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 […]
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!
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 […]
The night before Eid
The streets are filled with sheep and the occasional cow in the last days before Eid, the Feast of the Sacrifice. The sheep have been set into makeshift pens and […]
Animal kingdom visits Cairo
Cairo is gearing up for Eid. Last night, as I closed my windows, I heard the familiar sounds of geese disturbed in their sleep, the rooster trying out his pre-dawn […]
Football: the drug of the nation?
It’s been days now. Days since Egypt was defeated by Algeria in its last chance to play in the 2010 World Cup. But Egypt’s not letting go. Even though Ireland […]
Tension in the hours before Algeria-Egypt match
Palpable. That’s the word of the day. The final qualifier between Algeria and Egypt is being played at 7.30pm local time today, in Sudan. Because it’s not in the Cairo […]