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!