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!
Blood on the streets, Eid al-Adha
Cairo didn’t sleep last night – shops were open till around 4am, people wandered the streets eating ice cream, chilling out and waiting for prayers to commemorate Eid al-Adha, the […]
The Sacrifice begins
You could be forgiven for saying Egyptians just can’t wait to begin the Sacrifice – the annual celebration of Abrahim offering to sacrifice his son for God’s wishes. “The streets […]
The highs and lows of Cairo
Well people, I can safely say that yesterday was a day of extremes for Cairo. The morning started with a visit to the animal section of Souk al-Gomma, the Friday […]
Flocking to Egypt
There’s a curious phenomenon occuring in Egypt at the moment. Suddenly, without warning, the streets are awash with sheep. Ok, not awash, but in a city the size of Cairo, […]
Ship in the desert
“Suez. Photograph. Quick!” We’d hired a minibus to take us back from St Katherine’s monastery to Cairo, a trip of about five hours which, on the public bus, takes between […]
Peaking in Moses’ footsteps
St Katherine’s monastery is well and truly on the backpacker trail. From sunny Dahab or five-star Sharm el Sheik, you can take a tour up to the mountain, leaving around […]
St Katherine and the Burning Bush
People, I’m going to go all philosophical here. And I’m going to talk about religion. So rein in your dogmas… The reason why I’m broaching the most unpopular dinner party […]