A Little Drop Of Red

Okay, I may not be an alcoholic, but I still acknowledge that it is a personal achievement to have gone two weeks without any red wine!!!! I made a conscious choice before leaving Australia, that I would abstain for the month that I was in Egypt. The reason is two-fold; this is an Islamic country & I am trying to be a respectful tourist &, I want to prove to myself that I am not dependent. The value of this will also be that when I resume the partaking of the occasional glass, I will value the skill of the winemaker all the more! All this abstaining however, has not been without temptations along the way. A glass of red on the Dahibeya, watching the sunset, would have been sublime, & yesterday, being Christmas, I was also tempted to pop the cork, but with a 375ml bottle of Egyptian red from our minibar costing the equivalent of $30 Australian dollars......no thanks! There has been a non-alcoholic red beverage that I have been imbibing with pleasure though....Karkada! It can be served hot, as a tea or cold & heavily laced with sugar. It is made from the Hibiscus flower, & is very good for lowering blood pressure (allegedly) & also a refreshing drink on a hot Egyptian day! It was also used to transform the naturally black Henna, used for hair & cosmetic coloring, into the red pigment that it is known for today!! We have seen baskets of the dried flowers for sale outside shops, as it is so commonly used here. It may not REALLY fill the gap as far as wine consumption is concerned...but it is a good colour!!!!!