Submitted by Karen Bray (Canada), Mar 26, 2017 at 04:43
Good morning Siobhan and all fellow readers,
Thanks for your comment as it made me smile Siobhan !!
That's a total surprise about Algeria being a major producer of wine. They must've specialized in the dry wines !! Lol
After all it's such a dry and hot place.
My second visit to Sebdou Algeria was in the middle of August....holy s..t it was friggen hot !! There was no air conditioning or even an oscillating fan to cool yourself at night. I'm menopausal and having a hot flash when it's already 115 degrees was a nightmare. I would have dreams of being in an bathtub full of ice cubes.
My time there couldn't have passed fast enough in that deplorable heat. His family would start their ever ending chores in the early morning hours before it got too hot. By noon it was already 115 degrees. I would get tired just watching the ladies doing all this work. It was visually exhausting. By 1pm it was seista time and everyone went to their rooms and slept all afternoon. I couldn't do this as I would be awake all night.
On this particular visit my departure flight was from Oran.
That airport was deplorable to say the least. It was jammed packed with ppl that day and if there was air conditioning you'd never know it. I was so hot and sweaty to say the least My hair was drenched with sweat and my clothes were stuck to my body. I had quit smoking prior to my visit. But as soon as I passed thru immigration and security I immediately went to the duty free shop and bought cigarettes!! Then I went to the cafe place got a cold drink (of course there is no alcohol in these places) opened the cigarettes and stood there and inhaled my first puff in months. I felt immediate relief of the stress I was feeling. Oh my !...the look from the men in there should've buried me !!! I even had to ask a man for a light as I had no lighter. As I looked around me and seen the faces starring at me I thought "yup, I'm a Canadian woman and I love it " as I raised my bottle of cold water as if to toast the onlookers I also thought how thankful I am for being a free lady where I can do whatever I want whenever I want.
You certainly learn quickly how to appreciate the life you have. Why would anyone want to compromise or sacrifice this for a MENA rat.
Stay tuned as I have more experiences to share.
Take care everyone and God bless.
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