Joha

Joha is a Muslim folk hero- he is known as Mullah Nasrudin in India/Pakistan - Hoja or Khoja in Turkey - Joha in the Middle East and Goha in Egypt. We have learned about him through Tahir Shah's book In Arabian Nights, kindly lent by Alec and Briony and which we are thoroughly enjoying. We have each begun to poke around for other tales of this uniquely eastern wise fool.

Here is one I liked today:


"Friends," announced Joha, "I have discovered the cause of all problems!"

Everyone was attentive.

"It is people providing 'solutions' " proclaimed Joha.


In the desert by the way, we covered 85km in two and half days with our guide Hatar and cook Abdul. We told jokes and riddles and sang songs at the fire, walked in silence and in conversation, found seashells and fossils, baked bread in the sand, climbed up dunes and down them, learned about camel diets and never showered once. It was great.