A Road Less Travelled

I had been warned: don't take the side road to the Qurna souk because you'll have to dodge barking dogs (check), women throwing wash water out their front doors (check), children running alongside the bike asking for baksheesh* (check), slippery cane detritus strewn across the road (check), and donkeys and cattle leashed not quite on the side of the road (check). What I failed to steer clear of was a palm frond that got wrapped up in my rear wheel and disengaged my chain. Who would've thought?? So there I am, not quite in the middle of nowhere but feeling very isolated, trying to coax the chain back onto the gear. This was one of those times when I ask myself, "How did I get myself into this?" Thankfully, I had seen 3 hoopoes this morning so I had luck on my side.


Along the way, I was able to check out the date of a Hajj painting that I posted on February 23. In the blue text above the door it says that pilgrimages were performed in 2001, 2002 and 2004. In my second look I also spotted the artist's detail of the Egypt Air plane, with its Horus logo on the vertical stabilizer.


Along the route, shamsi (sun) bread was raising beside the canal. This delicious and hearty bread is craved by 'city folk' who are stuck with the gluey store-bought variety. The bread's flavor is enhanced not only by the sun but also by the fresh air with just a hint of straw and dirt. Women set aside one day to make enough loaves for the week. Unique are this woman's 'donuts', which I suspect were made as a special treat for her children.


Sherine is my souk friend. She helps her mother sell bread crumbs and other food coatings that I haven't yet figured out, as well as corn and other chicken feed. They sell it not by kilogram but by small basket, which is a standard measurement in the souk. Their baskets are always heaping so that customers know they are getting a good deal. From my first visit, Sherine adopted me and helps out in any way she can. In gratitude, I gave her one of my Tilley hats because she is always sitting under the hot sun. She thought it was quite beautiful.

5PM Update: Still Life with Guava

My trip to the souk resulted in A LOT of fruit, including 2kgs of guava. It's a good thing that I like guava juice, for which the fruit is whipped up in a blender and then de-seeded through a sieve. Lemon juice and a little sugar bring out the flavour and I add orange juice just to be extra healthy. ;-) I also came home with green melons. My attempt at cold melon soup spiced with cardamon and ginger rated a passing grade but some tweaking is required. What a Garden of Eden I live in!


*Baksheesh: I thought this was the quintessential Egyptian word; however, I have learned that it is actually Persian in origin. It means everything from a charitable gift to the poor, to a tip (whether or not services are rendered), to an outright bribe. It is well ingrained in Egyptian society. Children, who can barely walk (or talk for that matter), toddle over to me calling out, "Hello. Baksheesh?" Perhaps I should use a period rather than a question mark at the end of their request because it comes across more as a demand than a request. Read more on the TourEgypt website.