Not Passed Over This Time

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Locust swarms advance into Egypt

Yesterday was overcast, but not all of the clouds were just water vapour. Enormous swarms of locusts, huge red grasshoppers longer than a man's finger, roughly the size of a house sparrow though lighter, were traveling through the country. Reports from local radio mentioned locusts landing throughout Cairo, but I saw none in my immediate environment. Friends of mine who had been riding in the desert just west of us told me that they saw quite a few in the desert, and this morning another friend who has a farm south of Dahshur reported that he spent the night with his neighbours burning tires, banging drums, and playing loud music to keep them from landing on their fields.

It's not clear where they are all headed. News reports say that they are headed for the Red Sea, where the fish will undoubtedly be delighted, while the tourists will be less delighted. On the other hand, other reports suggest that they are headed down the Nile Valley towards Sudan and Ethiopia, two countries that can little afford the visitors. Now if my gerbils will allow me to connect to the net for news....