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Once we got out to the point of no return, the sailor took over the show and his trusty assistant started to regale us with a "Nubian sailing song." After he was done, the guy started to tack back into the wind..., and out came the trinkets for sale. "Duty free!" Medhat joked. Just about -- camel bone daggers and hard plastic necklaces you wouldn't wear to a funeral were wagged under our noses. Round and round the salesman went, daring us to not buy anything. The pressure mounted, someone cracked..., and then we all had cheap souvenirs.  And as for that song, I was able to get a partial translation of the lyrics once we were back on shore, and boy am I glad mom bought so many camel-bone daggers: They don't know they've been scammed (Oh - a lay ray) Gonna take them into deep water (Oh - a lay ray) And make them buy my cheap crap (Oh - a lay ray) Or we'll never go back to shore (Oh - a lay ray) I can survive off flies for days - hey! (Oh - a lay ray) blah-blah-blah-blah-BLAH (Oh - a lay ray) blah-blah blah-blah-blah BLAH (Oh - a lay ray) Poppa-oo-oo-mow-mow-mow-mow (etc.)" (Insert Johnny Rotten: "Ever get the feeling you been cheated?")    |