Okay, about this camel thing. I'm starting to get a bit upset.
So far Mike has tried to sell me to Pepsi Mullah (one of the holy men we know, so called because he always has a cold one in his hand) he looked appalled. Dr Rianne is doing much better -- offers for her so far include one chicken, two rocket launchers, and a small shovel. I'm obviously way out of condition. My sister got offered half a million camels for me once -- but I was younger and thinner then.
Ah ha, I've just seen a reply to Mike's blog -- 41 Camels and a Heineken to get me back home -- things are looking up (mind you -- I don't know who sent the offer...)
Still I did win $30 in a bet last night...
We were back at what is rapidly becoming our local, and this time the beer was actually really cold. Mini Mo had a hangover yesterday after just three beers -- it must be the heat getting to him. So he went for a swim in the hotel pool to clear his head. If you don't stay there it costs five bucks for the swim.
We usually eat there as well. The food is pretty ropey -- for some reason here the hotels think it is beneath them to serve the delicious local food that we have had in people's homes -- they shake their head and dismissively call it "food for in the house". So instead we get dog burger tasting meals with bizarrely translated names (on the menu yesterday was a salade neese swaze) and a lot of Chinese food. The service is terrible -- you have to ask at least three people before anything happens and then wait 40 minutes for the results.
So, after the swim last night Mo was on good form. Ever since we arrived in Iraq, Mo keeps laying down daft challenges and offering up stupid bets (I will pay you two dollars to run naked the length of the traffic jump... etc). Jumping fully clothed in the hotel pool has been a recurring one. But last night he made a mistake and offered $10 for it. It was rapidly matched by Mike and by a tv crew we were chatting to.
What the hell, anything to get him past the current obsession. So in the pool I go, much to the surprise of those around it. It was lovely and cool, even if my baggy khakis were dragging me down a bit.
In flash though, one of the hotel staff was at the side of the pool, demanding five dollars for the use thereof -- never seen those guys move so fast.
I gave him ten to make up for being cheeky -- but he still brought me change. I realised I had paid out of my winings -- bloody typical -- tight bunch this team and now I'm five dollars down.
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