El Andalous - Preparing for Europe

El Andalous from the Sea

I’m off to Europe to visit a whole load of friends over the course of 18 days, so I won’t be blogging again until 21st August. Meanwhile, I’ll put a few photos up at the normal times (Mons and Thurs) of where I am on that day for your information and entertainment.

People ask me what I miss over here. I don’t think I really miss that much, but here’s my long list of purchases for while I’m away.

1. Dustbuster. Given how dusty it is in Egypt, you’d think everyone would have one. However, I couldn’t find a dustbuster for sale anywhere here. I hope it will save me from having to yank out my vacuum cleaner every day (well, truthfully, I’m just letting everything get dirty for now).

2. Book on Red Sea Fish and Corals. Oh, the irony! I’m sure there must be good books on this somewhere in Hurghada, but I haven’t managed to find the one I want. In the end, I ordered it from Amazon and will collect it while I’m over.

3. Digital underwater camera. Again, the irony! I live in underwater paradise and I can’t find anywhere selling digital underwater cameras. My current one has broken and I haven’t seen any for sale in Spinneys or Radio Shack. It seems a bit unbelievable.

4. Kindle Paperwhite cover. I can only get black here and I wanted one that I can find easily in my bag and that turns the kindle on and off. I’ve gone for fuscia. The reviews say that the fuscia colour is very bright :-)

5. Oxo cubes. Whenever I live abroad, I always buy these when I’m back in the UK.

6. Small clock to stand on a table in my lounge. My video recorder shows the time, but it’s always two hours out and initially changes to a random time for while after a power cut. I could get a small clock over here (mostly cheap and plastic), but there are more decorative ones available on amazon.

7. Printer cartridges. Apparently, the ones here don’t last very long. That must be true, because my printer has already almost run out of ink and I hardly use it (I scan more than I print).

8. Weather station. I could buy this in Egypt, but I got swayed by the reviews on amazon. I want to see how hot it really is and at what temperature I can no longer function!

9. Carotina chocolate powder. Swiss chocolate powder. Need I say more?

10. This is a test. On my writing course, Dean Wesley Smith said that when faced with lists, people read only the first two and the last one. Congratulations if you are still reading!

11. Replacement electric toothbrush heads. I haven’t actually looked for them in Spinneys, but I suspect they may not be available.

12. Vitamin B complex if it’s not too expensive. It comes in packets of 30 here; I’d prefer a jar of 100, but it depends on the price. I’m not convinced it helps with the mosquito bites, but I’m beginning to think I’m having even more bites since I stopped taking it. That could be my imagination, though. I'll probably also pick up some paracetamol while I'm in the UK, although pharmacy products are very cheap in Egypt.

13. Breakfast cereals. Only if I have room in my case. I miss Shreddies, oat cereals (not porridge), cinnamon toast crunch...

14. Wine. Only if I have room; tax on alcohol has just risen 200% here.

15. Icing sugar. Maybe. Lena brought some over for me, but perhaps some backup supplies wouldn’t hurt. They don’t seem to have it in Egypt.


Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing lots of people over the next few weeks. That’s really the main purpose of my visit.