I am accustomed to emails and calls from friends who are enjoying lovely weather in Florida, California and North Carolina. They read Torch Lake Views to remind themselves how wise they were to depart during the temperamental months. They always mention how pretty the snow looks in the pictures.
Then there’s Helmy El-Sherif. Not content with a simple email saying “We’re having a wonderful time cruising up the Nile and visiting family in Cairo and Alexandria,” he sends a twenty-page travelogue with photos. The sun. The wonderful food. The day his daughter Jennifer was bitten by a lion cub at a roadside petting zoo. The Sphinx. The camels. This is not the sort of thing that ever happens to me on my vacations. See for yourself.
The El-Sherifs ride the desert ships: Jennifer, Jumana, Diana, Alexandra, Helmy and Tarek
Now I ask you, does that look like fun? More fun than, say, ice-fishing? More fun than, say, pulling on my YakTrax to walk the dogs at Barnes Park? It does, doesn’t it. It looks like more fun. Rats.
If you are having even more fun than Nile-cruising and camel-riding, send us a picture. I’ll whimper a little, but I’ll post it.
Torch Lake Views 
katherine
March 20, 2009
Nope, here with you putting on my yak trax to walk dogs at the park. Not today though, for the first time, no big heavy boots YEA YEA and crocus but none in my yard yet.
It sure does look like fun to ride a camel…. someday maybe.
Scott Thomas Photography
March 21, 2009
I hear they spit. LOL
Great shot and I’m with all of you except our snow is gone here.
Gerry
March 21, 2009
I’m thinking of sponsoring a competition to guess when the snowpile in Sonny’s parking lot finally disappears. I’m betting May 1 myself.
I believe camels used to spit, but they’ve all gone to rehab.
helmy El-Sherif
March 21, 2009
Thank you Gerry. It was a great trip, in particular that three generation living in America got to rekindle the relationship with their Egyptian roots and got along extremely well with the corresponding three generations on the other side of the globe. We never felt any danger while there and always felt safe.
Before leaving for Egypt, I purchased American Express Travellers Checks, based on my experience when I visited Egypt ten years ago. Kenny, my son laughed at me and he said the world had changed and everyone uses ATM machines. When I tried to cash the first check, the clerk asked what are these? He asked why don’t I use the ATM machine. I did, had a sore hand as I returned the checks to the bank after my return, I had the best exchange rate, and I had to swallow my ego as I wrote to Kenny, my little son, That he was correct.
This experience was again repeated in Jordan and goes to reaffirm that America is still the beacon of progress and the whole world looks to our leadership, including getting out of the current global fiscal difficulties.
Thanks for sharing this with the Torch Lake residents.
Gerry
March 21, 2009
It’s torture to admit when your grown children are right and you are, er, wrong. I have a lot of experience with this particular challenge.
I rather think TLV readers from farflung places, including Australia and the UK and Florida and Denmark all found themselves astonished, paws raised in the air, ears pinned back, at the camels and the lion cub tales emanating from Torch Lake Township. Thanks for sharing . . .