The Long Finger of Democracy

Ahmed the Driver voted for the first time in his life today.  Stood in a queue in Giza for 11 hours to cast his vote - the price of democracy.......

A friend at work told me his father voted for 20 years for Mubarak, only thing was his father had been dead for 30 years.  No wonder Mubarak used to poll 90% of the vote.

Fishing on Lake Nasser

What a whopper!

Ok, the pyramids are a must-do, as are the Abu Simbel temples but for me the most must-do thing in Egypt is to go Nile Perch fishing on Lake Nasser.  This we did over Eid holiday which we combined with a visit down to Upper Egypt (a bit confusing I know).  Ill hopefully post a bit more about our visit in Aswan and further south in Abu Simbel later, ive only just got around to this and its December.

We went with African Angler, a company with a very good name and well deserved from our experience.  The trips is safari as it used to be, we felt like Victorian explorers with our posse of Nubian boat men, cooks etc, etc.  If you get a chance - check them out - you will not regret it.

Up early, but not too early as it was the first day of the "feast", we were taken to the famous Aswan Dam, built by the Ruskies in the 1960s as a replacement to the British Dam (built in 1902 with a minor design fault, being 30m too short and the water came over the top).  We picked up the boats just south of the Dam, a rather opulent 3 of them.  First we had a mothership (a floating resturant)  for eating, a houseboat for sleeping and a fishing boat for the important activity.  Some happy hellos and after attempting to remember everyones name (the normal several Mohammeds) we set off in the fishing boat Hatari whilst the other two boats went off to set up lunch on some distant island.

Heading into the lake

We steamed south on the largest man-made lake in the world travelling for about 40mins as the Russian-Egyptian Friendship monument close to the Dam disappeared into the distance.  We started trawling with the biggest lures I've ever used, letting out around 40-50m of line behind the boat where 3 of us could fish,  Mrs T was happy to sit in the sun and relax and read.  No luck in the morning, unless you count snagging some weeds which put up a good fight) so we met up with the mothership and crew a great lunch (think it was Corgette Gratin followed by Beef rice and vegetables, followed by fruit) which we had on the upper level of the boat watching egrets fly past.

Lunch spot day 1

Following lunch the boys and me tried our hand casting from the rocks.  Young J hooked something big and T ran off to get the guide.  Whatever it was it was taking a lot of line and looked a little bigger than the fish we are used to in England.  J had the lightest tackle and was having a real good fight however he did not need any help. eventually landing the first Nile Perch of the trip as the guide arrived and estimated the fish to be 20-25lbs, a good size casting on such light tackle.  J said his legs were shaking with the adrenaline!  He was really chuffed and spent the afternoon recanting the story in great detail!!

J fighting his fish

Landing the first fish

Smile for the camera

We all tried for some more but nothing was happening, so we headed off for some afternoon trawling.  We saw no one except a Lake Nasser cruise ship in the distance heading down to Abu Simbel.  As the afternoon sun stated to fade over a beautiful Nubian lake scene we headed in to another new island, slightly disappointed in one fish but excited by the size of it (it was getting bigger every time J told how he tamed the beast!).  We met up with the mothership on a small beach and watched the stars come out.  With no light pollution the desert sky is macnificent and with Skywalk on the Ipad we could star gaze and spot the planets.  Again an amazing dinner of chicken, spinach, aubergine and a few beers and we were all bushed and turned in early to the sound of the guys praying in the distance and the waves lapping.

Night falls over camp

Next morning I got up early and explored the island.  The little coves were littered with gourds, perfectly round "balls", actually cricket ball-sized seeds pods, perfectly suited to floating and seeding the next island.   Whilst beach-combing I came across the jaw of a Nile crocodile that had died and washed up, unfortunately no teeth, he must have been a big critter! (I estimate about 2-3m loking at jaw-length ratios on the internet).

Sun up

Sunrise over camp

Lower Cretaceous Nubian sandstone with ripples

Dry gourds on the beach

Croc jaw

Following brekkie we set sail and first tried our luck casting on a beautiful granite island with a deep drop off.  Suddenly young T had a fish on, not a big one but a fish all the same.  A small aggressive looking Tiger fish with sharp teeth that had taken a chunk out of the rubber lure (which had caught the Nile Perch).  Nothing else biting so we were off trawling again.   Trawling is really relaxing, nothnig to think about but the lure swimming along.   However no joy.  We tried deep lures, shallow, mid column, over submerged highs, along rocky coastlines. Nada.  With no fish to my name I was starting to get a little twitchy (particular as both boys mentioned it ocassionally!).  A short casting stop before lunch for Tigers, Nada again.  Another great meal, how do these guys do it?

Now they are sharp teeth

Casting from the granite island

Mrs T casting

Beautiful beach

Trawling in the afternoon we worked one spot for over an hour back and forth making wide turns.  Suddenly "bang" I had a fish on an judging by the line it was taking out it was not a tiddler.  The other two lures were brought in and I slowly worked the fish to the boat, we all gasped when we saw the flash of the fish for the first time.  Eventually the perch tired and the guide safely got him on the boat, what a fish, truely beautiful.  We took photos and it weighed in at 30lbs and we safely got her back in the water and revived and she splashed off silent back into the dark green deep.  Now it was my turn to tell the story.....

Fightin' a big one

Here she comes...

Indiana Jones and the Great Big Fish

We trawled again and then made for camp with no more fish as the sunset.   Camp was on a wonderful little bay.  Again we went through the routine of chilling, watching the sun go, having a beer and watching the stars come up.  You can get used to this rather too quickly.  A shower and a beer and and another fine meal.

Sunset

Camp 2

Dinner time

Our last day dawned.  I went photographing again in the morning light, trying a technique called HDR.  I saw some kites (probably yellow-billed kites).   We set off casting and trawling, trawling and casting.  We hit a nice area of submerged rocks and T hooked his second fish of the trip, a small Nile Perch.  Not a big fish but at least T could claim 2 fish.  We trawled up and down and Mrs T had a good session getting very excited whenever she felt her lure hit some hard-fighting weeds.  Eventualy though she took a big hit that was obviously not vegetation and turned out to be a pretty 7-8lb Nile perch.  So the fishing gods were good to us and everyone caught at least one fish!  We would now argue who was the best fisherman (woman), biggest fish trawling, most variety, biggest fish casting etc - the opportunities are endless.

Ts small but perfectly formed perch

Trawlin

Fish on

Nice 8lb-er

Our last lunch, we said our goodbyes to the chaps on the mothership and handed around some baksheesh (a tip) - these guys really do earn it by making it a very personal and pleasurable expeirence.  I spent a little time photographing watching some yellow-billed kites try to fish as unsuccessfully as us and I got some nice images of dragon- or damselflies before our final unsuccessful trawl into harbour again. Dam. The end of the fishing. Ill put on the wildlife photos another time.

So our little fishng jaunt was a great success.  Absolutely relaxing, Mrs T loved being on the boat, reading sitting in the sun watching her boys do the things that boys do.  I found it very relaxing, as someone who normally rushes around on holidays just trawling along with nothing to think off other than the lure was really relaxing.  Of course the boys want to go again.   African angler were great, very well organised, you could view the trip as expensive but for such a unique experience, three boats at your beckon call and the beautiful place to explore for us it was worth every egyptian pound and Im sure we will do it again (plus I caught the biggest fish!).

Heading back to Aswan

Scouting the City of the Dead......

A few weekends ago I several spare hours and took off into the city of the Dead (a sentence you do not write often!).  Cairo has several extremely large areas within the city where the dead are buried and have been for many centuries.  Due to pressure on land and poverty people live within the City and hence they have the name City of the Dead.  They are full on wonderful and often run down Marmuluk and older tombs.  I scouted a few areas for future photography weekends as I did not have much time due to heavy traffic getting there.  Heres a couple of images from my visit - expect more when I "Return to the City of the Dead" (did I just write that!?!).

Donkeys hauling rubbish up to the Mokkatum hills, be nice to Cairos donkeys, they have a hard life!

A beautiful rundown tomb complex, I was going to jump the fence and have a look around as this looks like great black and white photo territory.  The large pack of angry wadi dogs made me decide against.

Wash day in the City of the Dead.  Like Henry Fords Model T, you can have whatever colour you want as long as its black....

View across the City of the Dead, all the buildings are family tomb enclosures, some over 1000 years old.

Tombs and minarets

The Citadels fortress walls and the Mohammed Ali mosque in the distance

A dead car in the City of the Dead....For a car to be abandoned in Cairo it has to be in REAL bad shape.

Bread delivery chap weaving through the traffic

Loafer salesman

Hissing Sid

Meet Hissing Sid, our latest "adopta-moggy".  Mrs Sid, for she is of the female persuasion, gets her name from the fact she her favoured form of communication is to hiss at us, even when we are treating her to a plateful of crunchie cat snacks and a plate of milk.  Grateful eh?  Still she provides a bit of female company for the other Mrs in the house......

Bricks and Mortar

With the banking system seemingly looking as stable as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, standing but being propped up, we decided we would like our worldy savings transferred from pounds & pence into bricks a mortar.  Having something 3D - that you can touch just seems a little more tangible at the moment.  So summertime I sent Mrs T off on a mission to filter all the house/cottages in Suffolk and provide a short list for when I returned.  House hunting, we have found, can be like one of those long Norse Sagas, with wonderous worlds, strange beings, both good and evil (estate agents) and incredible plot twists - heres our potted journey - names and places changed to protect the innocent:

House 1:  Nice house, next to football pitch, somebody wants it more than we do. Fail.

House 2:  Converted barn that used to house pigs.  Very nicely done, way over priced.  Owners "It was on the market for 485k last year".  Well, hello, thats why its not been sold! Fail.

House 3:  16th Century listed house in lovely village opposite Church.  "Access to upper floor bedroom is from a ladder" could optimistically mean a small 2-3 rung set of steps.  In this case it was a 8ft high vertical climb that fireman Sam would have struggled with.  No option to change as it is a listed cottage!   Agent "Yes I know about the upper floor, did you need to use the third bedroom then?" Fail.

House 4:  Old Bottle Cottage, beautiful views over lovely chalk valley with terraced garden, in village close to town.  "A lot of house (and garden and garages) for your money" sez agent, and she is right.  Needed work but had the scope to extend and for us to play around with walls and room sizes.  Somebody had spent a lot of money outfitting the stunningly large bathroom however it was styled by Captain Birdseye who went overboard  (pun intended)  on the nautical theme.  Still tastes can be personal and we can send said bathroom to davy jones locker.  "Two offers have fallen through on this for personal reasons" said agent, rubbing hands like Scrooge and looking rather shifty.  Prompted by every relative we spoke to who collectively said "You need to check where Snoasis will be built".  We did indeed check where Snoasis - europes largest indoor Ski and snow centre-parc like resort is to be built and the answer was not far away.  The images of an 85m (14 buses) 425m long ski run behind the house look pretty impressive..  this is how it will look.House was close!

Thus no 3 offer fell through due to "personal reasons" - bullet dodged. Fail.

House 5:  DIY enthusiast on speed.  Words or even pictures could not describe. Fail.

House 6:  Converted Victoria school house in very quite (2 street) village.  Needs plenty of TLC unless you are a fan of 1970s features and fittings.  Great gardens and backs onto village field with football pitch.  Offer in and accepted - now going through all the rigmaroll of solictors ("cha-ching" 150 pound per hour), surveys "cha ching", ground searches cha-ching, mortgage arrangment, cha-ching, cha-ching cha-ching.

Once we finally get it Mrs T will act like a whirling dervish desgining and planning and project managing the dragging of the property into the 21st C.

As a certain Bush would have said on efforts to get my money out of the bank - "mission accomplished"

And lastly....Anyone know what this fruit tree is in the garden - best guess is quince but grateful to be educated....

  

A visit to the Careso orphanage

Mrs T and a couple of other like minded ladies visited the orphanage today in Heliopolis. This is the one that Mrs T has been helping support with sales of her wonderful and lovingly homemade greetings cards (available at all good Bazaars in the Cairo expat social circle!). I have plans to sell a few prints of the mosques I have been visiting - see previous posts - at the next bazaar to the same ends.....

As they were visiting around lunch I took in the camera, popped out for lunch and met Fawkeya and the residents and got to snap a few images. I did not use the flash and so had a little trouble with exposure and shutter speed but I got some acceptable photos. If invited back I'll get some more. I plan to get some hard copies and give to Mrs T to take down and hand out. We plan to use the images to potentially update the website.

Left: The entrance and loom. Right: the ladies and Fawkeya.

One of the residents demonstrates the loom in action. They have been making rugs to sell and the look great. The loom helps with their motor skills, gives the residents a sense of achievement and they are rightly proud of what they produce!

The ladies and Fawkeya discuss the rugs and how much they would fetch in the bazaars.

The happy residents of Careso Orphanage enjoying social time.

Happy smiling faces......

Working on motor skills

The brightly painted walls

Finding out what the needs of the orphanage are and how the ladies can help....

Fawkeya looks proudly on as another demonstration of rug making


A visit to the sensory room, recenlty put in. Lights and colours.

A really interesting trip! Its great to see the valuable work of people like Fawkeya and it makes all the effort from all those who support the Careso Orphanage worth it.

If you get a chance buy a few cards from Mrs T, or even a print or two from me, you can be sure the profits are well appreciated and a little goes a long way.