Work starts to pay

Sunday, went down to Rami’s in the afternoon to do some work on the site, add content etc.

While there, Rami introduced me to Michael, a dentist, who was interested in seeing the site so I showed it to him.

He wanted to advertise on the site so I arranged to go around to his surgery on Monday and take some photos.

Yes, I’ve already had the comments of “Yum” and “I wouldn’t mind in my mouth”.

Stopped of at Shahrazad for one which turned into a few before coming home, as I had my laptop on me and kept thinking of “one more thing to do”.

After a bit of a lie in, bathed, shaved and caffeine’d up, I grabbed a cab to The Church, as Dr Mike’s dental surgery is opposite.  Grabbed a coffee in the coffee shop across the road while the sun was beating me with 30 degrees of loveliness! Popped up and took some photos of him, his surgery etc, then a cab back to the apartment where I loaded up the photos and added the information to the website.  300 LE in pocket (I gave it to him for half price and will receive discounted dental treatment ;))

Down to Rami’s in the evening to show my face, it was his birthday so I managed to procure a Zippo lighter for him.  A few drinks and after arranging to meet Alan, manager of the Sindbad group, headed home to bed.

Tuesday morning saw me up early as Rami had offered to take me to the visa office.  Ashraf had called me at 4:30 to say he was coming back, which he’d told me yesterday, so I set my alarm for 7am.

The snooze button is a wonderful thing and at 8am Ashraf called to tell me he was in Shahrazad. I got up, had a coffee, got my stuff together for the visa and headed down where I found him already on the beer.

I had a couple of coffees, lots of water and the odd mango juice while waiting for Rami (called at 9am as requested, he came at 9am Egyptian time – 11am ;) then headed off to the visa office.

Rami charmed the woman behind the desk and in no time we were being told “come back in an hour”.

I accompanied Rami as he stopped off here and there, doing favours for friends on the way back to Joli Pub, where I consumed another litre of water before we headed back to the visa office.  Within 5 minutes I was presented with my passport complete with a 12 month visa and 6 month multiple-entry visa :) Result!

Headed back to Rami’s house which is a gorgeous villa entertaining fantastic views, then back on to Joli Pub.

No sign of Ashraf, had a beer then headed home to get some food, meet Amgad to give him my business card graphic and see what had happened to Ashraf.

Back in the apartment, he was sleeping so I cooked myself veal chops with mash, peas and gravy.  Just as I was sitting down to eat he woke up, poured a glass of wine, washed and then went off to Joli Pub.

I had a fair bit of work to do for ATC so I sat doing that until Amgad woke up around 7:30, when we headed over to Joli Pub to meet Ashraf, as Amgad had found him an apartment.

We looked at that apartment and 3 others but none were good enough for Ashraf.  Back to Joli Pub and first Alan and then Rami took him to see other apartments.  Still not good enough.  Rami and the other guys were getting very pissed off with Ashraf.

I demonstrated www.abouthurghada.com to Alan and he was very enthusiastic and gave me the numbers the Thomas Cook contact and also that of the marketing manager for Sindbad group.

I stayed with Ashraf until about 11:30 then headed home to bed.

Into my apartment to find that Amgad’s cat Rita was back on my balcony and no sign of Amgad, so she spent the night on my bed.

No sign of Ashraf this morning, cat’s still here though.

Coffee and eggy bread are the order of the day I think.