Thursday, April 23, 2009

Hotel garden


I am so glad I have today free to explore this magic place.  Is it OK to indulge this kind of luxurious enjoyment from time to time?  At breakfast, I look out on the feluccas sailing lazily up the Nile.  I had the huge swimming pool to myself.  And when I went for an exploratory walk towards one end of the island, a delightful old man who reminded me strongly of the Haitian men who used to find their way to Bahamas when I worked there invited me for a tour of the hotel garden.  He showed me with pride the peas and onions and strawberries and I sampled the peas and strawberries.  Mangos and grapes are just starting to fruit.  As we went round I accumulated a little posy of basil, mint, roses, eau-de-cologne.

At the end of the garden, we came out on a basalt outcrop where I took the photo that heads the post.  There were lots of birds - small finches, egrets and a fan-tailed bird that I keep wanting to call a rufus something.  I have to look it up in my bird book when I get back to Australia.  Now in the heat of the day, I've set myself up in the lobby where there is free wireless.  In a moment I'll go and have another swim.

Tomorrow we go on a felucca trip and a tour somewhere but for now I am being indulgent!

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