Bernadette Simpson's Blog, page 6
August 12, 2011
B is for Butterfly
And this little beauty is called a Grass Jewel (Chilades trochylus). At only 14 – 18 mm, she is one of the smallest butterflies in the world and lives mostly in arid regions. I snapped this shot on a hike through Wadi Arbaeen in St. Katherine´s Protectorate. The butterfly is resting on the leaves of a Sinai milkweed plant. Need help identifying the butterflies you see in Egypt? Check out Butterflies of Egypt: Atlas, Red Data Listing, & Conservation by Francis Gilbert and Samy Zalat. Prepared for the Nature Conservation Sector of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), this publication is available as a free PDF download.
August 8, 2011
W is for Winners!
Thanks to everyone who stopped by and signed up for the Summer Giveaway! With the help of Random.org, the winners of my giveaway have been chosen. And they are: Nikita, Kulsuma who blogs about books at Sunshine and Stardust, and Darlene who blogs over at Darlene´s Book Nook. You should all have received an email with a link to the free download of An ABC Escapade through Egypt eBook. And if you didn´t win but are still interested in the eBook, you can purchase it here for only $3!
Happy reading everyone!
August 4, 2011
M is for Mmmm, Mmmm….Mangoes!
Mmmm, mmmm, mangoes! I can never say enough about mangoes. 
As you may know, mangoes feature in my book An ABC Escapade through Egypt and they have also shown up on this blog before.
Mangoes are on the top of most everyone´s favorite fruits here in Egypt, but how fans go about devouring them can vary. Some prefer to cut the mango in half, pull out the seed, and then scoop the flesh out with a spoon. But others prefer the criss-cross cut method pictured above. What about you? How do you break into your juicy treat?
July 29, 2011
F is for Fjord, a False Fjord that is!
About 10 km south of Taba in south Sinai is the famous fjord – a place I have been wanting to visit since my first trip to Sinai all those years ago. Well, we finally made it last weekend! Above is a photo looking out to sea. We enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch under that arisha (sunshade). And then a few refreshing snorkels around the reefs. My husband took a wander around the mountain and through some nearby wadis…and came back with two big bags of trash. The area needs some assistance with rubbish removal, as does all of Sinai, but all in all, the fjord is a lovely place to spend a summer afternoon by the sea!
Below is a photo (not mine) of the fjord from above. There is a small rest stop and cafeteria at the top of the mountain behind the fjord which boasts spectacular views!
Photo by Sarah Othman, flickr.com, CC BY-NC-SA
Fjords are inlets of sea water surrounded by high cliffs and mountains. True fjords were created by glaciers. But the differences between the Scandinavian use of the word fjord and the English use has led many inlets around the world to be inaccurately labeled as ¨fjords¨. These ¨false fjords¨ are not formed by glaciers melting and moving, but rather they are inlets formed by river erosion or some other natural activity. Not sure who first called this particular inlet a ¨fjord¨ in English…and I´m not sure what it is called in Arabic. We should have paid more attention to the signs! Anyone know?
July 23, 2011
B is for Beautiful Beetles
Yes, I think beetles can be beautiful! This one certainly is. Apparently, beetles are the largest group of insects in the world, with between 350,000 – 370,000 different species identified so far. Unfortunately, I have yet to perfect my beetle-identifying skills. Birds, butterflies, lizards, plants – I can manage, but I am lost with these bugs. The Internet boasts lots of information about scarabs in ancient Egypt, but I´ll have to continue my search for useful info. The What´s That Bug? website may prove useful for anyone else trying to ID creepy crawlies.
July 15, 2011
A is for Airport Advertisements
My recent summertime travels meant spending several hours at the Cairo International Airport. We were lucky enough to spend many of those hours in the new Terminal 3, which is just beautiful and clean and comfortable – and helped Cairo win a "Most Improved Airport" award from Skytrax in 2010.
I, of course, occupied myself with taking photographs and was amused by the new advertisements for Egypt by a local mobile phone company:
#1
#2
#3
My favorite is #3, because it's the only statement I can agree with. What's your favorite or your thoughts on these advertisements?
June 24, 2011
K is for Karkade
K is for Karkade! And obviously I´m in a food and drink mood lately. These are the dried hibiscus flower petals that are used to brew karkade, a drink popular hot or cold. Maybe I should have posted this photo before the one of the simmering petals that I posted last summer. 
I said it then and I´ll say it again – karkade makes an excellent plastic-free beverage if you buy the petals in bulk using your own container or bag.
Last night, I discovered an ice cream parlor in Cairo that was selling karkade ice cream. That´s a flavor I´ve never seen before! So perhaps you could even use your brewed beverage to make popsicles or some other frozen treat.
Karkade is pronounced (kar-ke-day) كركديه
June 11, 2011
M is for Mouthwatering MishMish
Mmmmm….mouthwatering mishmish! مشمش Or apricots as we call them in English. Another popular summer fruit here in Egypt. Crisp and tangy at the moment, soft and sweet when more fully ripe.
And just a few more facts from the FAO:
In 2008, Egypt ranked #9 worldwide in apricot production, growing 106,165 MT.
Any guesses on which country produces the most mouthwatering mishmish?!
May 25, 2011
P is for Perfect Peaches!
The season is NOW if you want to snack on these perfect peaches!
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, in 2008, Egypt ranked #8 worldwide in their production of peaches and nectarines, growing 399,416 MT (metric ton = 1,000 kilograms). China is the world's top producer and also where this fruit originates.
And according to this Good Food Guide website, Egypt exports at least 4 different varieties to the UK in April and May – Florida Prince, Tropic Prince, Florida Star, and Ruby Crest. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what variety we have at our grocers here in Dahab, but as long as they're yummy it doesn't really matter, does it? :-)
May 21, 2011
F is for Festivals
On a much smaller scale than the Characters of Egypt Festival, Dahab this past week hosted both the first annual (inshallah) Dahab Bedouin Festival and Dahab Festival (of Watersports, Culture, and Desert Adventure).
You can view my photos of the various events of the Dahab Bedouin Festival here - camel races, children's activities, handicrafts and herbs market, weaving workshop, culture and nature workshops, and more!
Dahab Bedouin Festival by bernadettesimpson
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