Positions vacant: wanted, one military dictator
The discussion over who will suceed President Hosny Mubarak, now 81, is reaching fever pitch, even in such far-flung corners as Australia. Take a look at this article appearing in […]
NOTEBOOK
Canter past Patagonian icefields. Sail the tranquil waters of Lake Como in Italy. Sip coffee in a Palestinian village. Listen to the ancient voices of Australia’s Arnhem Land. Climb the mountain paths of northern Albania. Let’s go!
The art of Egyptian bus travel
I was stuck on a bus travelling from the Mediterranean town of Marsa Matrouh back to Cairo, watching the nerdy, diminuitive, slapstick actor, Mohamed Henedy, who despite (or perhaps because […]
Reasons why not to drink in Egypt
Surely this pic is enough? Snapped in a shopfront in Downtown Cairo, Fenilad Fodka and imitation Johnny Walker whisky, though my favourite is still the ‘Johnny Walking’ brand. They’re marked […]
A budget tip for the Giza Pyramids
We were prancing around the Pyramids the other day (as you do) and went inside for a look: it’s been a year since I went inside the tombs, preferring to […]
Honesty and Egypt Air
A note I read recently in Egypt Air’s inflight magazine, Horus, about air travel: “Wear comfortable/casual pants/shoes – sometimes it gets cold and there may not be extra blankets. Plus, […]
Happy New Year.
Enough said…
Sultans of Bling
Most people visit Cairo for the Pyramids at Giza, Sakkara and Dashur. Many do it also for the medieval mosques in Islamic Cairo. But Cairo as a shopper’s paradise like […]
Christmas in Cairo
It just doesn’t feel like Christmas here in Cairo. No matter how many plump plaster-cast reindeers and glitzy gold Christmas trees in the mall. No matter how many boys selling […]
Dead in the Water (or, How I Caught a Cold in the Name of Work)
I had to do it, even though it is the middle of winter. I had to swim in the Dead Sea, then cover myself in a thick black mud and […]
What you didn’t know about Jordan..
The Dead Sea is 400 meters below sea level, the lowest point on earth. Jordanian wine is actually very palatable. Cheap labour comes from Egyptians. In winter, racing camels are […]