Hurghada to Zurich

Goodbye, Beach (For Now)!

And that was my quick month back in Egypt already over. The good thing about leaving my Egypt flat is that I only need to tidy up; it doesn’t matter if it’s dirty because I’ll have it cleaned before I return. The hardest things on leaving are getting rid of any remaining food (I handed it in to reception, but it was Ramadan, so not sure how useful it was and, in any case, the staff are provided all meals) and coming back with relatively little luggage when I have three laptops that I need somehow to cushion. In the end, I decided I’d put the laptops in my hand luggage. With any luck this will be my last trip with 3 laptops.

My taxi arrived early. The taxi driver was a bit exhausting. I think he thought he had to put on a hyperactive, extrovert, exuberant act, whereas I really just wanted to sit in silence and contemplate. His English wasn’t very extensive. He asked me my name, and then spent a good ten minutes repeating over and over again that Fiona was a very nice name, very nice name. Fiona (he flourishes his hands in the air). Very nice name (more hand flourishing). Fiona, yes, Fiona. Very nice name….

I asked him if he’d been busy, but he didn’t understand, so then I asked in Arabic whether there were a lot of people here (I was just making conversation and trying to switch to something other than my name being nice). However, I didn’t inflex my tone of voice properly, so he understood it as a statement, agreed, and then told me again what a nice name I had. He asked me in Arabic if I was on my own, so I said I was (I really wish Egyptians wouldn’t ask women this question!!) and he then started telling me with a huge smile and an emphatic hand on heart that his family was now my family.

After that, he insisted that I ask for his taxi when I’m next in Egypt and proceeded to write his number down on a bit of paper while he was driving! I suggested he wait until we’d got to the airport, but he didn’t understand. I could see him struggling to think how to write it in our alphabet, whereas I’d rather he put his attention on the road (which was thankfully straight and empty). He did pay more attention to the road once we got to a busier area. Anyway, he was harmless enough, and I got there safely.

At the airport, I got stopped at security as they discovered two steel cake forks in my handbag (“not allowed, not allowed!”). I had no idea they were there. Actually, before I left, I’d made an attempt to clear my handbag of superfluous items to make it less heavy. So much for that! Anyway, the forks were confiscated (I realized in the end that they were left over from my trip to the Wildnispark with Stephanie) and so my cake fork collection (or Stephanie’s) is now two short.

The flight went smoothly, but a little delayed. It was strange arriving in Zurich and finding that all the trolleys bore adverts for Aberdeen Insurance. It made me wonder if I’d arrived at the right place, particularly since I’ve been thinking recently about perhaps spending a little more time in Scotland next year. On the other hand, it was exciting to see a place set out in Zurich airport for the forthcoming KFC and also a large unit being prepared for Pret a Manger. At this rate, I’ll want to live in Zurich airport. They just need a swimming pool, and I’ll be sorted!

My Zurich flat was in good shape on arrival, my seedlings had all survived and not used any of the water in the slow drip feeders, indicating that it had indeed been a wet May while I was away. I evidently brought over the Egyptian weather with me, because it’s been sunshine and blue skies ever since I’ve got back.