Taggin' along

After such a dismal day yesterday, I was determined to not waste today.

A quick journey to the souk, to buy my fresh veggies and things. En route, I saw a lady get knocked by a man on a motorbike. No one stopped and asked her if she was ok, just cries of (In Arabic) 'Say thanks God'

I had a near miss myself. As I cycled home laden with my shopping, a tractor overtook me on my bicycle, allowing me less than 1/2 metre between me and him! The extremely wide load he was carrying (Hibiscus I believe) then proceeded to hit me and make me wobble, pushing me into the sandy side of the road. I shan't tell you what I shouted to the men on the back!

I received an e-mail about the El Nada Land. Remember the zoo that we had been working with earlier in the year? Some animals had been removed and new ones brought in, so I felt I should go and see what the situation was.

I haven't been for a while, to be honest, it did upset me and things didn't seem to change. Sometimes, you have to have a break and start again with fresh ideas, eyes and attitude.
I was preparing myself as I walked and caught the bus. Deep breaths, be strong and above all, don't lose it if you see things that upset you!

To my surprise I actually found peace, tranquility and a relaxing environment. Robbie squeaked with delight when I called her name. As always, I run to her first. She was also quiet, I felt not so happy, she is bored.

The mongoose and the swamp cats had been returned to the supplier in Cairo. Chickens, a shetland pony and a selection of birds had also been brought in.
There were a few small issues, but on the whole, things seemed to be much better than they had been, just a short while ago.

After a couple of hours there, visiting each enclosure with the owner and the staff, discussing each animal, their situation, their needs etc and latterly the hordes of children he has visiting each day, I felt vaguely ncouraged by what I felt, saw and heard.
It is imperative to have structure with these visiting children. They must be shown how to behave around animals, respect them, learn about them and utmostly, be controlled as they literally run riot there. Above all, they must not have direct contact with these creatures, for obvious reasons.

I left feeling encouraged by the discussions we had and the immediate action that was taken when issues were raised.

Lessons are being learnt, but there is till such ignorance. I am not an expert, but communication is so important and as long as both sides want the best, then it can only move forward (Insha'Allah)

This is a boat that travels up and down the Nile week in week out, from Cairo to Aswan and back. The guys hitching a lift are fisherman, who always tag on, as rowing against the current is hard work! When they get to their destination, they are released and drift back down the river, floating on the current.

El Nada Land, a turnaround?