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The Interesting Characters of St Catherines village
The Bedouin Jebeliya tribe of the St Catherines area (South Sinai, Egypt) is full of interesting characters. In fact, I have never met so many interesting people in one place. Being around these people, with all their knowledge, fascinating old skills and wisdom, is a privilege and I learn something new every time I visit. Jamil Attiya […]
A fistful of Fata (and it’s not goat cheese)
Sitting in the dark, gravel-floor lean-to at my old Bedouin neighbours house, sipping on a glass of hot, sweet black tea, two little girls came in and said something to me in Arabic. I didn’t quite get everything they said, since my Arabic is not that great (yet!), and also since they speak another dialect, but […]
Changing Bedouin lifestyles: from the tent to a house
Times are changing fast for the Bedouin tribes of the South Sinai. Up until around 30-40 years ago most of them used to live a nomadic lifestyle in the desert, moving with the seasons to feed their herds of goats and camels on the fragrant desert herbs. They lived in tents woven from goat and […]
How to ward off the evil eye…
When travelling in Morocco, you will come across the Hand of Fatima in jewellery shops (as beautiful pendants) or as door knockers on peoples homes – and it is used to ward off the evil eye. The Hand of Fatima, also known as Khamsa (meaning “five”), is named after Mohamed’s daughter, Fatima Zahra. Arab’s are […]
10 Weddings and a Funeral
The Women’s Party – Part 1 I’d just arrived back in Egypt to hear that my Bedouin neighbour was getting married, and there was to be a party for the women only in 2 days time. Great! The party day arrived, and the sunset prayer sang out from the local mosque. This meant the party […]
Celebrating Muslim style
I love being in foreign countries when there is a festival on, and this year I was fortunate enough to be in Morocco at the same time as the biggest Muslim festival of the year – Eid el Kebir (“the big feast”), so named because of it’s huge significance to Muslims. Every family slaughters a […]
How to Conquer Cairo – a few different city tips
Cairo : exciting, fascinating, chaotic and daunting! Besides the pyramids and the Egyptian museum, it has so many interesting corners to explore… and get lost in! Try to have at least 4 days here to scratch below the surface and really feel the pulse of the place. Egyptians are some of the friendliest people on […]
I really did that? Highlights of a she-nomad’s life
Every now and then you need a little adventure in your life to make you feel alive, to have a break from the mundane and the monotonous, to break free from the routine. Life should not be a straight forward stroll stroll down Mediocrity Street, instead it should have some exciting bumps and curves to […]
Eid Mubarek! Trading cakes and smiles with Syrian refugees
Yesterday was the end of Ramadan, and the start of Eid el Ftar, the 3 day celebrations which mark the occasion. In Muslim countries around the world, everyone wears new clothes and goes from house to house visiting family and friends to drink tea and eat cakes made specially for the occasion. It is one […]
How to become friends with Marrakech
Marrakech is a fascinating mix of old and new, rich and poor, jetset and farmers. Big mansions have shot up around the outskirts of the city, whilst in the medina (old city) families still live in traditional riads – well, if they haven’t been bought up by foreigners turning them into tasteful tourist accommodation. SHOPPING […]
Adventures of Venus 