The Khamsin hit hard today.
I wonder how many people realise that the city of Cairo would not exist without the Nile River. The river provides water for the city, irrigation for the cultivation of food, opportunities for tourism and a cooling breeze that dulls the heat of a desert climate. As you pass over the Nile via Cairo's numerous bridges you can feel the cooling effect of this nourishing river. In places it is over a mile wide. The other day we took a fellucca ride for some relaxation. You climb on board a typical Nile fellucca (a wide sailboat with uniquely shaped sails), and venture onto the river for an hour or so sipping at a can or two and reading your book---or talking, having a snack, and taking in the beauty that is the Nile. It is extremely relaxing and I am thinking of taking my staff out on one for a picnic during orientation week in August.
In contrast to the cooling river we in Cairo are sometimes "attacked" by the Khamsin , a wind that blows from the desert carrying sand by the ton. This is a time when residents shut the shutters and feel the grit in mouth, eye and ear. After all, as I said before, Cairo would not exist without its river because it actually is a city surrounded by desert. And those who have visited the pyramids know how close that desert is! The Khamsin struck pretty hard today and my balconies are like mini-Sahara deserts. Computers, TVs and every other surface are covered by sand that creeps in under the smallest gap. My balcony plants have had a rough time of it and I have to do repair work. Most frustrating, but if you live in Cairo you appreciate the good and put up with the discomforts.