A Smorgasbord of images

I finally managed to locate the cable with the USB at one end and the strange uniquely shaped connection at the other that allows me to transfer the images from my faithful, apparently seriously uncool phone (according to the kids).  Some of the images are so old I cannot remember where I took them.  The quality is not too good but heck I needed a phone which had big numbers not a camera!  So heres some random images from life....

First one is of El Presidente in Syria, he looks more like an accountant than a senior statesman.  Apparently he is a good chap and is fighting the old guard to bring Syria in from the cold.  There is a great photo Ive seen, on the back of a bus I think of his father Asad, him one side and his brother looking like Uday Hussain in leather jacket and menacing sun glasses the other.  Must get camera ready next time I visit.  Second photo is the entrance to my favourite resturant in Damascus, the name escapes me but I would be able to lead you there if we were in the Souk.

 

Whilst bloated with gorgeous Syrian food we stumbled across the train station on the way back to the 4 Seasons, interesting place, did have a train made in East Germany, not what you would call an attractive piece of engineering, but it has lasted 100 years mainly because its hardly used, unfortunately the nearest tracks are 20 miles away. 

  

I took this one whilst waiting for the driver in Dokki down town Cairo outside the Syrian embassy.  You see images like this all the time, old world vs new.  The cart head off round the corner the wrong way down and one way street causing the usually shouting, arm waving, pandamonium from all and sundry whilst the police men I was talking too did not seem to think it should be anything to do with them.  Photo on right is car getting washed at On THe Run, Mobils garages here.  What a deal, wash and clean takes about 1.20hr cost 10EGP (1 english pound) and the garages serve the best coffee in the country.  So I was sitting there on a Sat morning with Cappuccino in hand sunning myself whilst the car got the full treatment.   

Going to an early football match in Maadi along the Ring Road near Carrefour.  Took these as it has been a particularly still few days with no wind and you can see the noxious smog blanketing downtown.  

and finally.  Took this on the way home tonight.  Of all the things Cairo needs its a good public transport system.  We pass the tram stop everyday and I have seen one move very infrequently.  This one made me laugh as 4 kids were nonchalently riding free on the back buffers and the tram rumbled on.  As I've stated previously in this blog, the translation from Arabic to English suffers a lot from the poor transliteration and would see unusual spelling everywhere (see post on the exotic billy dancer).  In Cairo you can get everything delivered......this one made me laugh, I presume they mean home!