Not Really My Machine

This is a photo of an industrial sewing machine that is used for making equestrian equipment. I'd been talking to my daughter the other day about how it would be nice to have one to repair bridles and such around the farm, but honestly, I never wanted this particular machine. It used to belong to my friend and saddle maker Mohamed Ibrahim el Said. He's about 42 years old. He'd gone to get papers for his brother who was shot during the revolution by the police. This was just before Ramadan. He'd just been to my farm to talk about making me a new lovely harness for my donkeys. No one has seen him since and no one knows where he is. His wife asked if I wanted to buy the machine because she needs money and most people were offering her peanuts for it. I gave her a decent price and told her that if Mohamed comes back he can get it back from me. I really don't want it. I want Mohamed.

Milling the grain

We were riding through Sakkara village and saw these two women seated on the ground facing each other milling grain with an old stone hand mill. I suspect that they were grinding sorghum and possibly fenugreek to make a very old type of local bread. It's extremely thin and crispy with a slight herbal taste...Egyptian crackers. I love it and it isn't something that you can buy anywhere. You have to get it from the village women.

Afternoon Coffee

There's something comforting about watching two old friends meet for coffee on a warm winter afternoon.

Sitting Down

Watching some of the more modern, upscale women moving around Cairo I feel more attuned to the poorer ones. Rather than balancing along the dubious sidewalks in high heels, they simply set themselves down on a friendly curb and have a chat.

Spinnin' Tales After School

I was on my way back from town and stopped in our nearest village to buy some bananas. Through my open car window, I heard the older boy telling the younger one stories about the people passing by on foot or by car. Boys never change.

Passing Time

Ramadan was coming and we wanted to get the farm a Ramadan lantern, known here as a fanous. The best place to get one of these is in Sayeda Aisha, an old area of Cairo, so despite temperatures at about 38 C, off we went. While walking to the area with the lanterns, I saw these women chatting together on a stone wall.

Friendly Support

When I first traveled to Egypt I bought a Lonely Planet guide that described Alexandria as the city of hand-holding sailors, explaining that while contact between the sexes was not widely accepted it was perfectly fine that men hold each other's hands. This is still the case, for the most part. Public displays of affection are still mostly among women or men rather than between the sexes.

And the internet is still being difficult.