Another day in Mascara then to Algiers

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After breakfast this morning, Halima happened to see a blouse I'd bought in France in my suitcase, so I brought it out and proudly showed her. When I went to put it away she looked offended, then she asked me to return the arab dress she'd bought me. Bewildered I looked at Habib who had burst out laughing at yet another cultural misunderstanding. After some discussion in arabic he explained to me that in arab culture, if you show someone something and they admire it, it's their's! Thank God Habib was here to sort us out!

Habib then left to see his parents in Sidi Kada again and will be back tomorrow. We had the usual odd collection of children and women for lunch. As usual they were all staring at me and watching every single movement I made. Mami sat on my left and another girl sat on my right and they didn't take their eyes off me. A crowd even followed me when I went to the toilet; the only place I got 5 minutes of space. They stood outside with a bowl of water in case I needed it.

After lunch we went for a walk to the market and I never had a hand free - the children all took turns in holding my hands, so we would be at least three, sometimes five, in a row holding hands, which made it tricky to manoeuvre through the crowded market place without scooping people up along the way.

We had dinner at a neighbour's house; "Fatima's". The food was delicious and Fatima gave me some bangles. I got talking to Fatima's 18 year old daughter who speaks good French (of course, English is still unheard of).

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9th November - We leave for Algiers

When I woke up this morning, I didn't immediately open my eyes because I knew that I was already being watched and I relished this few minutes of space before I was on show again. When I did open my eyes, about 6 pairs of eyes were on me. The children and women had been sitting next to my mattress waiting for who knows how long. After breakfast, Habib returned, and it was a great relief. Just before lunch, some of the women gave me another belly dancing lesson and it amused them so much it drew a big crowd.

Habib and I packed our bags and got ready to go to the airport. Halima told me to come back anytime, even if Habib does a runner, I was welcome. It was countless kisses on each cheek from almost everyone is the street, then a friend of Habib's drove us to the airport.

Our plane left at 4pm and the bumby 15 seater Fokker took us across Algeria from the south-west to the north; the capital of Algeria; Algiers. Down below we could see all the little villages and and houses spread higgley-piggledy all over the place. There wer lakes and rivers and fianlly the ocean and the city of Algiers. Kamel had come to meet us at the airport with Soraya, his four year old daughter who came running up to meet us.

We had dinner at Claudine's house (she is Kamel's Swiss sister in law) and we saw her new baby. Then we went back to Kamel's to sleep. We had a room to ourselves and space without people staring at us!

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