The Most Dangerous Job in Cairo

by Iva Skoch on

Today’s NY Times’ article on Cairo’s most dangerous job–traffic officer–grabbed my attention. I remember the crazy drivers in Egypt and have immense respect for anyone trying to control the traffic in any way. I always just closed my eyes when crossing the street.

I especially liked the quote of Salah Eissa, editor of Al Qahira, a weekly newspaper published by the Ministry of Culture explaining that the problem of Egypt is not that the Egyptian people do not like order: “It is the problem of making exceptions in enforcing this order – and this applies to traffic. It is something that provokes Egyptians and pushes them to think that since it is all a question of bullying, then every man to himself and everyone becomes a bully.”

Every man to himself. Sounds like capitalism in its purest form.

One for the Road: Down the Nile

by Kelly Amabile on

Publishers Weekly calls this one “travel writing at its most enjoyable.” Down the Nile: Along in a Fisherman’s Skiff is about a journey born from the simple love of rowing. Rosemary Mahoney decides to buy a small rowboat and make her way 120 miles along the Nile between the cities of Aswan and Qena.

What an awesome solo feat to attempt! Despite civil unrest and the fear of vexing local traditions, Mahoney sets out. She finds a seven-foot skiff with the help of a sympathetic Muslim sailor and proceeds to do what culture and history says she should not.

Egyptian women don’t row on the Nile, and tourists aren’t allowed to for safety’s sake. But Mahoney does it — she endures extreme heat, terrifying crocs and the challenging cultural encounters that confront issues of faith and sex. She also finds connections to past river travelers like Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert. The reviews agree that Mahoney’s global curiosity and creative wit will surely captivate readers of this new release.

Food Poisoning: Meet the Bugs

by Iva Skoch on

There is nothing like an episode of food poisoning that can wreck one’s trip, change priorities, or–if it takes more than two days–even reconsider one’s view on euthanasia. I have been there many times, either myself or in spirit with other people. Yes, there was the cheap sushi in New York, the grocery store pre-cut water melon in Portland, the chicken satay in Amsterdam, the sandwich at Arby’s, and the Lord-knows-what in Egypt (this one lasted for weeks and I contemplated death several times).

Because I like to know my enemy, I enjoyed this article on ivillage.co.uk entitled “How to avoid food poisoning while travelling”. Most of the tips are quite obvious, although often hard to fully control: washing your hands, avoiding tap water (ice, fresh vegetables washed in fresh water), avoiding uncooked meat and unpasteurized milk, etc. The piece I found interesting is the description of the different “bugs” and their symptoms: Norovirus, E-coli (see picture), Salmonella, Campylobacter and Bacillus cereus. The little buggers look so harmless on screen…