise to meet them at the airport!

Gemma came along with her mum on this holiday... but from this photo you would think she was born in the desert- those eyes are just perfect in those sands!

Mindy and Linda- one adventuring off- the other sitting patiently waiting.............

The jeep drivers...............

Thats me- in the pink and red...... can you spot me?!!!!!!!!...........

and there's me pointing out the ridge...............................

what ridge I hear you ask?....................................

.............................

this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This really was what the desert was about for me..............

............ and here's Nancy and Karen chillin out on the edge!

and here's Ann- surrounded by nothing.......................

This last shot looks out of focus.... and black and white somehow too. Its neither. There was a fairly strong wind and the sands were being swept along the surface of the desert creating this eiry effect!

Siwa pics

Here and the aformentioned pictures I took in Siwa!!!

We stayed in Shali lodge. It was lovely. Not the posh one with the same name as far as I can make out, that is an eco lodge... and the one that Prince Charles stayed at... but the one near the village square- with palm fronds hiding the path to the door and making the approach in our big bus like something out of indiana jones.

Here are Ann and Sara chilling in the open aired sitting room in the hotel, after our 13 hour coach journey.

The rooms were lovely- almost everything was natural fibres and locally made. (except for the TV that Ann didn't even realise was in the room for the 1st day!!!)

The stone bathroom had wooden pegs hammered into the walls to hang towels etc on.... very lovely and minimal....

As you can see in this picture- the beds, the tables- almost everything was made out of palm.

The design of the hotel had been really artistically thought out and there were lots of little nooks and crannys with interesting things.... it was lovely....

And wonderful breafast/chilling areas up on the roof too. All open air- which is fine for the desert (unless it rains of course- which is did on our 1st night!)

A whole blog entry dedicated to one hotel.... well , why not- it was stunning! More siwa and desert pics to follow ............

Sharm with Sam

I am just back from a wonderful 3 day break in Sharm el Sheik. My sister, her husband and their son were there for 2 weeks holiday and my work schedule allowed me to take 3 days out and go see them.

I flew Egypt air (cost 750le) and arrived at 9am. Very quick flight! It all went smoothly (once I found out that domestic flights dont go from the same place at all as the international ones that it!!!!) My sister was staying in an all-inclusive resort called Holiday Village in Nabq Bay. Lovely resort, beautifully laid out- lots of stunning flowers in the large gardens, and nice pools to make up for the beach being shingly (although stunning- great fish- even in the shallows!!!!!)

They had a swim up room- which means you open your sliding doors onto a terrace and your own pool - only shared with other people with like rooms- ie about 12 rooms.

The best thing was that for the same price they had quoted me ($150 per night) I managed to get the room next door!!!! it was heaven!!!! Their room was the one on the left- mine the one of the right. All that pool just for us!!!!! (we were in Block 11- and its def. the best!) Would definatly recommend this hotel- but esp to people with children- lots for them to do and nice big rooms etc.

Here's Sam pointing out to his mum the Swingpark.... Just in case she had been trying to avoid it! 'Mummy..... look......'

Sam was adorable... he's 2, and a real comic. A Gymnast too in this pic!

we had a lot of fun!

It was interesting being in a place where NO tourists speak arabic.... the shock on peoples faces (usually the staff of the hotel) when I spoke in arabic to them was highly amusing! Well- until i had to complain about the waiting staff's behaviour to the restaurant manager- then no one was laughing! The tourists at large might not understand the arabic being spoken at them or about them but they DO understand tone of voice and the sleazy comments. When you went for your food each night was just too much for me to put up with!

We went to Naema Bay too- just for a couple of hours. Bars, clubs, restaurants and cafes galore. And touristy shops. We went down to walk along the beach front and it took me a long time, and I mean a good 10 minutes to realise we had arrived at the beach, since every spare inch of sand was covered with loungers and umbrellas. The sort of place you'd want to go to party- but NOT for a relaxing or sunbathing holiday!

I got horribly burnt... the wind is deceptive! So last night I was back to Cairo and back to work and performing in my costume with the body stocking so people didn't see the pink belly and think I was more of a tourist than the touists in the audience!!!!!!!! Thankfully No one commented!

Really enjoyed my travels (more to write about them all- and photos to come too!) but its also nice to be back and at work. I missed dancing!

and already I miss this wee man......................

hospital

at home, when you get an pain that wont go away you go to your GP.

here in Cairo we dont really have such a thing. Instead you go to your nearest hospital, pay some money to see a 'gp' and do everything there.

Last night I had taken all the pain I could- for the 3rd night running I still had horrific pain in my back, to one side and was still throwing up at least twice a day. I suspected it was kidney trouble (had it once before long time ago and will never forget the pain!) and was so sick and tired of everyone saying its a cold , you just have a cold ( my granny would have called it a chill in yer kidneys) so after work ( a laughable affair with me throwing up in the toliet once my music has already started and trying to get out there and smile away the tears....) my singer drove me to a hospital in Medan Vini in Dokki.

It cost 100le to go in just to speak to the doctor on call that night ( in a mix of broken egnlish and broken arabic), and he too suspected it was just a cold! Hmmm

he did however give me an examination and 2 pain injections - 40 le. (my bum still hurts from those!!!!_

Then I had to go upstairs to give a urine sample- which was analyises right there and then for 50le total.

Within minutes the results howed it was in fact kidney infection (possible a stone- but have to go back at end of the week for that x-ray) and I was bundled off home with 4 perscriptions for antibiotics etc etc which came to the total of 50 le.

so- as much as I love the NHS in UK, and yes it is free- I would not have got that all dealt with within and hour or so back home!

So today i am home feeling sorry for myself and popping drugs all day. trying not to throw up (failed twice this morning) and thinking about packing my bags for my flight to Sharm tomorrow morning to go visit my sister who is on holiday there for next 3 days. wish I felt better... but guess I can rest there as well as I can rest here- its just the travel I am not looking fwd to!

so apologies to all of you who have emailed me in the last couple of weeks... what with the scotland trip, then back straight into work, then siwa, and now sick then sharm- I've beeen really lazy with the emails- bare with me.... I promise I am not ignoring you all!

off to bed now............ for a little while before I actually pack!

Back from my adventures.... Siwa

well - I am just home... and if I ever see the inside of a coach again it will be too soon!!!!!!

The holiday was amazing (run by Sara Farouk for 14 bellydancers from the UK!) But the drive from Cairo airport to our 1st stop was 13 hours total!!!! thank god we had a big comfy coach- and the company was wonderful too.........

Siwa is STUNNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! People were super friendly (and not in a sleezy or take all your money type of way- not a single comment from any man when we walked down the street!) weather was weird ( it rained- but thankfully only for the 1st night!!!) the hotel was like something out of an expensive travel magazine- the type of place you dream about....stone shower rooms, open aired livingrooms, alabaster light shades, Bliss. The food was a revelation- if all egyptian food was like that it really would be the no. 1 cusine in the world!!!! The fresh date pancakes were a favourite for all....

We took a safari out into the desert and rolled on sand dunes and swam in a sulphar hot spring and then the cold oasis pool. Simply stunning.

We also (midst a local power cut!) walked to the local music and cultural centre and witnessed fabulous raw siwa music and dance. The way these men and boys could move their backsides was beyond description! We had a lots of fun dance into the wee small hours!

The place we stayed was called Shali and there was a whole village which had been carved into the rocks but which had melted during a huge flood- the remains proved to be a photographers dream come true. In fact the whole of Siwa was!

I bought a wonderful carpet among other things............ the colours were too hard to resist!

We were sad to leave- although a stop off on the way at the temple of Amun seemingly will provide all of us with happiness and prosperity for ever more!!!

pics will follow once I've down loaded them- so watch this space!

Siwa

I'm off to the desert tonight!
it'll be a 10 hour bus journey- and we leave at 3.30am- which gives me 2 hours now to pack and eat and shower etc etc since I just got home from work.

guessing I won't be online til end of the week- but should have then lots of photos and exciting stories to tell.....................

Good news re website!

The hijackers have been ousted!!!!

a good friend of mine (Kapil- thank you soooo much!!!) last night managed to solve my website problem.... and find my lost pages for my website too!

so now if you type www.bellylorna.com or www.bellylorna.co.uk they will both bring you directly to this blog!

and since he found the lost info from before too- when i get back to cairo i will set about constructing an actual website to go with the blog too! I'm a very happy bunny!

and a very stressed one too- how much STUFF can one girl collect in her life?????? I am renting out my edinburgh flat from this coming monday and have spent the entire last week clearing and cleaning.... the charity shops love me! still so so much to do.... but have to mention last saturday..

I performed at Alicia and Antony's wedding! I have been close friends with Alicia since we were 10 years old..... to be asked to perform at her wedding really didn't come as a surprise- but my nerves just as i started were. Why oh why is it so much harder to dance when you know it is your friends special day......desperate to impress, and not to mess it up i guess....?!!! Anyway- it all went well- although since bellydance isn't exactly a traditional part of a UK wedding (unlike Egypt) people weren't very sure how to respond, I did manage to get most of the wedding party on the dance floor though! I had fun- and so did the couple- looking fwd to seeing some photos- since I wore my new mango coloured pharonics- VERY NICE!

back to the packing now........

travelling...

in half an hour the taxi will pick me up to take me to Cairo airport to travel, once more to Edinburgh.

BUT this time I am going for a holiday - not work!

I'll be going from 39 degrees here in Cairo to what.... 11/12 degrees in Edinburgh..... Hmmmmm.

Its been a frantic few weeks with Sooooooooooooooo much work that i ended up injurying myself (twisted ankle on stage- all better now!) and despite some friends coming over for 2 whole weeks- i hardly saw them! (Just as well they were busy attending the Nile Group festival!)

Tito was the highlight of the closing festival seemingly...................Lucy seems to have wowed some people (including her drummer- who is also my drummer) but also disappointed others- interested in your views.......... i was working so didn't make it along.

Oh and I went to see Suraya on monday night at the Marriot. I am so so so very envious of her orchestra. Her violin player is just to die for. They played Enta Omri and I thought I would cry. I didn't even want to watch her on that one- I just wanted to listen to the music! ( not that her dancing wasn't wonderful- she kills me with those shimmys- and she's getting more and more snaky too!)

oh- and talking Om Kaltsoum- after she had finished and the after band came on... a lots of the girls in the audience danced- some on stage- some beside their tables... our table (with 5 dancers!) did no less... although I was determined, having just finished work and trying still to rest that I wouldn't dance..... but as they played O.K. (Om Kaltsoum) I just couldn't resist. As a professional dancer- sometimes it is eay to forget that complete loss of self when you dance totally inside the music- I got it back that night- I shut my eyes, and just danced........... unfortunatly I had just been sitting twisted, in stong AC for 3 hours- so my back was very unapreciative of my efforts- but although my body complained- my soul felt revived. I really thought I was a bit stupid to feel this way- and I mentioned to a singer and she instantly understood why I just couldn't help myslef- 'ah - yes.... you were 'in' om kaltoum- i understand!) so - its not just me!

apologies for my lack of blog entries recently.... just way too busy to even get through a fraction of my outstanding emails never mind type up interesting quirky cairo happenings.......

However, I was in a car tonight with someone who had a baseball bat at the side of him- SCARY!!!! Dont think I'll be doing that again!

off to airport now.....

some pics... of me!

A friend of mine Richard Fusniak, aka fuzzy ( his website is http://www.fusniak.co.uk/) - came along to watch me dance a few weeks ago and came up with these shots... some nice ones- and you can just spy the tartan ties on my band on some!

I chose to include this next one purely for the tartan effect- not for the elegant dance pose!!!!!!!!!

It couldn't last!!!!!!

of course.... my body objected to being worked every single night- so on wed night, at the end of my show, I went over my ankle on stage. It went a very impressive blue balloon shape but thankfully, ibuprofen, ice,arnica cream, support and REST have done it wonders and it looks fairly normal now.... apologies to anyone who went along to the Golden Pharoah last night or tonight to see me dance- I was licking my wounds (ok- not literally- yuck!) Fingers crossed- all back to normal by tomorrow. The look of disgust on the chemist's face when I didnt' know what size my ankle was when I went in to buy a support bandage was very amusing- tell me honestly- does ANYONE reading this KNOW what width their ankle measures??????????

However I have decided to take a complete rest from dance when home this trip to Scotland- so not even having the one night i had planned at Morocco anymore- so you'll have to either wait til Sept to see me in action- or come to Cairo! Sorry for anyone who had booked because of me........

I did manage to hobble along to the Nile Maxim last night to watch Rhanda perform. It was my friend Hannah's birthday and we had a lovely evening, birthday song and cake by Rhanda and her band! Rhanda has so much energy- considering that was her 3rd show of the night- very impressive!!!!!!!

Also limping to the cafe next door afterwards, instead of the usual sexual remarks from guys passing by i heard the 'alf selema' ( a thousand get wells....) a very nice change! Once the ankle heals, I might have to fake a limp in future anytime I have to walk anywhere!!!

Have also decided that this time of year in Cairo is sent as a curse to the Sinuses! There is so much dirt in the air that you can't help getting an infection of some sort. My supply of menthal chrystals from uk have now run out- more shopping to do next week!

ok- thats my moans over for today..................

running

I seem to be spending all my time running from place to place these days... mainly since I have guests- who are buying costumes... o its trips to the Khan, and the various designers for fittings etc etc.... so lots of time spent in taxi's. And of course- running to work every night... Its all go... if you are in Cairo and want to see me dance over next week these are my dates...

Golden pharoah- wed 16th, thurs 17th, fri 18th, sat 19th and sun 20th
Nile Pharoah- mon 21st, tues 22nd, wed 23rd

then I am off to Scotland for a short holiday!!!! I'll need it - that will have been 27 nights in a row performing without a break. My body feels fit- but oh so very tired!

had the best show of my life so far last night.... people were screaming and standing and dancing on chairs.... completely mad, even the women in neqab- and there were a lot- were all smiling and dancing with their hands and very very supportive- it felt wonderful- and was a HUGE amount of fun!

Nile Group festival 2008- opening night

Last night was the opening night at the Pyramisa hotel of the dance festival here in Cairo run by a group of dnacers and teachers who go by the collective name Nile group. Oh- and I'll apologise now- no photos- unless I can steal some from the girls who were there with cameras !!!

I missed the 1st dancer's performance (Dalia) since I was still at work. I had to perform for a birthday party for a new born baby- very bizarre experience- dancing in front of a pram with the baby google eyes at all the sparkles form the sequins- and from the noise of the music too probably!!!) Full video camera in the face too! There is a special name for the party they have for a new born- sebo3 ( the 3 is written for a letter we don't have in english- 'ain' and the word itself derives from the word for 7- since the party is held 7 days after the baby is born....)

anyway- The 1st dancer I saw at the opening ceremony last night was Liza. She worn this most fabulous costume made by Hallah.... all from assuit material- but a bedla, with some turquoise threaded into it. really really nice! She does a step touch move around the stage which is very impressive and I especially liked her baladi number. My students who are here for the festival and saw her for the 1st time were really captured by her energy and enthusiasm.

Leila danced next. Stunning. Simply stunning. Her, her costumes and her dancing. WOW. She really impressed me- it's nice to see that having a little time out, and having a baby can only help to improve your skill on stage! I saw more influence from dancers like Dina and Rhanda in her style than I have seen before- which worked well. very well done.

Hayem danced too- she is the other dancer currently working on the same boat at me, the Nile Pharoah. Her 1st costume was very pretty elegant yellow swishy number... and she has a lovely cute smile the whole time she dances... although, forgive me Hayem for writing it- but the lime green jumpsuit at the end, which showed everything, was a little too much for my taste.

Asmahan... sorry that should read AS - MA - HAN !!!!!! A 2 HOUR SHOW. !!!!!!!!!!! Yes really- 2 hours!!! complete showmanship. Her entrance was seated on a pharoanic chair, with trumpeters announcing her arrival, dressed with the full pharoah head dress and costumes.... very sexy, very powerful, very impressive. Her next entrance was in full 1950's style puffy ball gown.. dancing a waltz on stage- to have that stripped off her to reveal a VERY shiny silver with gold buckles bedla (which she looked like she strugged to keep on!!!) some slow slinky moves to die for. Oh- must mention the muscley male dancers too!!!!!!!! Then the saaidi /shaabi number- with a purple 70's style swirl patter galabaya- very clingy very funky. She created such a hyper atmosphere with lots of people up on the stage dancing... very fun. The sheer number of stage support she had was something else too- a good 12 support dancers/actors musicians who helped create the atmosphere of a big stage production. Then the Zar- which was a little bizarre- her dancing boys dressed and devils and attacking her- then the incense man and the zar rhythms to release the evil spirits and again the white plain covering dress was stipped form her to reveal a sugar pink, short tutu style bedla!!! not long into the last dance she pulled on the skirt and low and behold it became full length! AMAZING drum solo- as always- earthquake shimmys that really did threaten to bring the house down! well worth staying awake til 3am to watch!!!!!

A VERY good night. Hope I'll be inspired when I perform tonight on the Nile pharoah!

Busy busy

I guess the most exciting thing about this week is that my friends Hannah, Natalie, Sara and Laura have arrived in town! I love showing people my Cairo! we have been daily costume shopping.... ah the joys!!!! Today we went to Hanan- tried on lots and going back on thursday to order something lovely!!!! The girls came to see me dance last night and despite there being a very small audience, it was a nice night.

All busy too over the next week- since it's the Nile Group festival at the Pyramisa hotel... lots of dancers coming from all over to do workshops with lots of top teachers- wonderful! I had a dancer from London , and another one from Canada come to see me tonight on the boat- they were just lovely. Had a dancer from Norway along the other night too- she is a lovely dancer and I had fun putting her up on the stage!¬ It's scary dancing for other dancers- my peers- but great!

oh- and I danced for the president of Ukraine on wed night. That was an interesting experience! all the body guards... and protocol! wasn't allowed to have my saaidi guys on stage with their sticks- i guess in case one of the decided to take a whack at him!!!!

all go- and all fun!