See Egypt

["Maryanne Stroud Gabbani" <gabbani@starnet.com.eg>]

Well, guys,
From what I can tell from contact with the press here, some of you may get
the chance of seeing my stomping grounds and if you're REALLY unlucky,
me....since I know I'm going to be sunburned, harrassed, short of sleep and
generally somewhat untidy. They are doing the obligatory live satelite feed
to the Gulf, but apparently, CNN, Reuters, AP and so far ABC news are all
covering our little 100 km class B race. Am having a VERY INTERESTING time
in the Chinese sense ( referring to the Chinese curse: May you live in
interesting times.) but so far surviving. Right now I just wish everyone
would go home so I could go out for rides on my Dorika who has, after 7
months of rest, recovered enough from her sesamoid injury to go out for
walks in the farm area and become reacquainted with camels, water buffalo,
back hoes, little threshing machines, weirdly constructed wooden and
concrete bridges over irrigation canals, motorcycles, sheep, goats,
chickens, ducks, geese, donkeys carrying God knows what, little kids rushing
out of doorways screaming.....you get the picture. We ride along trails that
go through villages so it's pretty crazy....but this is how you get a TRULY
bombproof horse.
There will be some serious stories coming out of this experience once I have
the time to document it. And I want to document it because it's been a major
learning experience for all of us.
Wish me luck and please send survival vibes.
Maryanne Stroud Gabbani
Cairo, Egypt
gabbani@starnet.com.eg