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 […]
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!
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 […]
Temple fatigue
I admit it: I have been avoiding Jordan. After a solid effort schlepping around Egypt’s antiquities, not to mention those of Morocco and Iran, I thought the ancient city of […]
Jordan: of magic and the ownership of miracles
“And this is where Jesus was baptised,” said the guide, pointing at a dry riverbed. The empty creek is an arm of the River Jordan. From our position in the […]
The plight of the pigeon
The first time I looked up, properly looked up, in medieval Cairo, I noticed weird wooden towers built on the top of apartment blocks. “What are they?” I asked the […]
Sandboards, springs and the Schumacher of Siwa
It’s an obvious fact that once Cairenes are more than 15km past the outskirts of their town, they must tie a scarf on their heads. Preferably a black-and-white checkered one, […]
Visiting the Oracle
“Who goes to Siwa for three days?” a local asked me. Well, me. And my 20 new friends. I could see the Siwan local’s point, though. Siwa is an oasis […]
Watching the movies, watching the moviegoers
My ears are still doing that weird void of silence things after an assault in the cinema at Cairo’s glamour mall, City Stars. I know Egypt has only two levels […]