On the way, as we passed an island in the center of the Nile, we were attacked by scurvy bandits in little, toy boats. They came up alongside and grabbed hold of the hull, just behind me, and proceeded to sing. And let me tell you..., "row row row your boat" never, ever sounded so bad...

While we were being waylaid, some other toy boats came to latch onto other feluccas, just so we could see it was a commie plot. The sailor didn't seem to mind. So I slid into MC mode and said "Ladies and gentlemen, for your listening displeasure, I give you..., the amazing, singing barnacles." That got a laugh.

But then I paid for it. Not long thereafter, during a slow lull in the serenade, I felt a finger jabbing into my side. I looked down and one of the kids was looking up at me with his hand outstretched.

"Gimmie money!" he said.

I sure wasn't in a giving mood. Fortunately, someone else passed him and his stage partner some Pounds, and then off they went to assault another felucca. You wonder where those kids' parents are, but then they're probably the ones telling them to go make some money.

The really funny thing is something you really can't see, here. The ship the kids are in is named "Titanic"...