Protests Rattle Hurghada

In what has not been seen since the Jan. 28th Revolution, large protests have been held around Hurghada, both pro and anti-Morsi.

While the pro-Morsi protesters took up camp in downtown Dahar of Hurghada, the anti-Morsi protesters rallied around Sheraton Street, one of the main tourist areas of Hurghada. They started in a small square in front of the Bella Vista Hotel, and spent about an hour hyping the crowd up. By this time the protest was only a few hundred strong.

After about an hour, the protesters moved down the Sheraton street. It was truly incredible to watch. To protect the protesters from the traffic and any unwanted individuals entering the flurry, the back end was sealed by a huge banner and the sides were initially sealed off by people carrying rope. The protest soon swelled however, and a human chain was created as an add-on to the rope. The protest stretched far down Sheraton as people moved down the street, diverting traffic.

Despite there being some frustrated drivers, most who passed through honked in support of the protesters walking through the street. While the protests here don't compare at all to those witnessed in Cairo, we have not seen protests like this since one or two days during the January Revolution. It's an indication of just how serious the situation at the moment really is.

Alongside chanting "The people demand the fall of the regime," protesters had a few colourful chants. From comparing Morsi to Mubarak, and calling them both liars, "Morsi is a failure" was also chanted. Find below photos from Hurghada's anti-Morsi rally today, along with some videos. Men and women, veiled and unveiled, and even children partook in Hurghada's rally tonight.

A young boy riles up the crowd

**All photos copyright Susan Richards-Benson. Please contact me for high-res photos**

Youtube Videos:

Is Child Kidnapping on the Rise?

In the past few days, I have heard of three separate incidences in Hurghada of a child being kidnapped. A parents worst nightmare, the apparent increase is prompting many residents to question what is going on. Parents are advising not to allow children out into the streets to play, to avoid certain areas, and to never leave your children out of your sight.

Last April, headlines in Egypt were dominated with the trend when the grandniece of the late Anwar al-Sadat, 12 year old Zeina Effat al-Sadat, was kidnapped. Zeina was released almost 24 hours later, following negotiations between the kidnappers and her family and a 5 million LE ransom sum paid. Her story points to the increasing trend in Egypt of kidnapping for profit. "As a sign of Egypt's deteriorating security conditions, child abductions have become an easy way for criminals to make money," security expert and former policeman Maher Zakhary told IRIN.

The family members of richer, more affluent Egyptians are being targetted with the kidnapper's sole agenda being the ransom payment. Kidnappings in and around the greater Cairo area, particularly from areas such as Heliopolis, would appear to fall into this category. But they stand out; the ransom request usually promptly follows the kidnapping.

I reported in this blog last year on the case of Soraya Dierich, who to this day remains "missing." Soraya's story is indicative of another common form of kidnapping in Egypt. The case of an Egyptian man marrying a foreign woman, bearing a child together, and once the relationship sours the man kidnaps the child and disappears. Soraya is the child of such an unfortunate situation, and was kidnapped by her father in May of 2011. Sadly the incidences of kidnappings like this are becoming so commonplace, the US Department of State has clear guidelines for parents facing these issues. Stressed in the document are Egyptian custodial laws, which will generally favor the mother if she is an Egyptian citizen, and / or Muslim. Otherwise custodial rights will often fall to the father, and in the eyes of the Egyptian legal system, he may claim the parental rights to his children. In cases like Soraya with a foreign mother, her alleged kidnapping is complicated by the fact that in the eyes of most Egyptians, the father has done nothing wrong.

But the recent spat of kidnappings in Hurghada cannot be as clearly defined as the two incidents above.

Omar, kidnapped in Hurghada

The first story surfaced on the 12th of April, with reports of 1 year old Omar being kidnapped from the popular Villages Road area. Omar's mother, an Egyptian woman, left him with a foreign woman outside the coffee shop Arabesque to take her daughter to the toilet. When she returned, Omar had disappeared without a trace. The last description of the foreign woman, as has been issued by the mother, was: "the woman that took omar has the birthmark on the right wrist. It has the shape of a coin and is dark brown. She is between 30 and 40 years old, around 170cm to 180cm tall, medium build, a little bit a long chin, dark brown hair till the shoulder. Her eyes are blue or green, she is not sure because of the red sunglasses. She was wearing a white bermuda and a pink blouse. Her daughter is around 2 years light brown hair till the shoulder. She was wearing a bleu jeans skirt and a red tshirt with yellow lines in front. The women was talking arabic with a foreign accent."


When I first read this story, my initial reaction was "how could a mother possibly leave her child with a stranger." The common reaction appears to be that women in Egypt previously had nothing to fear from leaving their children with strangers, as children are so coveted here they were generally always safe. Perhaps I'm just too cynical having grown up outside of this country to expect a stranger will safely watch my child.

It wasn't long after the story of Omar was circulated, that reports of another child's kidnapping surfaced. Snatched on the 11th of April, 7 year old Yousef Ahmad al-Sawi was taken in Hurghada. The poster below has been hung up in mosques and local supermarkets in the attempts to locate him.

Sadly when it comes to preventing or protecting children from these instances of kidnapping, strict parental vigilance is the best way forward. Hani Helal, the secretary-general of the Egyptian Coalition on Children's Rights, said "the government does not attach enough importance to the problems suffered by children. This leads to increasing violations against the children."

Helal further claimed that if the Egyptian government does not work to improve the security of children in Egypt, he will resort to the UN.

So why are these children being snatched if there isn't an obvious ransom or custodial battle being played out?  The answer it seems, is either human trafficking, sexual exploitation, trade in body organs, or criminal activity.

Such was the situation for Hayam Rabie, who's 1 year old daughter went missing after Rabie left her with neighbours while she ran errands. Upon her return, her daughter was gone without a trace. It was later uncovered that one of Rabie's neighbours had kidnapped the child. Evidence uncovered in her neighbours flat revealed blood bags, IVs, and other medical equipment, pointing to an ominous conclusion. Rabie's daughter remains missing.

Is this a new phenomenon as many media outlets are reporting? Is this really the new trend of security in Egypt in the post-revolution vacuum? While most stories are attributing this rise in kidnapping to the police's inability to do anything about it, the sadder truth may in fact be that this has been a long standing tradition, but up until recently the media has not felt the need to report on the circumstances. In previous years many of the children kidnapped were snatched from the remote and poorest areas in Egypt; their stories were just not considered newsworthy.

As Hafez Abu Saeda, secretary-general of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, a Cairo- based NGO, told IPS in 2009, "In most cases, children are kidnapped for use in criminal gangs - gangs of beggars, thieves or drug dealers - or for prostitution and sexual exploitation," he said. "Of course, many cases are simply children running away from home due to domestic problems, or the result of a personal vendetta - not uncommon in the Egyptian countryside."

Fediya Abu Shohba, professor of criminal law at the Cairo-based National Centre for Social and Criminal Research, agrees with Abu Saeda, and in the same article states:


"The disappearance of children has proliferated over the last five years, but has become especially acute over the course of the last year [2009]," Abu Shohba told IPS. "And when a child disappears - and doesn't come back - it usually means they have been kidnapped.

"The prevalence of the phenomenon can be attributed to several, mainly social, factors," she says. "These include an increase in the number of vulnerable children living on the street, decreasing parental care due to economic pressures, the erosion of traditional religious values, and the promotion of violence and crime by the mass media."

So although it would appear that these kidnappings are not a new and developing trend, it does not lesson the gravity of the situation. Parents are being advised to keep constant watch on their children and to never leave them unattended. A hotline has been set up to receive reports of kidnapping which they claim have risen in the post-revolution times to 6 or 7 calls a day. [Despite researching this, I have been unable to find the number for this hotline.] Preventative measures are the only way to ensure the safety of your child; only you can help stop this rising trend of kidnappings.

Egyptians Need Not Apply

In the past few days I have seen a few different postings on various Hurghada sites commenting on the need to be attractive for a few different things. One was a job description, in which the company put at the top of their requirements, must speak Polish and be good looking. With such a subjective requirement as being part of the job, I have to wonder how many people read the description and move on for fear that they might not meet the 'good looking' requirement. I had to ask the original poster, and his response was simply "being good looking is a requirement in all facets of life isn't it?"

Perhaps this is what is so wrong with society these days. In Egypt, women of a Western persuasion will deal with harassment on a daily basis ranging from cat calls to the more violating, yet thankfully infrequent, groping or flashing experiences. As Islamists continue to gain more control in the political arena throughout the country, it is not surprising to hear rhetoric being thrown around of imposed veiling, morality police, and the like. So this is all well and good on paper, but then when you see things like "good looking" as part of a job description, it completely polarizes the majority of potential employees. It may as well say "veiled and over-weight women need not apply." It takes advantage of the image people have of Western women in Hurghada (that is, we are all easy and overly-friendly), and uses to the advantage of the company the sexually driven desires most Egyptian men have when speaking with a foreign woman. Talk about a double standard.

With this in mind, I ran into this flyer posted on facebook:

Yes, that does say "Face and dress control." Again, a completely subjective method of permitting entrance. Does this translate to "if you're ugly don't even bother?" Even more questionable is with the stringent couples and dress code policies that are portrayed by the night clubs in Hurghada, why entering these establishments does not live up to the expectations. Any single woman can expect to be accosted by the men in there hoping for their one foreign fling, as we all bear the scarlet letter of harlot being from the West.

Is it not about time that these ostracizing stereotypes be addressed in Egypt? Perhaps the worry of an imposed hijab is not all that women in Egypt should be mindful of. Perhaps a bigger question we should be asking, is if Egyptian women find themselves with an imposed hijab written into the legislation, how much further is this going to push Western women living in Egypt onto the outskirts and cause harassment to skyrocket?

In a town like Hurghada which makes the majority of its income from tourism, this concern should be at the forefront of many business owners’ minds. Further alienating the foreign population, specifically the foreign female population, may actually end up back-firing on them and seeing a reduction in business rather than a surge in good-looking entrants.  If conservative ideals and subsequently conservative dress continues to spread throughout Egypt, Hurghada may find itself facing a long and up-hill battle to un-do the years of polarization foreign women have been subjected to. After all, if all the foreign women leave, the over-sexed men may have no choice but to turn to hijabis for their next "good-looking" endeavour.

A Moonlit Marina

I was out last week during the full moon with K and his family taking a stroll along the end of the Hurghada New Marina. I decided to play around with my camera a little bit, and ended up with these shots which I wanted to share with you.

Full moon over the Red Sea

Mosque at night!

Fishing Trawlers docked for the night

Hurghada at night

Red Sea Dream

[All photos copyright Susan Richards-Benson. Photos may not be re-produced without express permission] 

Construction: Hard Manual Labor in Egypt

Anyone that has been to Hurghada knows as well as I know that the town is constantly expanding and growing. As more people move to the city, more buildings are put up to accommodate the swelling population. This often means that old villas are knocked down to make room for apartment buildings in their stead.

One of the reasons K and I chose where we live is due to the fact that the majority of the buildings surrounding us are already complete. I for one do not want to feel that I live in a construction zone. Next door to us stood the frame of an apartment building that has been standing for 25 years.

As tourism in Egypt begins to rise again, construction in Hurghada has gone back into full swing. However, a law passed last year by the government banned any further sale of land in the Hurghada area, meaning that if you planned to construct a new apartment building, you were required to do so on pre-purchased land. A typical sight throughout Egypt is the frame of a building, or a partially completed building with steel beams and wires protruding from the top. There are a few reasons behind this. First and most obviously, the owner of the building ran out of funding, and was forced to halt construction until more funds became available. Secondly, the apartment is often bought by a family who has given birth to a son, and left empty until such time that the son grows up and himself marries, at which point construction on the apartment will be completed and the son and new bride will move in. Thirdly, leaving the building to appear under construction is a tax write off and thus saves the owner a great deal of money.

The credit crunch in Egypt lately has left a lot of building owners struggling to cover the over-head costs of property ownership. A convenient trade has sprung up as a result of this, namely the trade in steel construction parts and concrete. Such is the case for the building next to us, and lead me to witness construction in Egypt as I never really had before.

The CAT was the only 'heavy machinery' used in the
entire process

Now, the "building" next to us was no more than a frame. This frame is held together by steel rods and concrete blocks which themselves constitute a huge over-head cost of any construction project. Gaining access to the steel beams requires knocking the frame down. This was lesson number one; watching the frame of an apartment being knocked down, and wondering why, until I learned that rather than let the frame sit stagnant the owner could make a profit off of it and sell off the construction parts.

The first piece of machinery to be brought in was a Caterpillar demolition tool. Resembling an enormous spike, hydraulic arms cause rapid pumping of the demolition arm, enabling it to easily break through rocks and cement to get at the steel underneath. Remarkable is that this was the only piece of heavy machinery used in the entire process. The Caterpillar was individually owned, and the owner informed us that he should have the building down in 2 days. [Lesson learned: When it comes to construction in Egypt, if they tell you 2 days, interpret that to mean 2 weeks. 2 weeks of non-stop noise starting at 8 am in the morning left us less than happy campers, but I digress].

The next step was the extraction of the steel beams from inside the concrete blocks. The CAT would break the concrete beams into bricks that were about 1 foot in diameter. Then the hard manual labour takes over.

You can see the steel rods protruding from the blocks

Egyptian construction workers use a mallet to repeatedly strike at the brick to remove the steel frame. Rotten steel is tossed away, and steel that can be re-used is set to the side for the next step in the process.

A little further away from the construction site are what appear to be wooden beams erected into the sand. These beams are in fact going to be used to straighten out the crooked steel beams in order for them to be used in the next construction site. Working with this wooden beam, a worker takes the steel rods and with a small hammer bangs the rod out straight. Using no more than a wooden beam and a hammer, gradually a pile of straightened steel rods grow on the side.

2 workers work to straighten out the 'tangle' of steel rods
next to them. On the ground you can
see the straightened ones.

Once the CAT has brought the building down, the workers begin to sift through the rubble to pull out the extra rods of steel that may have been missed. This alone took almost two days. Once the area was cleared, the CAT was brought back in, with a new tool attached, and began the process of loading up dump trucks with the rubble to be transported for processing.

Sifting through the rubble for stray steel rods.

 
Overall it was an exceptionally eye-opening experience in how the construction process works in Egypt. I should add however, I have to question how many of the 'new' buildings around the area are in fact constructed using old materials...and if these materials are ever put through safety tests to ensure that they are fit to use again. I probably shouldn't bother asking, as I know what the answer would be :p

High winds rattle Egypt

Egypt is known as the land of the sun, and most days this holds very true. I never imagined I would be sitting down to write a blog about the unusual weather patterns in Hurghada, as we have sun pretty much 355 days of the year, but such is the case.

Stepping outside this morning I felt like I had stepped back to Colorado in the thick of winter. A sharp bite of frost was in the air, and despite the sun in the sky winds caused temperatures to plummet. Now what we consider cold I know is nothing compared to what Europe has been experiencing, but for us it is remarkable. The temperature at our house today peaked at 16 degrees, but add the wild chill and you're down to single digits. Not only is the wind cold, it's blowing gale force winds.

Now, anyone who has previously lived in Egypt can remark on one thing. The slightest bit of rain causes Egyptian drivers to freak out. Put one small puddle in the middle of the road, and previously erratic drivers become down right dangerous. (Not to mention most cars don't have functioning wind screen wipers...I once drove in a taxi in a downpour and the guy was hanging out his window as he could not see through his screen. :p). Wind is an entirely different factor. High winds in the past few days have already caused Suez ports to shut down.

Gale force winds require a different technique of driving. You cannot break concentration, and you must account for the wind force on the side and undercarriage of the car. A string of road accidents in just the past few hours indicate that drivers here missed this in driver's education.

3 British tourists and their guide were injured in a bus accident, reportedly caused by bad weather causing the bus to flip. Translation? The driver was taking the hairpin turns near St. Catherine's at an already breakneck speed, but throw in there gale force winds and you have a recipe for disaster.

Another crash occurred this morning in Hurghada, where 2 were killed and 23 injured in another bus accident. The cause for this accident was not reported, but I would not be surprised to learn it is also as a result of high speeds in gale force winds.

Image courtesy of Youm7

These stories all come along with a story from the 9th of February, where 3 German tourists (2 adults and 1 child) were killed when their "submarine" sank off the coast of Hurghada. The reason for the accident? High winds and underwater tow caused the screen on the submarine to rupture, causing the consequent sinking.

I have to ask, why are these buses and boats being allowed to drive / sail in such poor weather conditions? Why is the bus driver not instructed to slow down on the journey due to the high winds? Why was a boat allowed to set sail with a strong under tow when those conditions are meant to be strictly regulated and monitored? Is it all about making that final dollar at the end of the day now? May the people who had to pay with their lives for shortcuts rest in peace.

If out driving at the moment in Egypt, take care. Remember to slow down with these speeds, remember your car can easily be flipped with strong gales. If you don't have to travel long open stretches at the moment, don't. Rain is forecast for the next two days in the Northern Sinai and Cairo. For all drivers, please take your safety at this time into the highest consideration. 

Update on "Senzo Robbers"

The other day I posted a blog about an on-going arrest campaign against the gang responsible for no less than two armed robberies in Hurghada.

The gang involved in the robberies hit pharmacies and supermarkets and made off with not only money but goods. Eye witness reports indicate that they would storm the location with machine guns and automatic rifles, threatening to shoot if people did not comply. This is an entirely new trend for Egypt in the past year, as before the 25th of January Revolution armed robberies were virtually unheard of.

As the revolution progressed and civil disorder spread, a security vacuum emerged that has continued to grow in the past year. This was increasingly evident in Cairo. Police feared heading to the streets due to the animosity that has developed for them over decades of a police state rule. They hesitated to implement law and order fearing that in doing so they would put their own lives at risk. The end result was increasing crime rates as criminals no longer feared the state's system of justice.

I remember the feeling of almost relief that was felt when the police returned to the streets after their absence following the revolution. For me, it felt that 'okay at least some semblance of law and order' will return to the streets. But as I mentioned above, although they were back on the streets the police were extremely limited in their abilities to do their job. Hurghada being a huge tourist town did not feel the security vacuum this created as residents in Cairo did. There were isolated incidents of burglary and the occasional reports of guns fired but overall, Hurghada remained fairly quiet.

That is until these past weeks. Violent crime has seen a surge throughout Egypt, and Hurghada was no different. Hearing about the armed robberies in multiple locations, including such neutral locations as pharmacies and supermarkets, created a sense of fear and panic among residents. People were locking themselves in their houses, batting down the hatches as unease spread. Would the police in Hurghada actually be able to do something to put an end to this crime wave?

Thankfully in this story the answer is yes. Police were tipped off as to the whereabouts of the gang. Located in multiple suburbs of Hurghada, the raid carried out targeted these multiple locations at once. The end result was the arrest and detention of numerous members of the group and the seizure of weapons and stolen goods.

Police document the goods seized on the criminals
Image courtesy of Youm7

To read more on these arrests specifically, click here. The link is in Arabic, but Google Translate will allow you to get the gist of the story. 

Breaking: Cops close in on "Senzo robbers"

I just received a phone call that there was a swarm of cops surrounding Shams cafe just down the road from me in Hadaba.

While driving past, K spotted no less than 10 cop cars milling around the outside of the cafe. When asked, police forces responded that they were in the process of rounding up and arresting a gang responsible for no less than 2 break-ins in Hurghada in the last few weeks.

Most recently, the gang hit El-Arabi Pharmacy close to Senzo mall, prompting residents to refer to them as the Senzo robbers.

More details will be provided as they become available. 

Red Sea Jet resumes service

Having just come from Sharm a month ago and realising with frustration that the ferry between Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh Port was not in service, I was very happy to read this today.

For all the local residents here, or even tourists, I have not previously heard of this decision so figure there are a great many others who are also unaware.

As per a notice from Mohamed Amin, the General Manager of the Red Sea Jet, he remarks that ferry services between Hurghada Port and Sharm el Sheikh will be operational from the 12th of January 2012. Finally! Is this an indication that things in Egypt will slowly return to normal? Bear in mind this ferry has been out of operations now for almost a year, having closed due to the 25th January revolution.

The schedule for the ferry is as follows:

    DAY               DEPART FROM HURGHADA                    DEPART FROM SHARM
SATURDAY                                    09:00                                                      17:00
MONDAY                                        04:00                                                      18:00
THURSDAY                                    09:00                                                      17:00

Rates per person for Egyptian Adult is 175 LE. Rates per Egyptian Child (3-12 years old) is 90 LE. Rates for Foreigner Adult is 250 LE. Rates per Foreigner child (3-12 years old) 150 LE.

For more information and questions contact: 065 344 9462.

4.8 quake hits Hurghada

Last night just a little after 8 PM, K and I were chatting in the bedroom when all of a sudden we heard a noise like a truck coming up the street, and the building began to shake. This might sound disconcerting, but seeing as how construction around here is so common place, big trucks rattling up the road isn't uncommon. But when the rumbling reached our levels and the entire room began to shake, it was evident that it was an earthquake.

I realise how non-chalant I must seem about earthquakes now. I posted a blog about the previous earthquake, and mentioned that after living in California they become common place. So for me, it's no big deal. Let's face it, if your building is going to collapse in a quake, there's little you can really do about it. There's no means of predicting them, it's one reason earthquakes can cause such devastating damage.

Last night's quake measured a 4.8 on the Richter scale. In California, this would still be considered a 'mini' quake and really nothing to be all that greatly worried about. But this is in an earthquake prone area, where buildings are built to code. Here that is not the case. Our building rattled for maybe 5 seconds tops, but just in those 5 seconds you could really feel the entire building sway. It's not surprising that the 1992 Egypt quake caused such enormous damage.

In Dahar, a suburb in Hurghada, many of the buildings are hastily erected and follow little to no building codes. Many residents are living below the poverty line and placed in these apartment complexes as a form of government aid. Not surprisingly, after the quake last night there was a mass exodus from these buildings with people milling around in the streets. Their calls have been raised to the governor, demanding adequate housing facilities. Bear in mind many of these buildings already had issues with their construction to begin with, ranging from using cheap concrete material, to burst pipes constantly weakening the fabric of the building, to little to no thought put into the structural integrity of the building. Thank God more damage was not seen around the area.

Panicked Hurghada residents hit the streets following the quake.
Image courtesy of Red Sea News. 

So last night's quake now makes 3 quakes to have hit the Hurghada and Red Sea in the past 3 months. That's more quakes in a 3 month period than have hit Egypt in the almost 6 years I've lived here. What is going on?

MSNBC reports on the increasing earthquakes in the Red Sea, attributing the tremors to the parting of the Red Sea. The African and Arabian tectonic plates are moving apart at an estimated 2 cm a year. These shifts are not, however, gradual. Earthquakes are the symptoms of this and all indications point to them increasing and not decreasing in the coming years. This means for residents of Egypt and the Red Sea in particular that perhaps earthquakes will not be the cause for concern and panic that yesterday's created. I can only hope that they stay around 4 on the Richter scale and we do not see a large quake to hit the area because it would be devastating to say the least.

In the meantime, read up on quakes and begin to understand what they are. Yes, again you can hear them coming. No, there's little you can do to stop them. Yes, it is normal for one person to feel a small quake and the person standing next to you to feel nothing. This does not mean you or your neighbour are going crazy. If the past year in Egypt should have taught us anything, it is that reacting rashly and with panic only creates further chaos. If you don't know the answer to a question, DON'T answer it. Don't spread your own speculations and fears as this will only balloon outwards and before you know it, you're "well maybe" comment has been cemented into 'real facts.' So please, Hurghada, stop panicking! :) 

What do to if your dog / cat ingests poison

I apologise that it has taken me a few days to get to writing this post, but this is because I have been waiting for confirmation on the suspected poisonings in Hurghada. Although it seems that the mass poisoning in Maadi I previously blogged about may have been government sponsored, we are as of yet unable to find any proof indicating the same for Hurghada.

What we seem to have in Hurghada is a few possibilities. Individual residents lying poison out on the road, shop or restaurant owners trying to clear their immediate area of strays, or government vets lying the poison out. As the government vet who would be responsible for placing poison in and around the city is currently on vacation, it's safe to say he is not involved in any cases of poison around here.

This leaves 2 options, individual residents or business owners. Now bear in mind that strychnine is not something you can readily get your hands on. To purchase this poison it is often necessary to go through a dealer and can end up quite costly - making it an unlikely option for many. The next poison of choice is readily accessible and available, and just as deadly. I'm talking rat poison.

Remember that these poisons are thrown into the street on meat - meaning your dog can snatch up a piece very quickly without you even noticing. Fortunately there are signs to watch out for if you suspect your dog has ingested poison.

1. Make sure that you have an emergency vet contact in your phone or somewhere handy. I have provided a list of vets in the Hurghada area, and would personally recommend Dr. Mohammed Taieby, who will always respond to an emergency case - and I cannot make the same statements about all the vets on the list. 
2. Your dog or cat will begin to exhibit symptoms of poisoning quite rapidly. If you notice your pet is extremely agitated and excitable, more so than usual, keep a close eye on them.  
3. Seizures are a common symptom of ingestion of poison, be it strychnine or rat poison (often one and the same). Doctor Dog describes the seizures as: "during which the dog throws the head back, can't breathe and turns blue. The slightest stimulation, such as tapping the dog or clapping the hands, starts a seizure. This characteristic response is used to make the diagnosis."
4. Other symptoms include drooling, muscle spasms, loss of coordination, collapsing. 
5. If you start noticing your pet seizing or spasming, contact your vet IMMEDIATELY. The faster the veterinary medical response, the higher chances your pet has of surviving. Strychnine, NOT rat poison will induce these spasms.
6. Often you will be told to try to induce vomiting in animals that have been poisoned. This is CRUCIAL information. IF YOUR DOG IS ALREADY SPASMING, TRYING TO INDUCE VOMITING CAN EXACERBATE THE SITUATION AND CAUSE FURTHER SEIZURES. Wrap the animal in a warm blanket and transport to vet IMMEDIATELY. 
7. If you have not yet noticed signs of seizures but still fear that your animal may have ingested poison, you can induce vomiting. To induce vomiting in dogs, there are two websites you can check out here and here. I do not want to post how to induce vomiting in cats, please consult your veterinarian to find out how. 

Remember time and speed are your only allies when it comes to potential poisoning of your pets. If you are very worried about walking your animals outside, muzzle them to avoid potential ingestion. It is not fair to lock the animals inside rather than walk them - why should they be tortured and have to pay for human cruelty. 

For vets in the Hurghada area, please find contact numbers below. (Thanks to Anca for preparing the list you see below!) I would like to add to this list for vets around the country, if you have more recommendations PLEASE add to the comment section below. Please also feel free to share your stories of your pets that have been poisoned. The more that we collect the information on the poison and the areas it is being laid, the stronger case people have to bring to the government and demand an immediate resolution to the problem. 

1. Smart Vet Clinic, Dr Mohamed El Taieby,

Clinic Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Smart-Vet-Clinic/121312647915335

Mobile No. 0163828100 

24 Hour Emergencies. I will give directions to the Clinic as the road hasn't got a name

Located just off of Maderis (School) Street, across from the Supermarket Beit el-Maleka or the Seagull Retail Clothing shop.

Email: smartvetclinic@yahoo.com 

2. Blue Moon Animal Shelter

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Moon-Animalcenter-Hurghada/205357696149227 

Doctor Veterinarian Girgis Kamal (Tel.: 0164693169).

Mubarak 1 Nr. 14, Apt.7

Tel.: 010 5490046

E-mail: bluemoongalerie@hotmail.com

3. Dr. Sameh Shata

Web page: http://dr-samehshata.com/contact-us.html

Plot 95, Old Public Beach Panorama Hotel Road

Dahar, Hurghada

Tel: 065-3544009, 012-1664628 Fax: 065-3544009

4. Dr.Mohamed Atef

PawsandClaws Veterinary Clinc, next to Dreams Beach

Services offered: Vaccination, Flea and insect control, Spay and neuter, Small and large surgeries, Orthopedic surgery, X ray, Fetal dubler, Toxoplasma check, Laboratory exam, Health certificates, Worming program, Grooming

Tel: 0176077576

E-mail: pandcvetclinic@yahoo.com

  

Hurghada's TNR

Anyone who has ever been to Egypt will often remark on one thing: the amount of stray cats and dogs that roam throughout the streets. Hurghada is no different, and various areas throughout the city are home to dog packs and ferral cats.

To combat this problem, the government (or even individual citizens) will throw poisoned meat down. This creates huge issues, as far too many people have lost their own dogs or cats to poison. Not only this, but it poses a grave danger to children were they to come in contact with it.

Residents of Hurghada want to ensure the realisation that poison is not the way to deal with the issue is brought about by the death of a child. Instead, the community has come together to provide a sustainable solution to the issue.

The Blue Moon animal shelter, run by a dedicated woman Monica, has launched a mass TNR programme, whereby residents in Hurghada will bring by ferral cats and stray dogs on designated days. The animal will be neutered, given worming meds and rabies jabs, tagged to ensure it's clear it's been taken in, and re-released to the streets.

This entire process is not as easy as it sounds, and has taken a huge level of collaboration between residents and the Blue Moon shelter. For the next few weeks, every Tuesday groups will be collecting dogs and cats throughout Hurghada, bringing them to the Blue Moon, and re-releasing them at the end of the day.

I've already had our building's ferral cat, nicknamed Bravie, spayed. She's already had 2-3 litters of kittens, and alone has contributed to the growing cat population around my street. She was easy as she's very used to human contact, and since her surgery has adopted my front door as  her new home, meowing in the morning when she's ready for her breakfast.

If you have any questions or you want to find out how you can get involved, feel free to use the tab above and contact me, and I'll let you know what area they will be targeting next.

Initiatives like this fuel hope that one day the problem of strays in Egypt will actually be brought under control, as long as we all work together!

Orien and Bravie chilling on a very dusty balcony!

Hurghada protests suggested boat tax

Boating and snorkelling trips are one of the hot commodities as far as tourism excursions go in the Red Sea. Hurghada is no exception. It's unlikely that you can run into anybody who has come to spend time on the sea-side resort town who will not be taking a boat trip. Diving, trips to surrounding islands, boat parties, snorkelling outings, dolphin sighting trips, the list goes on. There is no shortage in boat trips to choose from. This made recent suggestions to impose a 10 LE per person per boat tax a seemingly great way to earn some extra revenue.  

It came as a surprise to tour operators and boat owners when last week the Governor of Hurghada, newly appointed after the Revolution, announced plans to impose a 10 LE charge (just under 2 dollars) per person, per boat trip, for all companies. This included live aboards, dive trips, down to the average boat ferrying people back and forth to Giftun island. This 10 LE surcharge was in addition to the taxes and fees already paid by each company to the government, taxes that include environmental protection taxes, security taxes, marine taxes, the list goes on.

A protest was organized for today, Sunday, among tour groups, boat owners, and excursion companies. Approximately 200 protesters all gathered in front of Hurghada's Naval building, located near the Nile Hospital. Their demands were simple. At a time when tourism in Egypt is already suffering as a result of continued unrest, companies do not need additional unnecessary surcharges per client, particularly when the destination of this surcharge was not clarified.

The protesters were gathered on a well-travelled road in Hurghada, and consequently took great care to ensure they were not disrupting the normal flow of traffic. The protest was peaceful and orderly, with one 'spokesman' leading the chants with the protesters demands.

Ultimately, the end result proved successful. The governor initially promised to "look over" the proposal and see if it could be amended, but following pressure from the protesters - who promised a sit-in did the governor not comply - the governor recanted his initial statements, ensuring protesters that the tax would not be imposed.

Below are some shots from the protest, all photos copyright Karim Mubariz.

The leader of the protest, shouting out their demands 

Down on the street, protesters urged people upwards
to ensure normal flow of traffic.

Close up of the "spokesman"

Voting in Egypt gets underway

What an exciting day for Egypt today. The start of what is hoped will be true democracy in the country. Even Google has gotten in on the Egyptian spirit.

Already there are reports of votes being 'bought' and individual lists and candidates handing out sugar, tomatoes, and meat to entice Egyptians to vote for their party, as well as reports indicating that again the dead are able to cast their votes. But I have not confirmed any of this, and it's not surprising to see rumours abound. I did however pass the polling station closest to my house earlier on today, and was happy to see people queuing up to cast their votes, with army and police personnel stationed around the entrance to help provide security. The next few months will be a telling time for the future of Egyptian politics, and I wish everyone today who is out there voting the best of luck. Yalla Masr!

For live updates on the progress of the elections, provided by al-Masri al-Yawm, click here. 

Ongoing unrest in Egypt

I have intentionally stayed quiet on this topic for a few days now for a few reasons. One being that I'm not in Cairo this time around, so I only have what I'm seeing on the media to go by and the last Revolution at least taught us that the media is only showing about 10 percent of what's really going on.

One thing I would like to highlight is that although through the media it looks as though the entire fabric of Egypt is collapsing again, this is not the case. In Hurghada we are very much isolated from what is going on, and were anyone to ask me "is it safe to come to the Red Sea at the moment," my answer would immediately be yes. We are already starting to see the repercussions of the unrest in Cairo, with the Egyptian pound weakening and the markets already closing early on Wednesday. Of course the primary objective at the moment is to restore peace and stability to the country, and my heart goes out to those in Tahrir fighting for their freedom. But I cannot let myself get caught up in the fervor and make it out that the entire country is on the verge of breaking down. As K said to me yesterday, were it not for the news and the internet we really wouldn't have any idea of what was going on in the rest of the country from here in Hurghada.

I said this yesterday, and I will repeat it again here. As we are all watching the scenes in Cairo and throughout the rest of Egypt unfold, I would like to take this time to remind everyone that aggression and hostility will not help anyone. The continuing tensions are undoubtedly causing cracks in the surface. We must remember to be patient when listening to others, when dealing with others in the streets. We must remember the fundamental cores of democracy that the people in Tahrir are fighting for. The right to freedom of expression, the right to live securely. If we can all remember these little facets of what the original revolution was meant to be about, together we can hope to keep the fabric of Egyptian society strong.


My thoughts are with my friends in Tahrir, and with those I hold dear in Cairo. Please let us at least remember some of the lessons we were taught in the last revolution: spreading discord and rumours will only come to bite us in the long run. Check before you're posting anything, and be patient with those around you. Remember that as expats, no matter how much we feel that Egypt is our home, this is an Egyptian fight. The best role that we can play at the moment is to stand back, show our support, help with supplies when necessary, and avoid falling into the trap of believing everything that we read. 

Red Sea Earthquake

This morning I felt like I'd transplanted myself back a few years to when I used to live in California. At 9:12 a.m. this morning, the Red Sea was hit by a series of "mini quakes" felt throughout Sharm and Hurghada, with the highest registering a 4.1 on the Richter scale.

As is the norm in a country that isn't regularly hit by earthquakes, the rumours have started. It didn't take long for news outlets to begin reporting that there were experts 'predicting' that there would be another, bigger quake to follow the series of quakes this morning.

So, I'm here to blow open some of these myths about earthquakes, and tips on what you can do if you find the ground shaking under your boots.

Let's visit the first, and perhaps most common myth in Egypt, that experts can "predict" earthquakes. This is entirely false. While their predictions may seem to come true, these are aftershocks from the initial tremor, and rarely if ever exceed the magnitude of the first quake. As the U.S. Geological Survey says: "Neither the USGS nor Caltech nor any other scientists have ever predicted a major earthquake. They do not know how, and they do not expect to know how any time in the foreseeable future. However based on scientific data, probabilities can be calculated for potential future earthquakes."


Another common myth that accompanies earthquakes, which I myself have been prone to telling people, is that the safest place you should find refuge is a door frame. Myth. California's Department of Conservation explains:  The safest place to be in an earthquake is under a doorway. That's true only if you live in an unreinforced adobe home. In a modern structure the doorway is no stronger than the rest of the building. Actually, you're more likely to be hurt (by the door swinging wildly) in a doorway. And in a public building, you could be in danger from people trying to hurry outside. If you're inside, get under a table or desk and hang on to it.

I was told this morning by an individual that they had been told ground floor apartments were safer in the event of an earthquake, because you would be able to run outside if it struck. This fails to take into consideration two very important factors. One: The time it takes you to get outside may not be much shorter than the actual length of the quake, which are often less than 30 seconds long. Unless you're standing right by your front door, can you make it out of your house in under 30 seconds? Two: In Egypt we face the problem of buildings that are not constructed to an "earthquake code." This means that the ground floor is actually one of the more dangerous floors to be on, as the building can pancake in on itself during an earthquake. If you look back to the Cairo quake of 1992, most of the fatalities occurred due to buildings collapsing and panicked people stampeding out of buildings. The New York Times reported that over 100 school children were trampled as they attempted to run out of their school building. 

Finally, one of the hot contended topics is that animals can "predict" earthquakes. This is not 100 % proven, nor is it dis-proven. As dogs in particular are known for their sensitive hearing, the chances are more likely that they hear the deep rumblings of the earth long before we do. Often animals will seek refuge in corners, or under beds, but you can rest assured that they most likely know the safest place to be in your house. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) for us, Orien was sleeping at my feet this morning, and did little more than grunt and roll over. Very tense dog we have :p 

So, overall things to remember: 

No - earthquakes cannot be predicted. 

Yes - you should seek refuge under a desk or table. Check out more information on the "triangle of life." 

For a more detailed list of frequently asked earthquake questions, click here.  

Hurghada Rental Cars and Taxis

Recently there has been an apparent increase in road accidents in and around the Hurghada area. They often involve buses being driven by unlicensed drivers, stoned drivers, or simply people that consider themselves the next Michael Schumacher. These drivers are also rampant in Taxis and personal cars. There is no lack in crazy drivers in Hurghada.

For many people that reside in and around the Red Sea area, this begs the question "How can I get to my destination safely?" Getting into a microbus usually means that you will be taking hairpin turns at breakneck speeds, while dealing with not so savory clientele that will accompany you on your microbus journey. For those of us that don't have cars, this leaves taxis as the only option. So we get into a stranger's car, assuming that they are in fact taxi drivers, and hope that they are both licensed and considerate drivers. This is not always the case.

In travelling throughout Hurghada lately, it seems that the number of taxis on the roads driven by children are increasing exponentially. Just the other day, I had to wave away three cabs whose drivers looked not a day over fifteen. Seeing as how many people in Egypt are able to get their driving license by paying a little extra, this is a worrying trend.

Also worrying, is not knowing if your taxi driver is one of the many drivers in Egypt that uses chemicals and drugs to keep himself awake. Cocaine, hashish, dramadol, the list goes on. For many, working long hours into the night is the only way of ensuring that they will be able to cover their expenses, and therefore rely on drugs to see them through. This of course does not include the growing "taxi mafia" such as what you see in locations like Senzo Mall, or that I see directly in front of the Continental Hotel in Mamsha. Taxis will park outside, and knowing that the amount of taxi traffic that passes by is minimal, will quote you outrageous prices - double, often triple what you should legally be paying. Should you tell one taxi driver no, the next taxi driver will quote you the same price - they know that by sticking together you'll end up with no choice but to accept the higher rates. Most frustrating however, is when you tell the drivers that they should do what is legally required of them, i.e. turn on their meter. This will often result in ridicule and curses flung at you, for daring to suggest they actually work by the book. Interesting aside: if taxis are caught going through police check points in Hurghada and do NOT have their meter on, they face immediate fines ranging between 50 LE (just under ten dollars) up to 300 LE. To avoid this fine, you'll notice the cheeky taxi drivers unabashedly turn on their meter just before the check point.

This doesn't even go anywhere near the number of unlicensed taxis that are driving around. For anyone reading this, pay attention to the numbers listed on the side of the taxi cab. If that number is not there, do not get into the taxi. Their registration numbers should be clearly visible, otherwise you have no way of ensuring they are actually registered and licensed. To help residents get around Hurghada, a facebook group has been created documenting both the white listed and reliable taxi drivers, and the black listed taxis that should be avoided. Reasons for their blacklisting include: theft, groping, vulgar language, over-charging, drug use, among others. I recommend you check this link and find a decent and reliable taxi driver - only then will we start to see the number of maniacs reduced on the streets.

For those journeys that you just cannot take with a taxi, renting a car is the only other option. Renting a car in Hurghada is an entirely different headache on its own. You will face either extortionate prices, up to 400 LE a day with a kilometer limit of about 100 km a day, to paying 120 LE a day for a car that will break down within 2 hours of leaving the shop.

Rental cars here are not strictly regulated like they are outside of Egypt. We have rented cars and had to immediately change the oil, reverse our direction to find out what fell off the bottom of the car, dealt with broken and bunk CD players and other electronics in the car, cracked windscreens, and don't even get me started on the tires. For us to rent a car, our first destination has always got to be the mechanic to ensure that the car will safely get us to our destination. If you find any problems, the rental company will tell you it's "not their issue," and that the car was "just fine when you took it." Should you have to pay extra money to get the car working, don't expect to see that money come back to you.

Now the above points are assuming you even GET the car. K and I have had to deal with rental companies in Hurghada more times than I care to mention. We will put in the request for the rental car up to three days in advance, and are always assured "no problem, the car will be here on the day you request." Come the day that we are meant to pick it up, they are always "en route" from either Cairo or Marsa Alam. Once the rental company has told you the car is on its way, and should be expected within a few hours, they will stop answering your phone calls. Normally, 12-24 hours later, they will phone you and let you know that the "car has arrived" and you may now pick it up. Forget about having to get to your destination on time: rental car companies here have no way of ensuring that the cars are returned to them on the days they are meant to. Better still: You are still expected to pay the price you were originally quoted, even if you have to wait an extra day to get the car and potentially miss the appointment you needed the car for in the first place.

The Egyptian idiom of "mafish mushkela" (no problem) and "InshAllah" (God willing) rule in the rental world. If you're looking to rent a car in the Red Sea, expect to pay extortionate prices and not be able to drive anywhere outside of the city limits (or end up paying a dollar extra PER KM you go over), or to pay an acceptable price and have no guarantee that your car will arrive on time. I should note, the last car we rented came through one of the "expensive" rental companies, and this was the car that had items falling off the bottom chassis of the car, with the electronics not working, and overall a P.O.S. vehicle for paying close to 75 dollars a day.

So what's our end solution? Buy our own car. That seems to be the only way to avoid all the hassle and unreliability of taxi cabs and rental companies here. And buying a car? That's a wholeeeee other can of worms that I will open in a blog in the future. 

Hurghada Blood bank

Recent events in Egypt are making one thing very clear: hospitals here are under-staffed, poorly equipped, and lack some of the emergency response abilities that can make the difference between life and death. One such commodity is a blood bank.

In Cairo, the chance of dying in an Ambulance en-route to the hospital after a car wreck, or dying in the hospital itself, are almost higher than the odds of the car accident killing you to begin with. With an estimated 30,000 car accidents in Egypt every year, providing adequate emergency response mechanisms to at least allow doctors and nurses the chance to save a life is crucial. In the post-revolution Egypt these figures are not slowing down; many people will testify that they fear driving in the country more now than they ever did during the Mubarak era. That's saying something.

Residents in Hurghada have decided that enough is enough. One of the most important things for a hospital to have on hand in case of an accident is blood. A work-related injury sustained by an individual in Hurghada made it blatantly clear that crucial element was missing.

Following his injury, Mo* was forced to wait almost three days before doctors would operate on him as there was apparently no blood available. Even worse, Mo - who earns an estimated 400 LE (less than 80 US dollars) salary a month - was asked to pay 500 LE for a half litre of blood alone (this does not include the expenses of the surgery!). First aid assistance should not be something that we are in the business of charging people for, particularly when their lives hang in the balance.

Mo's story has prompted the creation of a website whereby residents of Hurghada can register, mark down their blood type (with confidentiality ensured), and should the need arise for blood of that type they will be called and asked to come to the hospital or local clinic to make the donation. An early idea yet in its introductory phases, there remain a few kinks to be worked out, but the idea itself is solid.

This way it is not only guaranteed that your blood is coming directly to you, there's less chance of confusion in administering the wrong blood type - which can have disastrous and fatal results. My main concern remains with the facilities that would be collecting the blood, as I am very picky when it comes to sterilization of equipment, but I would highly endorse this project as one way for residents to truly give back to the community.

For more information or to register, please visit BloodBank Hurghada Online.


* Name changed for privacy reasons

Fantasia Exchange is not so fantastic

Sometimes I just really do not understand people. The general blanket belief that we were all born stupid. Yet time and time again I am seeing examples of people who obviously believe just that. 

Corruption is again thriving in Egypt. I don't know if it ever actually disappeared, but at least it appeared to do so for a short period of time there. 

The sad thing about corruption in this country is that it is not a phenomenon reserved to the upper echelons of society. No, it goes all the way down to the bottom feeders. Enter Fantasia Exchange, located on Sheraton Street.

 

I am regularly exchanging currency so I keep up to date with the conversion rates. Currently, the dollar sits around 5.94 EGP to 1 U.S. dollar, give or take a few piasters. It has sat around this rate for a few months now.

With the ongoing banking crisis in the world it is of course normal for currency exchange rates to fluctuate. These fluctuations are rarely as dramatic as falling an entire Egyptian pound however, unless the economy of the 'host' country if you will has completely collapsed. It rarely happens over-night. 

But Fantasia Exchange would have you believe it does. Or, they just assume that you're ignorant and don't bother to check exchange rates before attempting the conversion.

Now, I have previously blogged about the Nile Exchange located on Sheraton Street and their blatant thievery. Let's take the exchange rate of today as an example. 

The rate today as posted online is: 1 U.S. $ equals 5.962 Egyptian Pounds. 

Therefore you would expect exchange places to hover around this figure. They make take a slight commission, but nothing really noticeable. 

Until you go to Nile Exchange. 

There, you would see the following exchange rate: 

1 U.S. $ equals 5.092 Egyptian pounds. 

Sneaky beggers. 

This means essentially that for every 100 U.S. $ you convert, you're losing close to 20 $ (or 100 EGP). That is not a small sum of money. 

Fantasia Exchange have decided that they too want in on this game. Meaning, were you to go to Fantasia Exchange you would notice the same 0 placed after the decimal point.

Is it coincidence these two are basically across the street from one another? Did someone in Nile Exchange march across the road and tell the tellers they could line their pockets with HUNDREDS of EGP every day by adding in this figure?

The sad thing is that I used to use Fantasia to exchange money. No longer my friends. Is it too much to expect honesty these days? 

So, consider yourself warned. If you choose to frequent either of these exchange places, expect to get ripped off. 

Click here for a great currency conversion site online.