SEEING THE HISTORIC and FABLED NILE RIVER


There have been many "firsts" for us on this voyage but none was more unbelievable than seeing Egypt and the Nile River for the first time. History books, geography, current events and movies all came to life as we watched the sunset. We were on our only overnight away from the ship traveling 3 hours to locate in Luxor.

ccOU

S

RTEURTESY OF THE

Security was tight in Egypt. From the time we left the ship to our Luxor destination we stopped at several check points but we thought this dude was outrageous alone in the desert protecting who?

Courtesy of the Egyptian government we received an armed guard escort for our large bus convoy from the ship's berth on the Red Sea to to our overnight sightseeing headquarters in Luxor. Check the guy on the left. He was our bus guard. That slight lift out of the back of his coat is not the wind. Each carried a weapon.

RURAL EGYPTIAN FARM LIFE

Our excellent female Egyptoligist guide stressed to us that the farming people we were going to see for the next 3 hours preferred this laid back life rather than the hectic life in the city.

We were stunned by the way of living in mud huts attached sometimes to brick buildings and almost all with thatched roofs. You can see how the home looks unfinished and that is because the owner has permission for aditional floors when his son gets married and the couple moves in. Maybe you can see the re-bar sticking out of the walls waiting for the next floor to be built.

We saw many satellite dishes on roofs and in contrast saw these mud outdoor ovens. Marriage is expensive and the poor couple starts in the hole after the guy presents gold something at engagement, then prepares the home fully furnished all before marriage.

There was plenty of visible evidence along our ride to and from the Red Sea of the heritage and customs of the people. They looked happy and decently dressed.

These school girls are in traditional garb and the boys taking a break at the local hangout emphasizes the public separation of the two. Women are not seen in the fields working and husbands are never seen in the market shopping alone.

Our motorcade of buses stalled harvest progress along the 3 hour route to Luxor as police stopped traffic at all intersections but it afforded us a wonderful look at the people.

Sugar cane was being harvested and the only mechanical haarvest tool we occasionally saw was an old tractor but without a doubt the hardest working thing in Egypt is the donkey.