El Andalous - Forgetting the Old

View from the Beach at Sunset

I said that nothing had really gone wrong on my return this time. This was sort of true, but at the same time, I think I’m maybe just becoming immune to the trauma of things never being 100%.

The first evening I got back, and this is really quite a big thing, so heaven knows how I forgot – I can only think it’s because it wasn’t new to me – water started dripping from my kitchen ceiling. I went to reception to ask for a plumber, but they were strangely reluctant, saying that the plumber was now in Hurghada (it was night time after all) and could it wait until the next day. I explained that I was worried that the drip would turn into a gush and I didn’t want my flat flooded overnight. I sensed there was still reluctance, but they said they would contact the plumber.

I went back to my flat and fretted for a while and then remembered that I’d had this problem before and it had been something to do with the air conditioning. I went back to reception and asked if they could confirm that if it was just the air conditioning, it could wait until morning because there would be no flood of water. I got the impression they didn’t understand what I was saying. It was a bit complicated with all those conditionals. I gave up because I got the impression they weren’t going to phone for the plumber anyway.

I returned to my flat again and decided to avoid turning on my air conditioning. However, it was really hot and I couldn’t survive without having it on. I decided to use it in small bursts and sure enough the trickle of water gradually became nothing.

There was also a bit of a nasty smell in my kitchen when I returned which I identified as the odour of a dead rodent. I got our resident rat catcher to come and remove the dead bodies from the ventilation shaft above my kitchen. I’ve decided that the word for eat is very similar to the word for “shit” in Arabic as I’m sure one of them was recommending (in Arabic) that housekeeping clean out the shaft due to all the, hmm, mess, but even he was getting push back from the housekeeping staff who were saying it wasn’t possible. I know there must be loads and loads of rat droppings up there. Anyway, I’ve become somewhat immune to all this rodent drama now, especially if the mice and rats never actually enter my flat. I think I had a rodent caught every day in the first week I was back but since then, it’s just been the occasional one now and then.

So, I suppose you could say things did go wrong when I returned, but somehow these are all just normal now and not so noteworthy. And it’s more interesting than living in a world where everything is perfect!