HORSES LUXOR EGYPT

http://www.nilelife5.blogspot.com/

luxor egypt

ring-necked plover

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green ringed hawker

still do not know the name of this butterfly,

neclklaces of sand flies/bees

Policing in Egypt.

 I feel very sorry for the police here in Egypt  all this hard work they have to do not to mention  looking and trying to solve the big problem they have with contraband  and the widespread use of drugs. like looking for a needle in a haystack I should imagine,   they can fool some of the people sometimes but not all the people all of the time.
No such thing as fallen off the back of a lorry here,  fallen from a donkey cart as these cigarettes may have done is more like . there is a lot of contraband in Luxor at the moment the police have been raiding the tourist markets confiscating brands such as nike  dolc and cabana , they will most likely find there way again on to the market, knowing how corrupt the country is.

They run about like headless chickens in

the market area here in the street behind my flat,  I know when the police raid is on,   there is a lot of noise and stall holders taking the goods from the street back into the shop  those who have no shop  take the  goods into a back alley  out of view of the police  search team,

once the police have gone,  back comes the stall holder and hangs his stuff up. all the cops have to do is look behind them. but no not these guys. they have had the orders to search and stop illegal trading so they do what they have been ordered,  not their fault the stall holder is a bit more crafty then the cops.

 they can only find whats in front of their nose, the hops are only licensed to sell within the confines of the shop they rent, no one is supposed to sell or Hang anything in the street, the reason is because  the local  council get no rent from the illegal traders.

 Nile river police men one of the many who sits on the floating boarding platform of the National ferry, boots unlaced as all these police seem to have  ready for taking off when they get a call to prayer, they will sit there all day until its time they need money and go after one of the small craft that take the tourist on a Nile scenic  ride,  easy target  as its the tourist who end up paying the cops bribery money. last time I took a boat ride it cost me an extra 50 because the cops stopped the boat.

Greco and the Periplaneta americana, American cockroach

Sitting on my balcony at 21.00  There was 5 Greco's on the opposite wall of the alley way.
 one was brave enough to tackle this Periplaneta americana, American cockroach.

the shot was taken at 30ft from the subject with flash.

The Temple of Medinet Habu at sunset.4.6.10

Medinet Habu is the name commonly given to the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses 111
an important New Kingdom period structure in the location of the same name on the West Bank of Luxor in Egypt. Aside from its intrinsic size and architectural and artistic importance, the temple is probably best known as the source of inscribed reliefs depicting the advent and defeat of the Sea Peoples during the reign of Ramesses III.    over 100 photos of the temple and columns and hieroglyph reliefs are now on
http://myegypttours.blogspot.com/

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Little white Egret.

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Common Bulbul 

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Nile perch 

 

No bugs around I wonder! Why?

One of the bugs the skinks do not eat,

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they only live where there is garbage or dung and rather than go to a smelly dump. I opted to go to a cleaner environment, or so I thought  this being an area where all the tourists  have a stroll  along the lower walk of the promenade, this is the area already under re construction IE all the cruise ships and the moorings  ,fuel pipes etc have been moved ready for the dig  where I am walking will eventually be the level of the new prom,
  but here there is nothing for the skinks.  so I walk on to where the boats are parked sometimes 11 in a row.

One of the juniors with its bright blue tail.

there are a few gardens here  But also a dump for kitchen waste from the boats. here the flies gather  plus the rats, and its a good feeding area for our bug cleaners, the skinks,  and there are hundreds of them here often the run across the walk to get a drink in the Nile,  these  are about 6" in length  Not sure what they are once they grow bigger, if they grow any larger the next size I have seen are over 9" then they are monitor lizards.

Giant monitor lizard found in Egypt

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_philippines_giant_lizard
 This one  I photographed  7/4/10  and is over 9ft long  its tail is over a meter
 making it bigger than the one found in the Philippines

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The other little  bug eaters are the Grecos  last night there was 6 on the wall opposite my balcony,  I live watching these move  looks like the wall is velcro. and these have velcro pads on the feet.  photos taken with flash from 30ft

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 the Squacco has more interest in the little monitor lizard  than me.

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Thistle flower

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never have I seen a flower like this on the thistle  the whole plant it seems has grown in a couple of weeks  in the most arid of land  The only thing I can think how it gets its moisture is from the banana tree stumps left in the ground the trees  were taken down a few months ago,  the Nile is at a 20 ft lower level.




this is the area the cattle egret used to take twigs from  for nest building ,

luxor street and pavements.

 sunset over Luxor

just below my balcony the furniture painters use what smells like car paint and the smell sticks in the throat,
no health and safety in Egypt,

Not what we expect to see a butcher in the side street just off the main tourist bus route. the fumes and  smoke from the coffee shps bubble pipes must make a nice flavour to the meat.

Chickens for sale
a street vendor selling hens, do they lay eggs,can I cook them, where do I get food for them, I asked.

The new bath is in place all we need now is a footpath to get to it