Revelry Behind The Iron Curtain

Our bus rumbled across the Aswan High Dam, filled with Egyptian teenagers taking in their country’s history. I was accompanying my Cairene kids as their history teacher and chaperone but in truth, I was the most excited. I had dreamt of exploring the ancient cities and temples of the confusingly coined Upper Egypt ever since my older sister had won first place at the science fair, for her project on hieroglyphics. So, when the bus doors swung open, I was the first to rush out and explore.

I was immediately lured toward a giant towering structure off to the side by the sounds of laughter and music. A large commemorative plaque stood in front of the monument, lauding the cooperation of the Soviet Union and Egypt in their construction of the High Dam.

In the heart of the monument a large dance circle was developing, driven by drums and the sounds of song. Local field trippers and their dedicated teachers performed number after number as each kid had their moment at the centre of the circle. It struck me as an odd juxtaposition, the colourfully clad Egyptian revellers in the heart of a Soviet monument.

In Between Islands In Aswan

Boarding a riverboat in Aswan, I was headed to a Nubian village. The sun was low in the sky and golden light shimmered on the still waters of the ancient waterway. Rocky outcrops covered in lush reeds and papyrus decorated the river. The mighty Nile has always brought life to one of the most arid regions on earth, and life flourished, creating one of the greatest civilizations to have walked through time. That thought was never far from my mind as the water lapped against the boat and the engine puttered noisily along.

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Fishing For History On The River Nile

Cruising down the Nile is like taking a voyage back in time. The sun kissed landscape teems with history and life. People have lived on the shores of this mighty river since people were people. Along the Nile, you can walk up to a temple that soars into the sky, a tremendous feat of ancient engineering. Or, you can look out to see local fishermen cast their nets into the slow moving sun soaked water, recreating a moment many millennia old.

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Spice is Nice

While exploring a Nubian village in Upper Egypt, I was led like Tucan Sam to a spice market. That is, by my nose. Wafting through the streets came the distinct scents of cardamon, cinnamon, paprika, and more. I went over and bought a bag full.

Nile Pirates

It was almost sunset when I clambered into a small fishing boat to head upriver to a Nubian village outside of Aswan. I hopped aboard and we were off, heading up the Nile. As we wove our way through small rocky islands and admired the landscape, two young boys spotted us. They raced for the shore and jumped into their small canoe. Using only their hands they paddled as fast as they could out to meet us in the river. As we came upon them, they reached out and grabbed the old tires hanging alongside the boat. For the next twenty minutes they clung to the side of our boat singing an Arabic version of El Macarena. It seemed to be a fair trade, a song for a ride.

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