West Wollongong life

The mundane first. Hark back to Wednesday — see that previous post — and an item not mentioned there. Before the meet-up with Harry I went to the Library and made some random picks.

Choosing a Korean writer was coincidence! I was not channeling the Nobel Prize — though this is not that Korean writer. Looks promising though.

Today I said on FB:

God it’s all happening this morning! Urgent fridge defrost needed, Woolies arrived, an enormous and amazing photodump from Michael Xu somewhere between Jordan and Turkey right now! Yes, I know –the Middle East!

I’ll process it all after breakfast. Including Wordle….

Here’s a glimpse of West Wollongong to go on with.

And Wordle turned out well! Here is that glimpse of West Wollongong:

It looked more dramatic last night, though that cell did not actually amount to much…

My neighbour Darren’s Harley

All as ordered and on time

Rosemary in Pottsville

Rosemary — see also the previous post — messaged her enjoyment of the augmented account of Harry’s visit, and a couple of Pottsville snaps, including one of the Aurora Australis, a rare sight so far north!

Now the truly adventurous traveller, Michael Xu

I had begun to worry about Michael, as a month had passed since he announced on FB that he was leaving Morocco for Egypt, so I messaged him last night hoping all was well. The reply came this morning: “Now on Facebook”.

That’s Michael. Need I explain where he is?

Those of you with access to Michael’s FB are in for a real treat. I will edit and condense some of what he says.

In Jordan [now]

[Went] from Cairo to Aswan and cruised down to Luxor and Hurghada to Agaba, Wadi Rum. [Then] Petra, Amman. What fantastic places and beautiful desert, it’s an experience I will never forget!

Egypt so good except aggressive sales tactic shop owners pretty annoying, it’s hot here during day but cooler in the evening, Cairo city full lot energetic people, one needs lots of energy to move around, it’s ordered chaos city, people walk in between cars , you just don’t wait car stop for you, took 4day 3 nights cruise from Aswan to Luxor, it’s nice to have my own room and have Nile River view, good to catch up some rest,

Egypt is amazing country, full of great monuments, temples, statues, beautiful desert, feel as if in a medieval time, the noise, chaos, homeless people, traffic jams, charming markets, stunning mosques, just magnificent!

Jordan is easier to travel and people more laid back, Wadi Rum Desert is like outer space, I have never seen anything like that, red coloured sand , tall mountains, strangely beautiful and very quiet, Petra is another story, incredible rock castle, cave , temples, just stunning!

Enjoying stay Amman for a few days, just rest and take easy,

First time had Indian food since left Sydney, here I just want eat different food like Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean ect, missing the taste and smell of Asian food!

Middle East is interesting and fascinating, people religious.

Pray 5 times a day, people are friendly and charismatic, charming, they show interest in foreigners, sometimes ( mostly ) they will charge foreigners more despite their calling you “ my friend “, I felt I was an ATM and I questioned people: why pray 5 times a day if you are not sincere? people pray for their sin so they need to pray?

Or people pray so they can continue be sin? I remember 24 years ago I was in India I had similar experience , lies, cheating, deception was normal, in Pakistan I bought a packet of cigarettes it was cheap for me, someone on the street asked me how much did I paid and after 10 minutes the shop owner come to my hotel to return the money he overcharged me he was accompanied by the man asked me how much did I paid for the cigarette, he was a Taliban

Going to Turkey next week…

I love M’s characteristically astute and very individual observations. He is originally from Shanghai, and I have known him since 1990, following all his many travels from a distance! We lived together for some years from late 1990 through the early 2000s.