30th March 2008

Regular visitors to our Newsletter will know that we have visits from snakes, mostly cobras, at our villa on a regular basis and it drives our dogs, Marcy and Tufty, absolutely crazy, causing them to bark whenever it moves.

Early in March, the night before Graham's mum and dad went home, we all ate outside but Marcy and Tufty wouldn't stop barking at a bush by our bedroom window. We hit the bush with a stick and a hiss was duly returned so we had a new guest.

This carried on every night for a week so obviously our guest was not going to leave and had set up squatters rights so we were left no option but to call the snake catcher in which took another week to organise, not because of his unwillingness to come down but due to our commitment to the people and animals of El Marise and Armant as part of Animal Welfare Of Luxor.

The snake catcher arrived and it was impressive and somewhat scary to watch him work. He came through our gate and Am Said (the man who looks after our house) tried to take him straight around the back to the bush by the bedroom window but the snake man told him to "shut up and sit down" as he could obviously smell something. He opened his mouth, just a little, and his throat started to vibrate at an amazing rate. We could hear no sound emitting from him but obviously a snake could as about three metres away we could hear movement and an occasional hiss. Still vibrating his throat the snake catcher just walked towards the snake, put his hand into the bush and pulled out a cobra that was a good size and actually larger than anything we had ever seen at Fellahs Tent. It was quite amazing to watch as the snake catcher seemed to have total control over the snake.

Once around the back of the villa the snake catcher used his sense of smell to locate the one in the bush and actually bobbed down and went into the bush to bring it out. Even he was impressed by it's size and this caused some consternation with Am Said and a couple of Egyptian friends from along our track who had come to watch but the smile would soon be taken from their faces. Whilst the snake catcher did his vibrating throat thing the cobra would do whatever he wanted it to do but when he stopped it was a different story. We managed to take several photos and we thought this was an end to it but once the snake catcher had put this snake in his little pot he went along our nile terrace doing his thing and then suddenly a snake replied and it was under a hibiscus bush exactly where our Egyptian friends from along the track were standing. It was like something out of a crazy movie, never knew they could move so fast. How they didn't end up in the nile we will never know. Anyway the snake catcher picked it up and controlled it just like the others.

We all had a good laugh about it afterwards but the whole experience was quite amazing. Some people here say the snake catchers are phony and have the snakes hidden upon their person but not in this case, the pot was empty on arrival and the snake catcher was too small to have hidden one snake on his person let alone all three snakes as they were completely different in size and colouration. It was really amazing to watch and we have had peaceful evenings ever since.

Charlie continues with his growing spell and will soon need his little operation. Our other cats Harry and Dusty are both well and do not stray far from home even though Tufty chases them. Now the snake has gone Tufty and Marcy bark at any bird that flies over as they feel it is their air space but at least they are now quiet at night.

If you would like to meet up when you come over we would love see you. Click Here for a page you can print off with our contact details and where you can meet us. Thank you all for the bits you have brought over but if you have any room in your case we would still like a tin or four of Homepride Curry Sauce, Colmans English Mustard, Branston Pickle or horseradish sauce. We also need some more Jif or Cif or whatever they call it now as cream cleaners are just not available in Luxor. We will of course pay you for anything you bring and don't forget the wish list on the Animal Welfare Of Luxor web site for items needed to help the animals.

If there is anything you would like to know then do send us an e-mail. We always reply but it can take several days as we have to go into Luxor as we do not have a phone at home.

Pauline and Graham XX

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