INSIDE INFO

at the front and curtained off private tents towards the rear. After taking our shoes off, we shuffled into a tent and Arva got busy with the ordering – mandi (roasted chicken) and mathbi (chicken grilled over stones) with mixed rice and thareed (meat and gravy over crumbled bread).

We ate the traditional way, sitting on the floor using our hands. I skilfully scattered hot rice all over myself and the carpet too. The food was so delicious (and hot) I was tempted to ask for a spoon, but I resisted in a bid to keep things authentic.

By the time we stopped at Al Ammor, in Abu Hail (our final destination) for our planned dessert, I was ready to yell, “Arva, no more!” But she quickly reminded us of our “pudding stomachs”, which got quickly filled up with feteer (an Egyptian layered pastry dessert) with

‘These little places deserve to be given a chance, they deserve some recognition too’