Sandstorm!

It was not a military operation nor is at a popular techno song, but what we we witnessed last Friday was a straight up, not kidding you, Sandstorm. We had heard they would be coming, but no one could prepare us for that day. I was going to meet a friend for a birthday party at the Hard Rock Cafe (I know, not very culturally adventurous, but they had an all you can eat beer and wings so I couldn't really blame him for his choice) and right as I stepped out the door, I knew something was in the air. That something was lots of sand. Gusts of wind were shooting the small particles everywhere, and so I put on my sunglasses even though it was dusk. Visibility was at an all time low as I headed towards the Nile, and not just because I was wearing sunglasses at 6:30 pm. The usual landmarks of hotels dotting the river were almost invisible in the yellow haze, and I had to keep my mouth shut tight lest I should get a mouthful of sandy delight. I found my way into the restaurant and congratulated myself for surviving my first, but probably not my last Sandstorm.

April is notorious for the sandstorm season, what the Egyptians call the "khamseen". This is not very comforting if you know Arabic and realize that "khamseen" means 50, as in the sandstorm season can last for FIFTY DAYS!! Here is a photo that I took of the storm approaching the outskirts of Cairo




April Fools! Thats not Cairo, thats somewhere in Sudan, and I couldn't be happier about it. But it is much more dramatic than a photo of me at the Hard Rock Cafe with dust on my sunglasses. But who knows, that could be what hits Cairo in a few days. Its starting to make a little more sense why these Arabs have a thing for scarves, isn't it funny how it all comes back to regional weather patterns? Anyways, as of yet, the sandstorm season has been pretty tame. I haven't yet woken up to my windows blown open and my bed covered in sand (heard that from a friend) nor have I had to seek refuge in Auntie Em's cellar.

To keep you entertained as Pauline gets dusty, here are some fun facts about the khamseen:
1. The sandstorms blow in from the south to the northwest, in opposition to the prevailing winds.
2. About 40 million tons of dust are transported annually from the Sahara (thats my hood) to the Amazon basin (very very far away from my hood)
3. Pauline was going to make another trip out to the desert, but is currently rethinking that decision. "If sandstorms are bad in the city, lets go to where there is MORE sand to stir up...."

So.....Anyone coming to visit me this month?

see http://www.egyptsearch.com/forums/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=016087 to see where I got my fun facts and ridiculous photo.