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Post DePartum Blues

Made it back to Cincinnati from Cairo with no problem . Twenty-three hours from hotel to baggage claim. Another three plus hours to my parents home and I am gassed!
Someday I'll fly First Cabin, just to see if it's possible to get actual REM sleep on an airplance. The best I've ever had is Ambiance-induced coma. Not the same.

But, the usual "End of Trip Blues" is setting in. Well known among international travelers, the intensity of our experiences abroad is a tough drug to kick. It's only somewhat less expensive than heroine, but the side effects are longer lasting. Nevertheless, I'll be gearing up for another hit pretty soon.

Right now I have the heroine chic look (and smell) about me anyway.

Down under in Alex

Hani and I dove a couple tanks off Qaitbay Citadel today. I've posted about Qaitbay before. Last October. Earthquakes in past millenia sank major portions of Alexandria into the Mediterranean. It's not the world's greatest diving. Visibility was miserable and that water was freakin' COLD! This is a Google Earth image of where we dove.

I took some pix with an underwater camera. I'll get them developed later, but I'm not too confident in the results. The silt was pretty thick and my main concern was not to lose track of Said, the dive master, and his yellow fins. Several Greek Amphoras on the first dive. A few headless Sphinx, remains of an ancient lighthouse (One of the Fabled Seven wonders of the World)and a few other objects I couldn't figure out. There was a kind of carving of a woman.

You know, Egyptians climb atop their antiquities all the time when the tourists aren't looking. Not really. This is a fake. The Sphinx that is. Not me. I'm all too real.

The Culture Vultures Ride Again.

The Catacoumbs of Alexandria.

This one cost Hani an opportunity at some really interesting shots of Egyptian Gods. Why? Because he failed to turn the flash off. When he took the picture (OK, maybe we weren't supposed to take pictures, but the ruling was unclear as you will see) the flash alerted a shrill voiced guide who proceeded to shame the Hell out of us.

But, the catacoumbs are vast and multi-layered. Not a bad place to spend all eternity while you decay.


How would YOU interpret this?

Hani enjoys poking around in the ruins of ancient Egypt. Sometime Egypt pokes back.

There a lot of HOT girls in Egypt. This was not one of them, but it was the best I could do on short notice. Or long notice for that matter. At least she still had her head attached. The ones we saw while diving the next day off the coast of Alex were lacking in that very important department.

Always the modern city encroaches upon the ancient.

Someone Left the Window Open and a Bird Fluenza

Heard about this little semi-panic situation called Bird Flu? Bet you've wondered how it gets spread. Well, open markets like this one on the streets of Alexandria are a good start. No inspection criteria like you find in a Tyson chicken farm. This area of Alex was described in a guide book as "unsalubrious." I would merely describe it as fascinating. Third world, real world.

Palm Trees

So I'm walking along the River Nile, thinking about palm trees. I think I would like to live where there are palms. It's such a tropical thing. It's not that I want to climb them or eat coconuts or anything. We all know how loaded palm oil is with saturated fats. I just I like the IDEA of living among the palms.

Funny thing is, although you would think of Egypt as a more or less tropical country, it is fairly chilly here these days. About 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Funny that palms can survive in weather this cold.

Out of the corner of my eye I spied this positively perfect palm. The fronds were just too uniform. Closer inspection will reveal a communications tower. The somewhat more ragged example was about 20 meters away.

Cairo Cacaphony

Just a taste. One reason why I love Cairo.

This Is Just Wrong

The Omar Khayyam Casino? Of all possible names for a casino this one boggles the mind. On the other hand anyone who would write "Your joy is your sorrow unmasked" might have known a thing or two about the thrills of success in gambling.

Explanation on Cairene Smog from Hani, resident expert who is ALREADY goofing off at work!

This is a not smog...its suspended sand and dust kicked up by wind blowing from the desert. In Egypt, these sand storms are common during Amshir, which is the sixth month of the Coptic calendar, between February 8 and March 9. The name comes from "Meshir", which is the second month of the Season of Proyet (Growth) in Ancient Egypt, which in turn comes from "Mechir", the Ancient Egyptian God of wind. Thus the sand/dust storms you see now.

Well, I say if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and honks like a duck, then it's a duck. Of course the honking is from the cars, but still...

Is this picture any better?

As predicted, the winds changed and the city cleared up.

This is Cairo

Ah, the Blue Nile. You can just barely make it out. The pollution here is incredible. How folks here live past the age of 40 is beyond me. The noise, the traffic, the masses, the air...

It's my favorite ridiculously large city in the world.

Besides, I don't trust breathing anything I can't see.

One Last Comment on Saudi Arabia

Now that I'm clear of the Sand Kingdom and the Saudi Thought Police, there is one last (maybe last) comment. No pictures for this and you will certainly thank me. They believe in Capital Punishment. Of the Beheading variety. Going downtown we passed this sort of open area where the sentences are meted out. Free to all. Just walk up to watch. On Fridays. Fortunately we had arrived too late for last week's show.

One of our hosts took great pains to explain how the system works. He emphasized that we in the West didn't understand the whole process. He wanted to make clear how one could find him or herself kneeling down in front of hundreds of people on a particular Friday morning waiting for that final moment.

So it goes like this: If you commit what we call a Capital Murder offense, pre-meditated would be our term, and were convicted (not so sure if you get a jury of your peers. But, I'm betting not.) there are three possible results.

First, Forgiveness. EVERY relative within shouting distance must agree to any of the options. So husband, wife, mother, father, children, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. Everyone has a vote, so to speak. If they all decide to be merciful, the perp is off the hook.

Second, compensation. How much is needed I couldn't calculate. It probably varies depending on the person. I heard that for the rough equivalent of $100,000 (about 375,000 Saudi Rials) the family of the guilty could buy the guy out of trouble.

Finally, revenge. The final option. They do make it quick. The convicted is blindfolded and forced to kneel. They jab him in the ribs with a sharp point. that forces him to instinctively stiffen, arch his back and thereby raise his head. Then Bam!, it's over.

Barbaric perhaps, by our Western mores. But, then the electric chair or gas chamber are pretty barbaric too. It all depends upon where you're living.

It's all very much "Code of Hammarabi."

Meanwhile back at Emirates Palace...

This is why I relax here when in Abu Dhabi.
(Not that I actually STAY here!)
I've had the Cohiba (#2) in the bar mentioned.

Addendum to the Abu Dhabi Rolls post

Thanks to Gui for the photoshopped version of the Emirates Palace Rolls Royce.

This Blog may be problematic here in KSA

This was a high school we visited today, our last day in Saudi. Private, all male, very nice. The kids and faculty were very welcoming. Many good questions and a lot of interest in our schools. As in so many schools we visit the interest in studying in the US is high. These guys want to be engineers, doctors...high performers. As are so many young people we meet in the Middle East they are quite concerned with how they will be treated when they come to the US. The fear factor overlays everything.
It is difficult for us Americans #1. to fully comprehend how hard it is for someone to WANT to come to the US and to be afraid at the same time, and #2 to convincingly explain to them how well they will be accepted. The date 9/11 hangs over everything.

The architect of what happened that day went to this school.

The Souq in Jeddah

This is the old Souq, the least touristy one we've been to during our tour. You really get the Third World feel here. The sights, sounds, smells, the energy. I like to stand among the hundreds of people making their way and just soak it all in. You don't get the same feel at the typical suburban mall.

Except maybe the day after Thanksgiving.

As the Muslim Call to Prayer resounds outside my hotel room

As you may know I'm writing from Saudi. I have no idea if the pictures I've posted are appearing on my blog since the Saudi censorship machine won't allow me to view my pix.

Insane Clown Posse...

Otherwise known as the US Education Group. We visited Effat College, a women's undergrad university in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia yesterday afternoon. As a going away present we were given, among other things, these caps. Of course photography ensued, mostly via cell phone.

Interesting place. The staff was mindful to shut the window blinds in the room where we presented so no one would be able to witness the heiness crime of an unaccompanied woman speaking to a man. The Saudis are positively gaga over the idea of a strange man (or any man actually) in the presence of one of "Their" women. Always lurking nearby was a fully covered woman ("Full Ninja") observing the goings on. One of our group in describing it said she was wearing a big frown. How could he tell? But, it had that effect.

Interesting tidbit about the Saudis and "Their" women: women in the Sand and Oil Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are not permitted to drive cars (or trucks, ATVs, etc.). Aside from the fact that eliminates the concept of the soccer mom from Saudi society, it creates the situation where families must hire drivers to transport the womenfolk around. In doing so it also creates the situation where a strange man is alone in the presence of "their" women. That's the thing about these control freak religions. You keep shaving the rules to maintain control more and more and eventually you find out there is nothing there.

Not to digress, but (well, of course I mean to digress. I LOVE to digress. Haven't you been reading this blog?) the huge majority of these drivers are of South Asian origin (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi). They come here for economic opportunity. Much of their pay goes back home to support their families. As a consequence I understand the flow of Rials out of Saudi Arabia has become somewhat of a concern, just as a stream of dollars leaving the States would be concern for our economy.

Speaking of digression, gas here costs slightly less than a buck a gallon.

The food is not as good as in Lebanon.

In my opinion.

Back in Saudi Arabia

Just got into Jeddah. Do you know Saudi has ZERO UNESCO World Heritage sites? Not even Mecca. I thought that would have been a no-brainer. I mean somewhere out there in the desert (and there is ALOT of desert out there!) must be SOME kind of ancient settlement or something significant.

Right now I'm just hoping for a place to get a halfway decent biteto eat.

But, so far as UNESCO sites go, that's it for this trip. Next month, though, on to Sri Lanka. Several good possibilities there.

First impressions may be misleading...

OK, sharp-eyed readers may recall the posting of this Rolls along with it's twin from last fall. It sits in front of the fabulous Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Anyway, as I was walking past it I noticed a big flaw in the paint on the trunk. They had tried to buff it out and it just screwed it up even more. The crate completely lost it's value in my mind.

The only thing missing from it now is a bumper sticker on the rear saying "My Other Car is a Piece of Shit, Too."

Paris Hilton or a Pair a Sox?

If anyone has done more with less than this chickiebabe I'd like to know. Aside from that stupid smirk and several millions in inheritence from the Hilton Hotel chain, she's got nuttin'. On the other hand what exactly HAS she done?

Personally, I'll take my beat up Livestrong sox (to go with my $3700 fifi shoes from the REAL Paris) everytime.