Indiana Bones

08:01:00 o'clock BST
Feeling Anxious
Hearing Ludovico Eanaldi

Well a bit of an update on the foxes, as you can see from the pictures they almost grown up now, it seems like over night that they just sprang up like daisys.

On several nights when I put out the cat's left overs, jewles not eating so much poor ol girl!

As we lay in bed, we get the foxes rendition of night on a bare mountain the howling and snarling snapping of fox cub to fox cub was keeping us awake and concidering Foxy's got to go to London in the morning, which is a 5am getting up time!

We decided it would be best not to leave any more scrap's for them instead keeping the left over food for the seagull's who should be nesting soon, Johnathin the seagull, seems to be making himself more avalible at dinner time.

We sound like animal lovers well we are, but i hate to see food slung into the bin.

A few weeks ago, one of the cub's got his ass stuck in the cat flap, the noice he make as if some one was killing him, and it was tricky to get him out again his mum watching with i hope amusement, in the end i shoved him back throught the cat flap and he darted back under his little carve out path under the fence to the next door garden.

So foxys aside i will write a more topical entery in a while got a hippo bag to do before connecting the pipes into our new bathroom yep i am nearly finished!

Take care were ever you are.

Love Indiana xxx 

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19:26:38 o'clock BST
Feeling Happy
Hearing Foo Fighers

Well its been a week or two since i updated my journal so a quick run throught of whats been going on! well on the plumbing front, i doing well thought i could do with a little work, the house is coming along fine, but so much juggling to do, study house garden cat's foxy's nwn the list is endless.

We had realtives over for Easter and i so enjoyed myself its seems like age's since me and foxy (wife) had a day out we been so locked up in the house we never even thought of even going to the pictures the last time i think we went to the pictures was to see Lord of the Ring's, and thats a long time ago.

Well, thats not really true i have my own Cinima now, i got a projector for Xmas from foxy and every thing i watch is like 300inch's square and thought we dont have a telly i got a massive dvd collection :)

I tryed out playing neverwinters nights via the projector, and god gameing is so much more in your face, just moving about is awsom, for a belated xmas pressie Nic my sis and her man John got me a mini playstation 2 and i just knicked his Lara Croft game and he's so pissed off that i have it oooh! well tought he can fight me for it.

Take care were ever you are

Love Indiana bones xxxx

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00:16:03 o'clock BST
Feeling Happy
Hearing Hawkwind Space is deep

Well there I was doing some work repotting some plants for the garden and as usual Sheba the fox, will stand just with in eye shot of me looking for her dinner which consist of what the cats dont eat, we give her sometings a little treat and give her a full can of Felix to herself.

I give her the left overs from two can's and put it the side of the lawn so that i can take pictures of her to share here on the journal with you all.

I place the tub near to me and sit and watch her eat, then low and behold a tiny little fox her cub comes swantering over to her and at first all i can see is the little legs below her belly, I shout to Fox to come and have a look, she is so over joyed she stands and watches for a split second I look at my beloved and miss the swarm of little fox's decend upon the tub, hungrly wolfing the meat down, we were so shocked, no wonder she been looking haggard over the past few weeks imagin having 4 suckling babys looking for milk, her trust must have been well tested and payed off, finding us, no wonder she was coming daily for her left over Felix.

In a way we feel so privilaged that she would bring her litter to us for feeding, and in full day light as well, considering she shareing our garden with us, as i said before she got a burrow at teh side of our Lean too, but over time she has dug under the fence into the next garden in several places, I just hopeing the fence dont fall down haha.

But let's hope she moves on quickly for our days in our house are numbered, more on that later, i hate to think she will be come so dependent on us, that she becomes domesticated, i wanted to spend time trying to get to know the little fox's but decided that it would not be too wise, best they remain totally wild and have as little contack with human's as possible.

Take care were ever you are

Love Indiana bones xxx

P.S. could you please leave a little note to let me know you seen this as  you can see my counter dont work, anymore and decided to scrap the whole thing so a simple Hi be nice so that i know its reaching you and you like what i write

thanks Love

Indi xxx

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10:43:25 o'clock BST
Feeling Happy
Hearing not sure at the moment i listening but its weird!

Poor old holly was in despearat need of  a good chop and finally we plucked up the corage to have it done, on Saturday I made a call to Bushwhackers Tree surgeions to do the deed for us, foxy said we could do it but i know her too well, and the tree would have looked still something like this below!

So we decided to get the experts in and what a job they did they arrived at the agreed which was quite a good thing really i looking at house's today, now i can with out not feeling rushed at all.

what was left of the holly was a smaller and more attractive tree, for once i can acually see inside the branches which will be good, and hopefully no more little birds getting taken by the big bad hawk again.

Take care were ever  you are

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07:47:34 o'clock BST
Feeling Quiet
Hearing ELO

Well the week started on the Saturday as Sheba the fox is making her self more known to us, every day looking for food, from the first picture of her you can see her teets have become fully laden, she has had her cubs? over the past few days when we did not see her, but she is now coming up to me, i try to keep my distance not wanting her to be too friendly, just becasue i may feed her not all people are not like me, were i stay cats have been shot in the face on several occations by some W****R with an air rifle.

Also on the Saturday, we got our new bathroom and its delivered on the 3rd of May, I am so over the moon not only will it be my first bathroom that i will be doing as a plumber Student but its a spa bath as well, hehe the only time i ever had bubbles in a bath was after a good Curry!

On the Monday we had a delivery of 100 paveing stones, the truch could not get down the drive at the side of the house and he had to dump them on the pavement, which as you can see from picture 4 is a lot and anyone how knows those damn slabs weight a ton or two, and I had to take them two by tow down 12 stairs throught the basement into the back garden, which felt like hours i went throught them 50 times up and down the staires.

My arms are so sore and red cut, it looks like i fell down a hill using my arms as breakes.

Today Tueday holly gets a hair cut so what for it soon.

 

Take care were ever you are

Love Indiana bones xxxxx

 

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09:40:36 o'clock GMT
Feeling Happy
Hearing Water boys

Well we are about to start on our 3rd phaze of the mondernization of our house namely the basement, if we to get in students we have to get the the lower ground floor done, new room new bathroom (which Moi is doing) and redo the roof walls lean too etc etc.

After what seem to be hours just cleaning up, i took a short break and sat in the lean too, after getting all the bikes out of the way! I looked into the garden and right up against the door of our lean too, was Sheba, (Foxy always names foxes she loves them and as far as i know my beloved has always been called Foxy) she just sat and looked at me, hopeing for something what i do not know, so foxy said give her the rest of the Kitekat, I opened the door and sheba moves a litte but not too far, watching the old Ice cream tub, with the taisty morsals i put it down for her, and she gingerly comes over and starts to woolf it down.

Its noticable to us she is heavy with babies her look is tired, i think she looking for a place to have her litter, I walk back into the basement to collect another tin of food for her, as I walk back Foxy notices that the back door open wide and Sheba having a sniff seeing it its a good place to have her babies Foxy shouts dont let her in or the cats will be soo pissed off.

I hurry back and just in time, she had two paws on the thresh hold thinking this  a nice place hmmmm, I tell her to leave in a nice way of course, she retreates to the backgarden, i open the tin and give her the rest, she eats half but her look is of some one who would rather sleep and come back for the rest she looks up at the wall and low and behold theres Jewles giveing the fox and me Evils.

Hooo well alls fair in love and war. but she's is rather cute dont ya think :)

 

Take care were ever  you are.

Love Indiana bones xxxx

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15:02:49 o'clock GMT
Feeling Loopy
Hearing The printer going on and on

Well here we go, its spring and the garden door open's I keep forgetting to paint the damn thing each year, and get it in the ear from Foxy for not doing the paint job, so that the door dont stick when the rain comes or really cold blowy weather comes over the Yule time, for the first time this year we have acually been in the back garden.

And now that Foxy's got two weeks off we sorry she plan's to spend as much time in the garden as in the house, my excuse to get out of it is sorry love I got plumbing to do hehe works every time, I could teach Roger the Dodger a thing or two about dodging!

The Plumbing's going well but since my stint to Egypt i fallen behind every one, i yet to take my Second test hehe talk about bone idle, which I am, for all the years I have been a nurse, I surpose I am lapping up the joy of just going about the house doing minor repairs and doing stuff like playing my game NWN Plumbing and doing shopping.

But even then I not happy! when ever is a human happy i ask myself? I feeling the need for something more than just running around the house fixing this and that, playing Shakemehandy In Kissmet thought i do have alot of fun and comunicate with several people via Yahooo voice chat, which gives the game more depth.

But i want more, much more, myself and Fox are continuing to look at other places we can get if we sell our house, maybe even a small house in a leafy lane in Patcham which is not a stones throw from us, but the houses are much cheeper and some even detatched, imagine space and no noisy students next door its so goood a thought that we are seriousely thinking of trying for that, but the house's in Brighton go so fast, the longest a house has been on the market here in the past month is 7 days then its sold.

Hmmm I got this Wireless router for the computer and considering i am on aol i got a Linksys G and it dont bloody work or am I totally think and not done somehting? anyone help me with this dilemma? if ya can i send ya some sun flowers for your garden i got around 30 at the moment which i started of Hydroponically as well as turkeystan onions :)

 

Take care were ever you are

Love Indiana bones xxxx

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14:26:13 o'clock GMT
Feeling Mischievous
Hearing Off my music at the momemt

Ok its Sunday and its sunny and considering fox has just started her holiday I am over the moon she has some time off, her daily travel to London gets on her nerves and mine as well, but since I gave up work to study full time I am getting a bit tired of not earning money, she tells me its important that I spend as much time studying as I can but there comes a limit when I feel that something more needs to be done!

 

Our conversations have on what to do have ranged from selling our house to getting in Language students so ok there's solutions for every thing, since it was decided that I will not now or ever take dole money that’s a big no as far as we are concerned and in some senses I agree, even thought I am having to be quite creative in the kitchen its amazing what you can do with a slice of bread some veggie sausages and a tin of baked bean’s *lol* but we survive and I study my plumbing which is going ok but I am taking more time to  study the shear volume of work regulations health and safety and practical stuff is so complex you never think that the man who fixes your burst pipes has a wealth of knowledge at his fingertips, but the more I study the more I  fall in love with the occupation of being a plumber.

 

So to make ends meet we have decided to take in students for a year open our house up to the possibility of having teenage feet running up and down the stairs, which will be interesting from the point of view we years ago decided we never have children, so its like a baptism of fire. Not fully understanding the needs of the young as yet but I do have a computer Play station 2 and eat a lot of junk food coke crisps etc so hopefully we are all right.

 

Brighton is changing so fast, over the past year, there has been so much development and new homes created, actually let me correct myself new flats have been created which for me as a plumber is excellent news after my 3rd module which I hope to start soon, I am going tomake myself a portfolio and go around the building sites since I have got my health and safety at work certificate, so fingers and toes crossed that it works out for me if not its students all the way.

 

But one thing that intrigues or angers me is these big corporations who are doing the building, keep mentioning the subject of affordable housing, but if you ask anyone what is affordable housing? You get a blank stair or a disappointed look, from the sales reps at the show flat.

 

I tell ya what a affordable home is, you have no view, or your view will be a big wall, no sunlight will ever touch your face or the view will be of a train track or some thing hideous like that, and there idea of affordable is over 200k personally most banks will give you 3x your wages, sooo unless you earn over 60k a year, your up the old Sh** creek with out a paddle. Or unless you own your own home! As soon as they find out my address, its all smile and tea, and cup cakes, then they try the patter and get you to go that little bit higher ie, penthouse so they take you up for a little look, it all looks nice and dandy but you cant get on the roof to look over the fair city of Brighton there excuses is its not yet finished but will be in x amount of time, we l tell ya the reason they don’t let you out on the balcony is!

 

Brighton is the windy city, and believe me I stay on top of the ditchling hill and the wind can almost knock you over most of the time, I not kidding you all its that strong take it from me, I got a friend who stays on the beach front and he had to have glass put on his veranda front just so that he could sit there in the summer its great when the wind is not too strong but being the channel sea, its more or less windy all the time, one of these days I going to set up a web cam and just let every one see how bad it can get, the only good thing going for the wind is Surfing windsurfing that is, its great and small boat sailing you can get some speed going.

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19:46:21 o'clock GMT
Feeling Happy
Hearing Charmed

Read the Journal before this one then read it its all :) *Huggles*

 

 

 

 

Day Four,

Well Nicky might get her luggage today the reps for what they are worth have done nothing and its been up to Nicky to do the running and calling, but there is a chance her luggage may come tonight, fingers crossed. Today were going camel riding today and a visit to a bedwin tent for a mint tea, the camels are massive not like the small young ones you get via a tour operation, these fellas are the real McCoy just as bad tempered but camels have such a wonderful face. Its always fun trying to get onto a camel if your tried it then you will know they not the easiest beast there's two hand grips one on the front and one on the back and most people hold onto both, and after an hour your arm’s feel like stretchy Armstrong, but here’s a tip for you when the camel is fully standing cross your leg over his/her shoulder and you will not get a sore ass or for fellas need I say more!!!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

My self and Keith have been doing a fair bit of snorkelling this holiday, and its been an experience, and a really good one at that, we go at the same pace through the water, so keeping up with each other is a good bonus pity we could not have went diving together, he make a good dive buddy, Keith is someone I feel is a good buddy and a good choice for my little sister they seem well into each other and its nice to see them happy, every one deserves happiness in life, and its good to see it in there's.

Any way back to the snorkelling the water is not cold but not too hot either but compared to the Channel sea in Brighton its far better, the initial jump into the water is a bit cold but with in 5 seconds your body is used to the tempeture which is great, every time we jump in our pockets are full of bread roll’s for the fish, as soon as you touch the water your surrounded by sergeant majors and yellow tang’s swarming into a mini feeding frenzy such fun on Yule time day we gave them banana’s for Yule dinner, all the little sergeant major’s have such small mouth’s but the parrot fish have a snap that could take of a finger I will try and get a photo of one doing this if possible.

During our stay at the Hilton we have made some new friends on holiday and Allen and his wife Lisa have on several occasions went out with Nicky and Keith on the second day of snorkelling Allen dropped his wedding ring in the sea, we searched and searched but could not locate it, and we spend nearly 30mins just going backwards and forwards looking for the ring, just as I was about to give up, I saw a metal glow on the bottom of the coral, its depth at around 20-25ft, I dived down it took all, my breath to get it but made no mistakes and griped the solid white gold ring in my hand, Allen was so relived to see me holding onto the ring, he promised me a bottle of Champ’s nice thought even thought I don’t drink. We have tried to get out at least once a day for snorkelling but most of the time its two times, its that good, and banana’s are the best food, less mess and everything is eaten skin the lot.

So if you ever go snorkelling do remember the animals in the deep blue/green and never leave rubbish, on a few occasions I have been like a cleaner a plastic bag here a dirty old tin can there plastic bag’s are lethal to small fish who go in and cantget back out and that’s such a shame, but more or less the red sea is a wonderful place and most of the time its in good condition, one thing the rep’s did not do is warn people that just of the Jetty there are Scorpion fish as well as Lion fish both very dangerous if you touch them they are both very poisonous and can kill if untreated.

One story that I heard first hand was Allen was paddling near the beach in no more than ankle deep water and a Lion fish swam past him, so parents beware and if you do take yourself and kid’s to the red sea it be a good idea to get them sea booties, from any dive shop, no need to have distressed children if they happen to step on a the booties will protect them from the stinging spines.

Day Five

Fox and myself were up at the un-holy hour 6am for the trip to St Catherine’s monastery unfortunately there's no trip up mount Moses for us, we get a sneaky breakfast ie, I pay a few Egyptian pounds and get lots of croissant’s for fox, and a big bag of crisps and a bottle of coke for me. The bus comes thinking it was going to be full of tourists but in the end there were no more than 10 people on the large coach for a 3 hour trip to the monastery and burning bush of Moses (ya know the fella from the Old Testament?) the trip was thought the desert and Mountains was spectacular the trip up to the monastery was a sleepy one for me, and just reclined and slept on and off for the duration of the trip, we came to a little café Egyptian style the large setting area, big and spacey and totally freezing cold, something the rep forgot to tell us, its bloody cold in the mountains and it was like 4C.

From the café the monastery is only a short drive and then you have a short walk from the coach, you have a bag search to negotiate and then the hawkers are the next step to get by, but the old Arab phrase works here as well. Again there are many camels for hire but make sure you get a good price for it, they will always ask for bashish for the camel here’s another tip for you get a few apples and give this to the camel, the hawker might not like it but its bashish for the animal and not the handler, camels love apples and go daft for them.

Face to face with the monastery its walls are impressive Neapolitan did the walls up and made it into a fortress its walls hold many secrets, the burning bush was big and well catered for its trunk hidden from view only its branches showed which were more like a rose bush thorn’s pointed and small its leaves not like a rose bush at all, there was noblooms at all, it looked more like a dome of a church see the pictures one on each side of the bush. In the wall that surrounds the bush people push small bits of paper for luck love or wealth know one knows! The ritual of paper pushing I have seen before many times before.

The most noticeable place was Fatima in Portregal  and Effisis in Turkey the last place Jesus mother Mary ended her days.

Any way back on with the story the inside of the monastery was accessed via a small side enterance with was small and narrow, which lead you onto a small and narrow street, bearly wide enough for two people to walk on, the well that Moses drank from and help’s the Daughters of ddddddd get water from the well, when the well cap snapped in two.

And as usual I some time put my size 8foot into it and ask the guide as we stand admiring the burning bush which its fire is long since died away, I look at the guide and ask, do they have April fool’s day? Yes he say’s why.

I smile at him and say wouldn’t if be a blast if someone actually set fire to the bush!!! He bursts out laughing and me but the people around us looked in disgust and get looks that would kill a bull Ironic, as it seems some people take religion way too seriously. So we move swiftly on to a restaurant to have dinner leaving cries of off with his head.

I find the trip back to the hotel very long and silent fox at my side both from time to time looking at each other and softly smiling and have as short chat about the monastery and what feelings it leaves us with, I tell her my feelings of the burning bush the well, I tell her I got more from the desert, its funny really

*I close my eye’s and the desert whispers to me shows me things, her voice almost inaudible, again my eyes close and her voice like smooth silk on the wind the sands warp into small tornado’s, my eyes open and its gone and I remember*

One thing you have to get used too on any trip to Egypt is you have to pass many stop points along the way we passed at least 5 and the reason for this is from point to point, the army give you a certain amount of time, if for any reason the bus is late then some army men will come looking for you that’s how serious the army takes your safety. So your in good hands as well as a police man on every bus, the problems with mad men who think they are fighting for god is evident in the whole country but its not been a problem I and know that if they were going to try anything it would be the run up to Yule but thankfully we did not have any problems what so ever, there is still anger from the people during and after the bombing in Nama bay they still try to distance themselves from the perpetrators of those horror’s.

We arrive back at the hotel at around 3:30pm and it’s still hot and after the trek into the mountains and its cold windy weather, I thought I could get at least a snorkel in but no. By the time we had dinner I was fully famished and commented I could eat a tub of lard with a hair innit, fox told me to shut it that’s horrible, told her that how hungry I feel, yes she says but not in a full dinning room, funny no one heard me anyway!!

Now being a vegetarian mean’s you don’t eat meat or flesh of any animal and yes that includes fish as well, the all inclusive holiday we took has been at time quite testing for me, unlike most veggies I am very fussy about what foodI eat in the UK this is not a problem for me since I do all the cooking in our house hold but when some one else is doing the cooking there is the start of all the problems, its Yule evening and the buffet is full of pasta and stuff, I don’t like pasta, cheese, rice, noodles or anything slug like, my veg is always raw, my onions raw as well, unless its in a home made curry or Indian birriani but for once there was lots of decent bread and lots of potatos for me to munch on and for the duration of the holiday except Yule day, I have to admit its funny with a happy ending for a change and it was free, on Yule morning the gang entered the dinning room and they put on a really decent Bfast and we ate well and the same for the dinner chips carrots and some curry sauce as well as lots of ice cream and chocolate cake, and for the best starter of the week Veg soup, I had to have two helpings and lashings of nice fresh bread. But come the Grand buffet for Yule night every thing had meat of some sort innit if you like to eat nothing but cold rabbit food your in a world of hurt as a veggie, after all the fuck ups from the reps over the whole holiday the drilling in the room below and as I finish this journal before I depart for the airport its still go’s on, I had enough and complained to the head man

Indiana: Salam ali gloom

Head man: A            gloom salam

Indiana: Yo man what’s there for a veggie tonight I can find a bloody thing?

Head man: you don’t like anything on the buffet sir? *His eyes indicate he not understand my accent*

Indiana: I’m a veggie man and every thing is for meat eaters only even the mash is got meat init!

He nods his head and go’s of and talks to some big fella in a galivaia and comes back and says I can have pizza of my choice and garlic bread, which has me jumping for joy so Yule is saved J

One of the highlights of me is the snorkelling along the coral in the morning the sun beating down upon my back is so wonderful and Keith decides to do the other jetty as well as the usual one we always do, the sea is a bit choppy today and when you dive down to the depths and look up you see the waves from under which is rather spectacular to see,its curling movement can take you on top of the reef its self so it be a good idea if you take it easy and keep at least 3-5 meters from the drop off, the drop off is between 5-18 meters and the amount of fish there is jaw dropping. For children don’t let them swim the reef at all, but do let them swim off the jetty there's more people there to keep an eyes open and there's lots of the small fish as well who like to dart about and play hide and seek.

Day Six

Its our last night its Yule and the sun is blasting the morning sky, the wind is apparent and makes it cooler than it is, but not even the weather will put me off the shear fact is its warm in the shade and it beats the winter back home in Brighton anyway.

We say our last good bye to Sham and head off into the sunset and back to sham el Gatwick and unsunny Brighton.

 

The End…….

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17:22:53 o'clock GMT
Feeling Happy
Hearing noting at the monent

Sham el Gatwick aka the last luggage stop

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like most of our holidays, every thing is done in the last moment, and its never plain sailing was we are concerned and it has so far been a bit of a ball’s up so far.

 

The trip started the day before, Fox went to her mum’s and Tom’s 22nd wedding anniversary, she had to travel to London then onto Harlow Essex for the do, then get picked up at Trishy’s by Nicky and Keith then travel down to Brighton. Pick up mum and bring her, rat and telly. We are just got to the garage to pick up sweets that even have Tilly drooling with delight (only kidding lass) it then I remember that the Laptop is still at mum’s a minor nuisance ok, but it was only the start of all the problem’s.

 

I gave my laptop to Nicola and John to see if he could make it run faster and help get the internet wireless connection running, when I got the laptop back it was minus my wireless adaptor, ok a minor nuisance again, but what was tocome was the start of a whole palaver of thing that could go wrong did.

 

We thought it would be nice to have mum Nic and Keith over for the night and entertain them but that was a big pain, only 3 weeks ago we got a new projector and sound system so the screen is nearly 5ft high and 12ft wide, the film we had chosen was Pirates of the Carr well what a shit start the film kept on sticking and in the end every one just went to bed saying we were going to be up very early.

 

Ok this I understand and feel compelled to comply with the general census and go to bed, which I was happy to do, I slept well and we all made the airport in plenty of time to spare, we got extra leg room for ourselves.

 

There’s nothing worse than being on a plane for 5+hrs and getting your knees in your mouth, the cheque in went with out any upsets and it ran smoothly.

 

There we are the party of 4 sitting getting excited for the journey ahead, and over the tanoy we get a message that the plane will be a bit late! (Define a bit late its never made sense to me your ether late or not, there's no bit) anyway the plane arrived to take us to sunny Sham el Shriek 2 hours late, people with yelps of were going on holiday were going on holiday resounding around the departure lounge, we pile on the aircraft, it pulls out of Gatwick.

 

Our seats are situated by the door’s and for some reason its so bloody cold, I ask for a blanket for Fox who was shivering, with in the first hour, we both shivering its like a fridge and my feet are going numb I say to fox mine as well, another hour passes then the captain says over the loud speaker, were going back to Gatwick because he has found a fault with the aircraft saying the cockpit was too cold and it was making them sleepy, maybe he should have worn a woollies jumper or something so far its turn around time and head back to sharm el Gatwick for the night and then have to start all over again and go thought customs and passport control at Gatwick, many complained that we just left Gatwick 4 hours ago and why did we need to  do it all again and having to stand around to collect our luggage again and head out into the airport and find the Hilton for the overnight stay, the spread its self that they laid on was really fine, good food and lots to drink, but this was the Hilton Gatwick not Hilton Sham, the reps got an ear full from practically every one in the end me and fox just decided to leave it, after all things happen ok we have lost a day of our holiday right but we get to fly in the morning again and hopefully get to sham in a plane that works.

 

We arrive again at the airport do the usual stuff only this time it feels funny every thing is so slow and takes forever to get done customs took ages and we were nearly late, some woman’s says that we were nearly too late to board the plane, I bit my tongue, and just let it pass, the mouth full I would have given her would have been biblical.

 

We have the same seats on the plane, which is a different plane more comfortable to sit in, and the heating was working although it was dripping at the door we were told this was due to the air conditioner working.

 

5:15 hrs later we touch down at Sham, and it was blessed relief for all of us, passport control was fast and even our baggage was fast except for Nic’s it was still at Gatwick for some reason unknown to us she got so upset and at time quite tearful, we were thinking that what else can go wrong? Andyes things did go wrong, Nicky was a bit snappy at me at the airport for some reason Fox thought it was to do with her luggage, but she was like that before her luggage disappeared back to Gatwick how that happens is beyond me, how on earth can some ones luggage not get packed on an aircraft which there are 3 more bag’s to go!!! (Answers on a post card thought don’t send via Gatwick it might end up in Timbuktu)

 

Day one :

 

Arrived at the airport made a round trip to the alp’s and back duration 4 hours, spend a night in the same place we just left.

 

Day two

 

Arrived at the airport got flight to Sham, its delayed again but least we get there for supper, its cold yes cold, and spend the night just sleeping and eating after 8 mints on the bed, and look out of our veranda’s which is shared by over 15 other rooms you got a little porch but that’s all, people wander by from the other rooms and smile or growl depending on there state of mind orintoxication that’s the problem with all inclusive all the booze is free considering fox and me don’t drink we do drink lots of water and coke and lemonade and fox loves her Egyptian coffee and can drink it by the barrel load, myself well its going to be a week of drinking lemonade and coke and tea in the mornings, we don’t do much on our first day I did  a shore snorkel I have decided not to dive because the coral is so close to the hotel.

 

Day Three<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

We have decided to book a trip to Cairo at the cost of nearly 4000 Egyptian dollars, but its worth every penny just to gaze upon the face of King Tut and walk around and watch the sun set over the pyramids at Giza, Nicky got a scribbled note explaining that the trip is off and that we will no longer be going to Cairo because there was not enough people going on the trip, and also the trip to St Catherine’s monastery and Moses Mount is off as well, because! We have arrived too late for the trip up, it go’s on the Tuesday at 10pm and we just arrived at the hotel at 7pm knackered and worn out, from the madness of the past day that was lost at Sham el Gatwick, Nicky had to get some more clothing she had to wash out her knickers twice so far, foxy has offered on several occasions but she refuses, which is fine, I hate to think I have to wear someone else’s undies because of baggage screw up’s, its now Wednesday and still no sign of her luggage.

 

The trip to Nama bay is ok full of Arab men trying there darned to get you into there shops to sell you the object of your desire, but try talking to them in Arabic, it throws them just enough time for you to make a quick escape to the next place you have to negotiate, so far I have been lucky and got away every time.

 

I have always felt a closeness with Egypt ever since I was a child the story’s of the pharaohs and the magic has always allured me to that place and now for the first time I have gone to Sharm el sheik for the holiday of a life time only its not turning out that way at all, the Reps are no help what so ever because of how upset Nicky is and she’s quite forward when it comes to her feeling and let loose on the rep’s who’s only reply was to advise her about her Insurerance policy should cover her loss, to taking into consideration that she had personal things in the case as well as some Yule time presents for us all, and then to put the icing on the cake she is offered stuff discarded by other tourists who have come to the resort, ie half used suntan lotion (bearing in mind the previous owner might have a skin complaint or could have used it as a toy for little Barry to play with the list is endless I so wished I photographed it all, if it was not so serious I would have wetted myself with laughter)

 

For the first time me and Keith go snorkelling along the coral and its spectacular the fish are so abundant and really cheeky more that once the little yellow tang’s have made there way into my pockets to get at the bread I took to feed the fish with, as I was putting my hand into my pocket to grab a handful of soggy bread, I had a resident yellow tang in tow actually inside my pocket getting its fill before the others could grab a bite.

 

On the second go at snorkelling Keith went on a head of me, I ran to catch up and stubbed my toe on the jetty and fell flat on my face, hopping (hoping) no-one noticed I got myself up and started to run along the jetty not knowing if I broke my toe, it was so painful to run along the plastic platform which looked more like a lego set together in small blocks, I get to the tip of the lego land set and sit down to put my mask and snorkel on rub my toe better which is not looking too good I cant move it at first it takes a whole night for the pain to go away. After the second snorkel we decide to call it a day, one thing of note gropers doesn’t bite ok! I had this big fish follow me and at one time came right up to my face showing his yellow teeth, hope the pic of him comes out I took two just for good measure, after all the days upsets no luggage no trips and really shitty Reps (First Choice) who are about as helpful as a barrel of rattlesnakes, rude and like to talk about other holiday makes Nicky actually caught one mouthing of to another holiday maker, so we all decided to give them a taste of there own medicine and take out complaints and write letters to watchdog holidays uncovered and lay it in heavy give them what for that’s my motto.

 

As the day went on we made a visit to the local town Nama bay, in the afternoon Keith called him Steven, so we could remember him, the trip was along a dirt road, thought Sharm is developing and at a frighten fast pace so I am told, the quicker the better, one thing that go’s on in Egypt is the way you have to experience the hard sell, they all are at it, if its not to get you into there shop’s then you got the kid’s to negotiate and they have a weapon the adults don’t have? And that’s a child’s charm, and they weald it with ruthless efficiency, but they all have a weakness, a simple phrase talked back and I will share it with you all (La Shuckran) simply means no thank you, but you must say it with conviction and to there face and turn away and carry on, it will work on all Egyptian’s.

 

Nicky and Keith went back to Nama bay that night, to collect some medication she needed because her stuff she needed was still in Sharm el Gatwick, they got the same taxi driver from early on who has become our own chaffer for the duratation of the holiday, They found the place at night not too nice! Ever since the bombing a year ago the security is so tight now that taxi’s are no longer permitted to go near the main street, so paranoid is the Egyptian government will not take chances, and what is left is some taxi drivers will take you to a mile from the main street and you have to make your way into town via a small narrow street full of Leary men who have a thing for blonde females, Keith being a bit of a bruiser can I feel look after himself and can be quite intimidating which I am sure it was a put to good effect in the journey to the centre of the little town.

From my own experience I can relate from a different part of Egypt Luxor in fact the men there seem to flock to blonds or fair skinned women, who they see as a pinnacle of pulling, for an Egyptian man to have a white woman as a partner has certain privileges ie up in the eyes of there families and in the end they make more money from it, remember Egypt is a 3rd world contrary and most of the population is poor hence why they use all there charm to sell anything from candle statues to there own body’s. But its only men, never the females, this continent don’t prize it’s own woman, which will give you an idea of the level of how balanced or not this male dominated country is! The Arab’s act like they are the Egyptians but unfortunately they are not it’s the Bedouins who are the true people of this land, and you can tell, thought things are a changing, the Bedouins now have satellite telly and stay in brick stone houses very little now use tents like in the old days.

 

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