Aswan

Aswan is the southernmost city in Egypt on what is probably the most beautiful stretch of the Nile. I was a little tired as I stepped off the train onto the platform and felt the hot air on my face, but as our bus drove us to our hotel destination I got good vibes about the city. On the main road in the center of town our bus pulled in front of a quirky-looking hotel complex that sloped down to the riverbed. This was the Isis hotel. The rooms were each made up of detached 'houses' that were connected to each other by a series of footpaths. I immediately liked the place. There were several interesting desert plants and trees that I had never seen before. The Egyptians here seemed more laid-back than the big city types in Cairo, and I managed to strike up some conversations with folks in Arabic. I ran into a taxi driver who immediately called me a Moroccan which I thought was hilarious. How did he know;). The taxi driver identified himself as Gamal and, as a Nubian, he invited myself and a few others to a traditional wedding. Due to our schedules we had to decline, but I left satisfied that I had managed to talk to someone in Arabic and five minutes later get invited to a wedding.

I spent most of my free time by the pool that overlooked the Nile. I definitely recall spending hours sitting on a chair by the poolside bar gazing at the white feluccas gliding lazily down the glittering waters of the river. Instead of the farms and small villages that usually line the Nile, the other side of the river from Aswan was all dry sandy hills. Beyond that was three thousand miles of harsh desert stretching all the way to the Atlantic. I thought to myself how many grains of sand there must be in the Sahara, then my head started to hurt;). It was hard to fathom that much sand, which I had gotten enough of on my feet after a week of walking down Egyptian streets in my now trademark Jesus sandals.

One of the highlights of our trip to Aswan was our evening felucca ride along the Nile. The early evening light of the setting sun created an almost dreamlike atmosphere. Moreover, the air along the Nile was so clean and pure and there was a wonderfully gentle breeze. I could have fallen asleep on the boat for several hours. I could have used that extra sleep because the next couple of days were a bombardment of sightseeing excursions with our friendly chain-smoking Coptic guide named Michael. Many Coptic Christians in Egypt have names that are more familiar to western ears.

Our group of 35 boarded a small motor boat (I prefer the pollution-free feluccas) to the Philae Temple located on island of palm trees and desert plants. I'll admit that all the ancient sites that we visited were bit overwhelming so I'll not go into details about the individual places. In Aswan and Luxor I felt like I was being shuffled around to so many different sites chock full of hundreds of tourists that I can scarcely remember the details anyway.

The famed souk of Aswan was a long cobbled pedestrian zone in the center of town.
Although not as cramped, chaotic, and evocative as some of the ancient souks of Morocco, Aswan's nevertheless had its own more modern allure. This was clearly the domain of male shop owners who, with their advanced degrees from Arabian Charm Academy, would make their best and most comical efforts to invite the groups of confused and weary travelers into their shops. Calls of "Hey, my cousin!" and Hello, Egyptian? came from left and right as I walked by the countless shops that seemed to blend into one another. The stacks of exotic spices, nuts, and sweets caught my eye, and my stuffy nose still managed to absorb the combined aroma of dust and the intense Oriental flavors labeled in small Arabic script.

Old men in faded and worn gallibiyas stared through sunken eyes at the mixed crowds of locals and tourists, while energetic kids ran through the shops and streets as if they were a giant playground. With the heat of the day gone the cities of Egypt come to life with crowds of young and old, women and men, and others enjoying the upbeat and lively atmosphere. This aspect of Egyptian life is something I know I'll miss when I go back to the sterile and boring shopping malls in the states. One must enjoy these beautiful moments and experiences while they last, although I know that I will come back to Egypt, inshah allah, or God willing.
Anyway, that night in the souk I walked away with a bag of rose hips for making tea, two bags of the most aromatic mint tea leaves I've ever smelled, and two bags of the hibiscus powder used to make the local Egyptian beverage known as karkade. Aswan was an amazing break from the chaos of Cairo, and I certainly hope to return one day and perhaps attend a Nubian wedding.