Oooooh

22 hours ago I got three hours sleep. My fault.  Things broke just right so the only time I could sleep I didn't want to, so I decided to tough it out.  Seven more hours to go, about.  Then I will either sleep or go for a walk or give Ush a call.

So, here I sit, drinking coffee in Turkey, waiting for a plane.  Trying to tell the difference by sound between Arabic, Kurdish, Hebrew and Turkic.  I think I have heard all of them today.  As well as English, German, Russian and I think Korean.  The lines have been long, long enough that over ten planes are delayed waiting for passengers who are waiting for passes.

A long talk with a tour guide from Manchester who brings pilgrims on the Hadj. It's not the right season for the Hadj, but there is the "Little Hadj" which can be done any time.   It doesn't fulfill the requirement of the Pillars, but it is far less crowded, easier, less frantic.

Another tour group returning from Nigeria. A young man going home to Houston after working on oil rigs in Iraq.  An Omani family talking to their little girl- about three years old, in English.  Either a new fashion or something that has meaning- several young men in sandals and black hooded dishdashes that seem to be made out of parachute nylon.  Very odd.  An awesome world in ways that I too often take for granted.