Before the reader begins my journal I
should remind him that my facts are unverified and often are my perceptions of
what I was told, not necessarily fact.
The following entries are what I believe to be true as I saw it. I acknowledge that even on occasion I
misunderstood or misread or had an explanation offered to me which was either
false in its basis or I mistakenly recorded an event as I interpreted it
Written by
Mike Richards
I
arrived in
I
have arrived during Ramadan. Ramadan is
an important Muslim holiday. It is a
period of penance, during which Muslims abstain from “earthly pleasures” like
food, water, and companionship of the opposite sex. Alcohol is always forbidden. They feel that this month-long holiday teaches strong moral character, but more
importantly, it is demanded of the faithful to participate in this ritual. The Koran, the holy book of Muslims, dictate the daily beginning and end of fasting. Each day the exact time of
the beginning and end of the month-long the religious leaders determine ritual. Ramadan is over today, so all shops, banks,
and museums have reopened until very late.
It is necessary to do so for Moslems after their daily period of
fasting.
Khalid’s
two brothers, who picked up Khalid and me from the airport, brought me to Hotel
Baron. They drove an older,
well-maintained silver-colored Mercedes.
It is a four-star hotel that put a dent of over a hundred dollars in my
slim bankroll for each of the next three nights. The hotel is in the wealthy
I
rented a cab for three hours for a fixed rate of ten dollars. The driver was “Captain Ali,” as he
introduced himself to me, retired from Egyptian Air Force. I asked him to show me the old bazaar in
A
young boy came over while we drank coffee.
He started to give my white leather walking shoes a shoeshine. Captain Ali insisted that I let him continue
since he would only want very little, about ten cents. Captain Ali paid for the coffee and the
shoeshine. Because Islamic law strictly
prohibits liquor, there are no bars or taverns.
Instead men usually gather in places such as we are in now for coffee
while playing a game of backgammon.
When
three hours began to stretch to four, I paid Ali generously, sixty Egyptian
pounds, and
began to walk through the neon lit rows of open stores. In this area there were no street lights so
all pedestrians were dependent on the light from the stores. Several strings of
forty watt light bulbs irregularly ran across the street strung as though they
had been left
behind after a street celebration.
After
quickly debating whether to eat here or not, I sat in a quiet corner of the
restaurant where I could watch the happenings and read the menu written in
Arabic and English. I've ordered tea and
grilled pigeon. I hope this choice does not unfold to be one of those
remorseful surprises.
A
short five minute wait was enough for the waiter to bring the food to me. Wow! Very spicy! The tea is made from
hibiscus flowers. This drink is deep
red in color and very sweet. If I said
the bird tasted
like chicken, I'd be lying -- it tastes like
pigeon, a dark and oily meat, but not unpleasant. The combination of flavors is very
good. The small quantity served to me is
not disappointing because this meal is very rich. I took several photos of the meal so that I
would remember exactly what it looked like.
I'm not eating the white vegetables, while they looked good, they appear
to be uncooked and I cannot see a similarity to any vegetable I have ever eaten
before. I know to not eat uncooked
vegetables or drink unbottled water. I
finished the pigeon. It goes on my list
with haggis in
Back
on the street after my meal, I am disoriented.
I hope I'll be able to find my hotel again. It's
My
first impression of
Today
is my first full day in
Expenses for the Day:
130 Egyptian pounds for an all day
private cab and “tour”
25 Egyptian pounds for breakfast
40 Egyptian pounds for a local guide
10 Egyptian pounds for Baron Hotel
clerk
20 Egyptian pounds for Baron Hotel
Assist/Camel boy
10 Egyptian pounds for Post Cards
& Stamps
10 Egyptian pounds for entrance to Pyramids
20 Egyptian pounds for a museum
entrance fee
330 Egyptian pounds for hotel room
The
driver of the taxi for today is also named “Ali.” The Baron Hotel in
We
drove into the Necropolis, and my driver picked up one of the caretakers, who
for ten Egyptian pounds (baksheesh) gave me a private tour of Mahomet Ali's
family entombment. The public isn't
allowed inside because the building is in bad repair. Each casket told a story by the extensive
carvings hammered into the huge gold-plated caskets. I was led into the throne room where Pasha
Ibrahim ruled. The story is told that
his father, Saladin, was a very strong ruler. Here he had murdered 500 Marmlukes, who were
his former friends and allies because he was told by one of his advisors that
his friends would destroy him, so he had a meeting called. Once all the Marmlukes had gathered in this
room, he had the doors sealed and had them killed here
in this room. Only one ever escaped, who
returned to murder the Pasha as revenge for this act.
I
walked along a wide avenue, outside the Necropolis, filled with more prosperous
stores than in the Bazaar. Every
Egyptian who spoke English also owns a papyrus factory or perfume store that
he'd like me to see. They all wanted
only to show the store to me. Every
Egyptian I to whom I spoke, as I walked along the streets of commerce, tried
the same tactics. First they almost playfully
determine your country of origin (usually they are successful if allowed two
guesses). Then the merchant will speak
to me in a familiar tongue to befriend me.
They
will entice the unwary into their store to sell them a lot of whatever
merchandise the store contains. I
watched this happen time after time. I
was sucked into a few stores regardless of my protests. It was difficult to resist all of them. I enjoyed hibiscus tea in two stores but
bought nothing in either establishment.
Ali
brought me, as requested, to the
I
saw dead people and animals left out in public view on the edge of the street,
as though they were trash, but I saw no crime.
I ate an American style hamburger for lunch at the Cairo Hilton, but
they would not let me make some calls from here, probably because I was rather
poorly dressed. Weather permitting;
I’ll go to the Bazaar again before I leave by train to
This
is a wonder filled city. Last night
seems like a dream out of "Aladdin."
If I spent no more time in
A twenty-pound note is worth about $7.60 give or take
some cents.
One-pound
Egyptian is equal to about forty cents.
My
new plan is to tour
My
second full day
in
Hopefully,
I'll arrange a city tour today. Because
of Ramadan, I'm trying to not offend the Moslems by smoking, drinking (even
water) or eating between
Most
people speak English well enough for me to communicate all but the most complex
of ideas. If I should attempt complex
thoughts in English, the typical Egyptian would give a courteous yes and an
acknowledging smile, even though the idea I tried to express may have
thoroughly escaped him. Always gracious,
they will go to great lengths to avoid having visitors or travelers lose face.
Ramadan
begins at
Now
the morning sun has opened the gates of vision outward, which only minutes
before were hidden by darkness. I'm only
a little tired even though I've drunk four cups of a thick dark viscous fluid
they serve with aplomb called 'Neskaffe' -- supposedly coffee American
style. It more aptly resembles a drink
between American and Turkish styles.
The
weather was terrific, no rain and temperature is, maybe, 70E F at
Today,
is Friday, an especially holy day of the week and since it occurs during
Ramadan causes me to question whether it will be easy to explore Cairo since
many monuments and exhibits will be closed today. Friday is similar to how we treat Sunday in
the
There
exists strong conflict between the more moderate Sunni Muslims, currently in
power, headed by Mubarak and the clerical influences, most strongly entrenched
in southern (or upper) Egypt by the Shiite Moslems. Before completing the plans for this trip I
had to evaluate the risks posed by this problem and if it was flashing too many
times in places I would travel to. My
evaluation was not correct. Every day
there is more news of pitched battles, bomb explosions, and random shootings
often aimed directly at disturbing the tourist trade. Without the tourist money, the current
government would fold. I must be
vigilant.
I
visited several mosques and the Citadel.
I bought a train ticket to
The
Citadel was fantastic. The guide brought
me through private areas, including the guest palace (for some baksheesh). I took a lot of photos there. Probably, this is finest example of the
Ottoman Turkish architecture to witness.
Tonight
I leave on the train to go to
I
arranged this train trip through upper Egypt with a
budget of three hundred fifty dollars. I
have exceeded my budget and will probably go home sooner than I planned. The money I paid covers everything except
meals and the trip back. I boarded the
train and found my reserved seat quickly enough. No animals, water pipes, or loud chanting
music on this car. The passengers in
third class cars are not so restricted.
A lot of Western European travelers and few middle-class Egyptians are my
companions for this overnight journey.
All upholstery is well worn and no more than any three chairs in this
car have matching patterns or colors.
Upholstery is only replaced when badly ripped or torn. The paint on the
walls is scuffed, but not dirty or graffiti laden. Within twenty minutes of boarding I was
sleeping and remained in that state until
Everything
was quiet until a man entered the train with a wheeled tray selling very hot
red hibiscus tea. On his heels came
another vendor selling a variety of flavored sodas in the bottle, rattling
through the car. It did not seem likely
that many passengers could remain asleep through the musical overtures of the
clattering bottles. I might have
purchased a bottle except for its obvious lack of variation from room
temperature that was exceedingly warm for this hour of the morning.
Somehow,
the wild hodgepodge of mismatched interior suddenly strikes me: pale mustard walls, red carpeting over deep
blue tiles, green Venetian blinds, aqua curtains hanging like so many dish
towels, and all over the above is brought together with a gray ceiling and
chairs in a clash of patterns in light brown, dark green, and yellow that I am
certain the intent, if there ever was one, is to keep people awake. The toilet
here on the train was not anything I would covet. No one ventured into the toilet room unless
they were prepared to get out quickly.
As
the morning sun began to rise at
At
It
is now
The
train is moving quickly and shimmying loudly.
I slept about two hours at three different times through the night and
feel rested, but my butt is sore even though the seats are soft enough to call
comfortable. I am certain I must have been bumped against the black metal side
rails that separate each seat.
Now
more greenery is visible compared to what I have seen earlier. I don't know what this crop is, but it appears
to be some sort of bamboo or sugarcane, yet it seems there is little irrigation
for these plants. Clearly the poverty of
these small villages resembles
The
back to this car is open, and when the train paused for a moment the dust
wafted in. I could smell the agedness of
the places I'm about to enter. The
weather now is a dry heat -- about 80E
-- with the dust giving an appearance to the environment as though there could
be smog here. The small paved road that
parallels the tracks glistens as though it has been watered or oiled. I am relieved to note the lack of insects
thus far.
Still
on the train, but to travel about five hundred miles for about twelve dollars
is a real bargain. The conductor was
checking for tickets, so he woke me up out of sound sleep shortly after we
started. Startled, I flailed my arms a
bit protectively, but he stood back a proper distance. No harm done.
We
haven't arrived, but we should be there soon.
It's after
Expenses I must pay soon:
Two nights
in
One night in
Airfare
(Round trip
to
Guide
Guided
Pick up
& Transfers 100
I
spent my first evening in
For
some baksheesh a baker took me in the back to see them bake bread. He gave me a round sweet smelling disk hot
out of the clay and brick oven. It was
delicious. One shopkeeper told me to
wear old or ripped clothes, then no one would be constantly trying to pull me
in their shop . . . and they are! He also told me Aswanian people really love
Americans. It seemed true: I was treated with great respect by
most. I finished walking about
My
room overlooks the Nile and the view, while limited by other tall buildings on
both sides, still allows me to see a mile or two up the River since I'm in Room
607 (6th Floor).
Just
before retiring for the night I washed some clothes and hung them up to
dry. It is very warm, maybe 78E, at
No
phones are here to call Mark for his birthday.
The only way is to go to the post office, which is closed for
Ramadan. The day after tomorrow I'll be
in
This
morning I started out at
I
washed my clothes last night, and even though the night was warm, several
articles didn't dry by the time I checked on them. I walked until
While
I had difficulty to find Sageed this morning, he found me at
Sageed
came in a taxi with me to the airport, about 15 miles out of
Because
my guide was late in picking me up on time, I was the last passenger to board
this plane at
When
we arrived at
I
asked the guide about the pyramid and monument building as to why, in the stories of its manufacture Nubian slaves are
mentioned, but not Jews. He said that it
is just a myth, and Jews were not used as slaves or in the construction except
for their knowledge of building. This
fact is in contrast with what I had previously believed as true. The Egyptians
were very cognizant of race and recorded much of the construction of the
pyramid on the interior walls. How many
of what race or sub-race was clearly defined within the pictographs I saw. I will look more closely at the Burial
chambers in
The Kings and pharaohs had conquered many
places, so he brought slaves back from all places, so the Jews worked on them,
but they were only one of many groups. They were often used as architects and
masons. Few were used as haulers.
After
about three hours, we returned on the same plane. I went right to my room after being greeted
by a driver who brought me to my hotel.
He told me that I should notice that Nubians are different from
"real" Egyptians. “They are
lazy and will only work until they have some money, and then they'll wait to
work until they run out of money.” The
observations he related are similar to stereotypical casting in the
Once
in the hotel I immediately showered because of the heavy sweating I was
experiencing. After showering, I sat
recollecting my thoughts of what I had just experienced. That three thousand plus years ago these
things were created -- rather awestruck by the aura of it. I hope my photos do it justice.
I
walked through town, enjoying the freshly baked, still hot, Egyptian bread and
eating oranges that are so fragrant and juicy.
Often I heard a local yell out to me "Allo Amerika" . . . only
pleasant thoughts and nice things to say about
I
bought more trinkets and tee shirts.
Some small items, I bought only for the pleasure the sale brought to the
merchant, often the seller was as young as seven years old. The only purchases of mine that were of any
consequence were forty Egyptian pounds for two tee shirts, twenty-five pounds
for a necklace, and sixty pounds for a leather bag. Because of Ramadan, women are not allowed
out of the house, so I saw very few women on the street or conducting any
business indoors.
I
went alone into a cafe to eat falafel for dinner. I hope I don't suffer consequences for
having enjoyed it. The cafe appeared to
be inhabited by locals only. I am
negating important rules of diet by this act.
I'm
eating breakfast in a small cafe. Coffee and bread before
An
observation of noses -- first, I think when the people look at my nose (to
compare to their nose), I have a cute button
nose. Hey, some really big noses here on
these people.
The
orange juice is some sort of concoction with rosewater. I couldn't finish it. I have finished the meal, and the restaurant
will close soon until it reopens at
I'm
supposed to meet Sageed at 8:30 a.m. here, so while I'm waiting I'll pick out
those things I want to see from my notes I scribbled last night: Aswan Museum; obelisk; Rock Tombs; Ptolemaic
Old Temple; Elephantine Island; Mileometer; Temple of Khnum; Kalabsha; Ombo (25
miles away); Philae. I had a retired
Doctor of Egyptology, Dr. Mohammed, take me around
personally, a real honor he claimed. He
was terribly slow, but extremely rugged and durable for his age of
eighty-three. Several items required the
use of water travel. The
The
time is
At
The
air temperature was in the nineties and the conditions the Moslem faithful must
follow during Ramadan made this a difficult trip for the old doctor. He walks with a heavy carved wooden cane. Because I took many pictures, especially at
I
hired a private boat to take my guide and me to
Napoleon
was there at the end of the eighteenth century and found the Rosetta stone,
more recently explored and plundered by the English. Each group had left its mark on the
structures and somehow left definite evidence of their presence here on this
small, but beautiful island.
I
decided to take one last trip through the marketplace. I bought more bread as it was pulled, hot,
from the oven. The bottled water I drank
was cool enough. I was extremely thirsty
because I did not drink in the presence of my guide or driver. I drank half of the liter before exiting the
store. I was feeling dizzy from the
heat. I walked through the marketplace,
which was busy selling food and drink in preparation for the daily cessation of
Ramadan. I passed the section of the marketplace where fish was sold by many
vendors. Carp seemed to be the most
prevalent, but other smaller species were available, too.
The
fish was usually left in the hot sun, covered with flies. Another fish merchant had his wares dampened
by the untreated sewage, which had backed up in the street, and it was pooling
around his fish. As the putrid brown
water receded, his assistant merely wiped the top fish in the display and
continued to sell them without another care.
To add to this malodorous situation the sewers had overflowed, causing a
stench that will be embedded in my mind forever. I had to cross this river of filth -- even as
I write these words, my nose can well recollect the vile, gagging smell.
I
was anxious to get back to the hotel, where I am now taking a much-needed rest
and cooling my feet. Even though it is
not yet night I appreciate the darkened room.
While waiting for the train, I met Yossif, the guide I hired from Isis
Hotel in the city of
On
the train I met Kaspar and Sheila. He's
from
When
I arrived in
The
I
only had dollars in my pocket at the moment, so my guide, Nasser, spent five
pounds for water and cigarettes for me, then he lent me forty pounds for film
and baksheesh as the need would arise; It always arose
often, for the tourist economy was based heavily on tipping. I settled with him later. He preferred dollars to Egyptian pounds and
it made little difference to me.
The
ferry cruised slowly into the bay.
Already at 10 in the morning it is about 80E F. Today will be very hot and it is
frequently difficult to find shelter from the sun when I am on foot. Most of
the pale tourists are wearing hats, but I didn’t bring one, nor do I intend to
buy one. Americans are known by their
red faces and I intend to continue the tradition. I’m certain to go home with a deep tan . . .
or sunstroke.
On
the bus to the complex of temples and tombs, I examined my camera and counted the remaining
exposures I have left. Only forty pictures left before all film I brought to
this region is gone. Dust swirls through
the open windows of the bus and fills the air.
I feel a sudden urge to sneeze.
The bus halted less than fifty feet from the Arabesque Hotel, where I
stayed the first night. The Egyptian
rating system for hotels accepts much lower standards than those in the
Arabesque
is rated three-star, but by US standards it was a small step above the
YMCA. My best comfort here is I have a
private room. The second night I will be
transferring to Luxor Wene Hotel which has attained a rating of five
stars. The hot sun burns down hard. It is difficult to remain outside for much
longer than an hour.
After
taking off in the bus, we visited a number of tombs at the
Our
guide was good. He provided thorough
explanations of most everything as he brought me with about twenty Brits
through the
Our
guide did supplement his fee by taking us to two places to buy more stuff. The guides are paid in various ways to
deliver living bodies who might buy something.
First, we were delivered to a shop where they make alabaster jugs. While the tourists browsed through the shop,
I wandered out of the store with some difficulty. Since the tour guide wanted as many souls to
remain and possibly purchase something, he stood gently in front of the door
pretending not to notice my efforts to escape.
I had to fake him to the right.
The shopkeeper’s home was behind and above the business area. The best way I could document a visit into
the home of the shopkeeper was with a few photographs.
If
the shopkeeper truly resides here, it is simple and Spartan conditions. While the family of six did have electricity,
lights, and a TV, they didn't have plumbing or refrigeration of any kind. The clay brick construction was very cool
within the interior and ventilated in such a way as to take advantage of normal
desert conditions. I found it to be comfortable.
After
what appeared to be hundreds of dollars of merchandise was sold and wrapped
carefully in brown paper and tied with a thick soft twine, we were loaded back
on the bus and told we would continue the journey to the Valley of Queens about
ten miles away.
The
guide remarked that normally there would be thirty or more buses, but today
there were only three. The recent
terrorist activity by the Shiite Muslims has curtailed much travel into these
fascinating lands. Almost all of the
members of my group trudged through the almost unbearable heat and dust. Only the most aged, or unfit people stayed
behind in the shelter of the air conditioned bus. Those who didn't go missed some fantastic
sights. The tombs often had narrow
passageways which were roughed out to allow larger erect bodies to journey into
the neon lit interior chambers.
The
walls were painted with hieroglyphics to tell stories about the life and deeds of the primary
inhabitant of this entombment. The
artists used all primary and secondary colors vividly. Because of the protection offered in the
almost eternal desert underground darkness, the colors have not faded and only
rarely had any part of the murals chipped or peeled away from the wall. The neon light brought the colors to life.
With just brief explanation of some of the
symbols used, I was able to comprehend the meaning of several sections of the
drawings. While most of the tombs were
grouped together by the craftsmen that built them, each one had a separate
entrance and never opened out to another tomb.
As
I had expected, the
Next
we went to a papyrus factory. Again, I
felt as though I was cargo. I went along
to see what was said. My alternative was
to sit on the air-conditioned bus with a rapidly growing group of disenchanted
that numbered now at least a score of people who, like me, chose not to
go. On every street corner and
practically every shop have sheets of papyrus, body oil, or alabaster jugs for
sale. All claiming that their product
is the properly produced item and not
made from banana leaves, like the other cheap ones.
Most
of the Brits fell prey to one or another method used
to separate the tourist from his money.
Most of them were here on a sedentary, vacation of relaxation and stayed
for their one week in
We
went back to the boat by bus. I decided
to take a felucca which is a boat made of reeds. It holds four, but two of those were the boat
owner and his assistant. It moved much
slower than the passenger ferry that took me to this side of the
The
walk to the hotel was very interesting because so many of the people here are
(like in
I
met an Egyptian woman who was determined to speak with me about how
As
I understand it, you need not respect your promise to an infidel or to someone who
has broken his word to you. This is the
basis for distrust of Arabs. I have not
been able to confirm the truth of this statement with all Arabs. Apparently it is interpreted differently by
different factions or groups. Some say
“yes,” others respond “no.”
Here,
too, like
At
the hotel,
We ate at a small shop at
Sanitary conditions, as I am used to having,
were lacking here. There were two oil drums filled with water. One to clean your hands
and rinse the dirt off, however no soap was provided. The other drum was used for drinking water in
which I had to dip a metal cup to pour myself a drink. Napkins or eating utensils were not
used.
The
hot fresh pita bread was placed directly on the ragged, green and white
checked, plastic tablecloth that covered the wooden table. We sat in rickety wooden chairs that had been
deeply parched by the heat of the Sun.
The thick,
green half-dollar sized cakes of fried garbanzo beans were served on a separate
plate. The oil used to fry them was old,
but it didn’t affect the taste badly. I
liked the vegetarian sandwiches. It is
customary to pick a section of the block of soft white cheese with your hand to
put it into the bread pocket. Then I ate
this with what appeared to be refried fava beans covered in a thin brown
sauce. It was cooked until the mixture
is a lumpy black and brown paste with swirls of steam flying above the huge
pot. The mixture is scooped onto each
plate as a condiment.
Three
Egyptian pounds were paid for both meals.
No tip was to be offered according to
The
waterpipe was filled and lit for us.
The tobacco leaves glowed brightly as we shared a smoke. After a leisurely smoke with
As
I walked through town, I noticed no prices are posted at any shop. Everything must be bargained for,
everything. The tourists from
As
I eat the restaurant's version of a continental breakfast, I hear similarities
between the Egyptian music and the music I heard in
Today,
while reading the local English newspaper, I read about some terrorist
shootings in
I
awoke at
In a few minutes I was
dressed and out to the very plain Continental breakfast served in the
hotel. I was to meet Mr. Nasser at
The farmers have replaced
mud and straw dams over which is balanced a long sturdy branch with a pail
attached firmly to one end. This fulcrum
is used to scoop water from the
The
farmers and their families lived in mud brick, or even simpler mud plastered
homes. Most homes had sugar cane
thatching but periodically I noticed a small outcropping of one or two story
modern buildings. This sight destroyed a
vision that somehow I was transported back in time. If the modern buildings had not existed, it
would be easy to believe that today was two hundred years ago. I tried to document it well with the camera,
because the detail is too much for my mind to retain accurately.
At
Dendra, each new
monument is thrilling to look at.
Each one of the many was, itself, a gargantuan
monolith. The splendid "spare no
cost or efforts" work by the pharaohs' subjects was damaged by the
Coptics, who were the first wave of Christianity to sweep
I
ran out of film and there was no place nearby to purchase a roll. It
was well worth the 135LE I spent for this trip alone. The driver had stopped for water and oranges
earlier, so I wasn’t hungry.
We
then returned to the hotel after I got some more money changed. Next time I would like to stay in the
Mr.
Nasser met me at
I
walked back to the hotel after giving some baksheesh to Dr. Mohammed, who,
again, served as my guide, but he seemed rather distant while I asked
questions. He was more intent on
bringing me to a gift shop. Nonetheless
he is a very knowledgeable fellow; none of his information conflicted with the
books on
Mr.
Nasser had arranged my bus trip. I am
writing this in retrospect, but I'll never take a bus again. The people were certainly pleasant, but I was
crowded into a small seat while some sort of round metal protrusion caused a
painful bruise on my knee. There was not
enough room for me to bend down to retrieve my bottle of water without turning
my head sideways and contorting my body like a discus thrower by stretching my
arm to its maximum. All of this frequent
activity on the cramped hot bus usually caused my face to redden in the
effort. Because I looked so out of
place, a pretty young Egyptian girl looked -- no! stared
-- at me, as though I was a monkey in the zoo.
All
in all, the overnight trip was very unpleasant.
The bus played movies, very bad movies, which I had not an inkling of an
idea what was happening but thankful when each drama ended. Each time I
anticipated a wondrous moment of silence, the driver put in a cassette tape and
played the acrimonious music loud enough to have the small speakers (one of which was located
twelve inches from my face) rasp tinny tunes to bring me to the brink of
insanity.
Now
I am back in the Sherazdeh Hotel, in
I
walked through the bazaar again today. I
was not feeling right. After seeing the
amazing crowds of people, incredible swarms of them pushing and shoving made me
dizzier. Everybody was trying to squeeze
through the bloody meat market. All parts of many different animals were for
sale. I watched as a young female
butcher took a live, fat pigeon and filet it for a waiting patron. She took it and deftly removed its head with
a quick twist. Hanging huge quarters of
beef dripped blood onto the sidewalk, people, impervious to the masses of flies
tasting the dead flesh, walked through the narrow lanes of the
marketplace. Women gathered around the
cloth vendors, who were loudly hawking the material from bolts, and they freely
flashed examples of the finished goods from the large wooden slat-walled
platform at the rear of the trucks.
I
called to arrange a bus or train trip through the Sinai, so I'll be able to
scuba in the
I
am still up at
Each
call to the
During
my trip in the bazaar, I realized what good deals I got on the camel skin
briefcase for ninety pounds and a bag for forty. Both were purchased in
I
have just returned from spending one hundred pounds to have a driver take me an
hour out of
The
pyramid itself is crumbling and closed to the public. I think if I found the right guard that he’d
let me make close inspection for baksheesh.
Other “guards” have tried to taunt me into looking at several, supposedly,
off-limits tombs . . . for baksheesh.
As
I walk along the dusty trails throughout this burial ground, there are shards
of pottery and bone at my feet. Anyone
could scoop up a handful if they had any desire to do so.
Saqqarah
was especially of interest. Since one
guide passed me to the next, working me for all that I was worth. It was worthwhile, but they would bring me to
a point then say the tour is over after baksheesh changes hands. So did mine now pulled by a new "sheif,"
meaning Bedouin chief. Frankly, these
guys looked more like a short order chef than a "sheif" or chief.
I
awoke at seven in the morning, but I had to wait for my tickets to
It's
I
decided to travel to the bus station to see if I could get an earlier bus
direct to
The
trip to
Holding
the door slightly ajar, I began what I set out to do. As the bus lurched and leaped, I found myself
unable to continue with any accuracy and had new appreciation for the necessity
of a newspaper floor covering. In fact,
every several moments I would make a brief appearance to the other riders as I
clung to the swinging door. Everyone
pretended not to notice.
At
I
swept up my luggage and continued to gain a secure spot in the cue as soon as
its shape became apparent to me. I
noticed a disheartening similarity between the manner in which people pushed,
shoved, cajoled their singular place in line and the
cars in
Everybody
was instructed to wait in specific areas.
I was watching as the Police Lieutenant took a supple strip of belt
leather and walked along the yellow perimeter line painted on the asphalt. The
Arabs were instructed to sit on the pavement cross-legged. Occasionally he
would stop and snap the strap as he passed an Arab offender. Once he told a
middle-aged man to move into the crowded perimeter, but because of a lack of
space, the man could not get his knee within the line. The soldier brutally snapped the strap at the
offending knee. Immediately, almost
electrically, the Arab was able to find space, where space did not exist
before, to move within the perimeter with his fresh knee welt.
The
first call was for all foreigners, extending official preferential treatment to
me as an American with others from
There
must be a thousand people aboard the boat.
I spent my time with the Europeans. Most of the non-Arabs were young
backpacking adventurers. I struck up a
conversation with John, a young English photographer who, like me, hopes to
visit
While
we were talking, I saw a little barefooted black-haired Arab girl putting my
water bottle down. John said he didn't see her pick up my bottle nor had I
noticed the innocent theft. In a few
minutes the four-year-old girl returned with her younger sister for a drink, I
gave the children the bottle of water while several members of the Arab crowd
watched intently to see my reaction.
Because
we had to surrender our passports prior to embarking, I asked the policeman
when they would return my passport. He
replied in English it would be returned after we stopped and disembarked.
When
the bus left the station in
Now
it is
The
boat finally arrived at about
After
a long wait and a scurry for my bags too complex and perplexing to completely
explain, but I will try. I was quickly
and efficiently issued my passport, but the luggage -- now that was a story. The people pushed and shoved me with all of
the other Arabs desperately trying to retrieve their goods. Mine, being first in, were last out and not
without ripping the handle off one piece.
As
I was about to lay my hands upon it, I was violently struck back by a guard who
was trying to maintain order amidst the pandemonium by keeping most of the
people behind a line drawn on the pavement.
His blow was aimed at me, not as an American but, in the darkness of
night, I looked much like many of the passengers. He pushed me backwards, over some
suitcases. I didn't think I'd ever get
up because Arabs were scrambling over me keeping me pinned down for a minute or
two. It seemed to last much longer. I saw no opening to make my escape. When I did, make no mistake about it, I
listened much more obediently to the guards next time much to the humorous
delight of my new friends. They had the
foreknowledge to keep their goods with them and did not allow their backpacks
to be separated from them.
We
found the Jerusalem Hotel in downtown Aqaba, which charges one and a half
dinars nightly (roughly equivalent to two dollars). We traveled as a group: Toko, a Japanese girl; Jon, a British
photographer; Thomas and Silkie, two German social workers from
I
quickly fell asleep but awoke early because I was anxious to see this historic
town. While walking through the small
center of town I saw a car that had a
This
morning I awoke at
Buses
leave when full, regardless of time. But
since they are designed to hold only eight or ten people it shouldn't seem to
take long. I purchased some mangoes, sold
in abundance in
The
bus toward
I
hired a Palestinian taxi driver who brought me to the Jordanian Royal Diving
Club where I made arrangements to dive in the afternoon. The weather was warm, about 80E.
Scuba diving through the coral reef was well worth the extra time
taken. It cost ten dinar and the dive
lasted forty minutes through some beautiful coral reefs with colorful fish.
After
the dive we went to the border of
Back
at the border crossing, the guard made it quite a difficult time since he, the
Saudi guard, wanted one hundred dollars to allow me to cross again. While talking I noticed everyone who made the
crossing from
The
taxi driver claimed this is the best fish restaurant in the seaport city of
I
awoke at
Now
I had to search for the correct
Arriving
near to
At
the entrance to
My
camera lost power in the battery, and I had to remove it. Fortunately the
camera will operate without a battery at all at 1/125 shutter speed. We traveled down a very stony path through
cracks, deep ones, in the sandstone.
Without knowing where the passageway was, a wanderer would never find
this ancient ghost town. The spectacular sights were much more than I had
expected. The ornate homes cut into the
sandstone formations had brilliant coloration due to mineral deposits of blue (aluminum),
red (iron), yellow (copper) and miscellaneous other mineral deposits.
Mohammed
and I began discussing many things:
religion, problems of the Palestinians, primarily their attitude
reflected a deeply religious nature, very Islamic and how it conflicts with
non-Muslims, especially how it affects their desire to have land which they
were dispossed from.
We discussed the Palestinian question. He said he is Jordanian, but many
Palestinians live in
After
a while, I walked on my own and climbed some steps up to a colorful palace carved
in the sandstone mountain. I was rather
tired and anticipated a tough uphill climb to the main visitors’ center. One of the Bedouins asked me to ride his
horse to the entrance . . . for a price.
Two dinar was my counter offer to his initial request for ten. He accepted.
I rode the horse and was relieved that I didn't have to make that uphill
journey to get back to the entrance.
When we arrived, he said, “three dinar.”
“What? We agreed on two!”, I replied. He
shook his head and finger to indicate “No,” he insisted on three dinar which I
gave him rather than spend a great deal of time arguing. I didn't realize how hard the trip back would
be, and the road was littered with rosy-cheeked Germans and British constantly
out of breath in the hot sun. I had no
problem understanding their exhaustion because the tour was long, dusty, and
hot, but walking uphill over a gravel path was a tough trip, one that I was
happy to be taking the easy way out.
I
waited for the local bus. None appeared
during two hours of waiting at the bus stop.
I began to talk to Mohammed, my
Before
they could break fast at the nightly conclusion of Ramadan, they brought
Neskafe for me. I drank it. We sat, with shoes off in the living room and
talked for hours, the three of us Mohammed, his son, Jihad, and me. The women all would eat separately in the
kitchen and only appeared to serve us.
The
living room where we ate was bare except for a large blue and tan oriental rug
on the floor. One wall was decorated with another rug with the image of
The
bread was partially leavened and was an eight-inch diameter and one inch
thick. We had tea and spoke some
more. I agreed to meet them tomorrow for
a hike. He called a cab for me, which delivered
me to my hotel. Before l left the house
I thanked the family and got into the taxi.
Back
in the hostel at
I
put all my stuff together and left the hotel "I Mousa." The bus comes right to the door of the hotel,
stopped, then just as quickly, it was gone!
I did not even have a chance to wave or yell. I went to my room for a while since the next
bus isn't expected for an hour or longer.
Surprisingly, in about seven minutes another bus appeared, so I was
prepared this time and left without goodbyes to the
I
spent less than an hour going to the Jerusalem Hotel in Aqaba to shower, shave,
and change clothes. I lost my rubber swim boots in the shower-Turkish toilet
combination room. This was established
like many cheaper hotels or hostels maintain.
Each wall in this enclosed room is about four feet wide with a tiled
floor. Mounted on one wall are the
showerhead and knob adjustments for hot or cold water. Closer to the center of the room, built into
the floor is a white porcelain basin with a large mouth for the drain. The basin has two raised rectangular squares
that are designed for each foot. The
mouth of the basin is directly between the small platforms, and slightly to the
rear.
At
the base of the water pipes is a spigot with a three-foot length of rubber hose
(used to “flush”).
The
Jordanian bus going to
(
In
the hotel it is warmer than the forty-five degrees outside but the proprietor
keeps it cold always I am told, so it’s not much warmer. I keep my jacket on. The hostel is on the third floor in the
center of town. There is plenty of good
company, other travelers with great stories, and the bed is soft. What more could I ask for? I fell asleep for an hour laying
across the bed fully clothed, exhausted.
My
guide book says I should expect to spend three days to get out of
I may regret my rapid departure without having
explored the
I
awoke at
While
I didn’t want to deny that I am a Jew, while in the hostel I was advised, that
I wouldn’t be treated well nor quickly if I said I’m Jewish. This contradicts what I was told in
I
felt a great deal of relief just hearing that the visa would be ready then. I left, and as I passed the guard station, I
retrieved my camera and binoculars that I had to surrender when I entered this
military compound. I got out my compass
and map to plot my return to the
The
weather was very dark and cloudy. I
hailed a cab, and for two dinars, rode the rest of the way back to the
hostel. The rain had been coming down
lightly since I left the Ministry, but paused briefly until I was outside the
Citadel at the top of the hill. I wasn't
on the mark using my compass. I had
overshot the Hotel in my walk, but since almost all street signs were in Arabic
and the labyrinth of streets twisted so, I felt justified that I fell off track
as I did.
I
had walked about six miles but overshot my target by a mile. When I observed the taxi driver maneuver
through the twisted roads, it was easy to see how I never would have meandered
across the proper street. They had even
changed the name of several key streets in certain districts of
I
had the good fortune to have met other residents of this hostel. Among them was Emmanuel, a young French
architectural student, and John, a white haired eighty year old retired medical
doctor who stated he owns several large estates in Great Britain and
Scotland. We developed a bond which is
often formed in the hostel environment.
I
left the hotel to trek back to the Ministry office to retrieve my
passport. Now that it is almost
I
quickly got my visa, one photocopied sheet with about ten names on it. My name had a red mark by it to distinguish
it from the visa issued to the other nine.
The
rain was coming down much harder now, and I looked for a cab. I wasn't going to walk in the recurring
rainstorm. Before I was able to get a
cab, I was a witness to an accident -- a man was going to pull across heavy
traffic to turn left, but because of the high cement island he should have turned
right. Instead of backing up, he chose
to attempt to make a U turn to go the other direction on a side street which
was also one way. The first car on the main
street stopped, but the car behind him couldn't stop because they both were
traveling at fifty mph.
Normally
fifty miles an hour would be okay, but when a light rain is combined with slick
cobblestones, it makes for a dangerous situation. The second car was pacing the first,
separated by less than four feet and lots of rain. The first car had to quickly apply the brakes
to avoid a collision with the fellow trying to cross the street. Rear-ender! Then the two drivers got out and
pulled the U-turner out of his car!
Everybody was okay, so I left.
Back
in the hotel room I found I had a young Japanese man staying here who spoke English. He's going to
We
walked back the short distance to the hotel through flooded streets. The air conditioning was locked on making the
rooms even colder than they would have been anyway. We had a few parting remarks, exchanged
addresses, then each of us left for our respective
rooms. I look forward to the twentieth
century in
I
have gotten the proper transportation up to the
The
Israeli soldier prevented me from doing so.
He didn’t get into a long conversation with me to explain the
reasons. He just stubbornly refused to
allow me passage on the Arab bus.
Moments later, two young Japanese tourists joined me. The empty bus arrived and brought the three of
us further toward the ancient city of
After
washing up, I felt rejuvenated and wanted to walk around. Since I am in the Arab section I still felt
like I had not left the Arabic countries.
It's just like being in
I
felt the spirituality of this holiest of cities as I stood on a street corner,
across from the Damascus Gate of the ancient wall of Jerusalem waiting for the
streetlight to change from red to green.
I may not have expressed that correctly.
I mean, for the first time in my life, a truly spiritual feeling gushed
over me, from head to toe, just something that I had never expected. I have never felt anything like that before
that particular moment. The flood of
pedestrian Arabs leaving for Ramadan pushed me here and there. The crowds were overwhelming, even so much as
to block my view of the City. I turned
around and moved with the flow, like rafting a river.
I
developed an overwhelming urge to sleep so I quickly found the Hotel and made
arrangements to venture out tomorrow for the
The
weather has been extraordinarily cold at night, and today was no exception,
about fifty degrees and that deep cold where even the floors became
frigid. I've met and talked with many
people in this hostel. I'll stay here a
couple of days, then move onto the Jewish
section.
I
know I have found real pleasure in this lighthearted, lightweight, heavy-duty
traveling. I know some things I should
bring on my travels in the future: a
sturdy, but light internal frame backpack; a large handkerchief; thin, strong
rope; a good compass; more maps; two pairs of shoes (tennis and lightweight
hiking), towel, snack food. I should
also consider bringing chewing gum, a bag to hold a liter of water, a cup,
Swiss Army knife, a hat, plenty of socks and underwear, two jackets (one must
be weatherproof), a body bag, a good camera, a watch, extra glasses, booties,
wool socks, money, gloves.
Because
of the Sabbath, many Jews were at the Wailing Wall, and there were even more
tourists watching this truly spiritual experience for anyone. The sky was becoming dark quickly now, there was enough
light to see. Eerie shadows and darkened
corners changed how I perceived the city; it would have been a different
experience in daylight.
I
walked back through the darkly lit Damascus Gate. I found it thrilling to travel alone through
the cat-infested passageway and finding the opening to the main street at its
end. I would not miss the opportunity to
photograph the narrow ancient and foreboding path upon which I walked. It was devoid of all traffic, save four other
souls who were either brave or just ignorant of the dangers of which we were
advised. The failing light encouraged
me to stop and quickly compose a picture to remind me how a street character
can change with the loss of people and light.
It's not the street; it's those two elements that make up the
personality of a street.
I
awoke at
A
minibus designed to hold eight comfortably arrived a half-hour late. Instead,
this early morning, it held ten people uncomfortably. The moon cast a faint shadow, but all the
stars were out to flitter their shiniest on those who
cared to look. The quiet wind hardly
issued a breath during our moment of travel.
We
hurried the seventy kilometers to
My
struggle continued until I finally arrived in the
The
trip down, other than each step being rather bone jarring, was easy. The company of a woman backpacker made the
trip short work. Her name was forgotten,
but her light conversation was most welcomed.
We
rode in the bus for a ten minute trip to the
After
drying off, I went to get some coffee to warm up a bit. Back to the bus. Next was Ein Gedi I poorly chose to enter at
seven shekels. Not worth two
shekels. Some nice brook, a couple of
nice little waterfalls, some ibex in a fenced yard, but that was it. I imagine the importance of this place is
that it is like an oasis in the middle of the dessert.
I
still want to go to
I
woke very late because of the conversation last night that lasted till late in
the night with other travelers. After a
hot shower in a very cold room, I shaved and left for a walking tour of the
City at
I
walked across the street to the Tower of David Museum. For eleven shekels I would join an
English-speaking tour of the history of
My
clothes, especially my jeans, are close to encrustment, and no easily
accessible laundry, compounded by poor weather conditions mean I’ll have to
wear these stiff jeans another day. I
revisited the origination point for the walking tour after some wandering through
the
When
I exited the shrine, I quickly found my shoes and camera untouched. Quickly I put on my shoes for the marble
squares surrounding this monument were exceedingly cold. Rather than a contrast, I found the Jewish
quarter populated by Jews, who acted similarly to the Moslems in showing the
world their devoutness. I mean it was as though they wore their religious
attitudes on their sleeve. They were following the written word of their
religious doctrines to the fullest letter of its gospels, without question and
without adaption to modern times. Living
life like this seems to be so utterly without original thought, offering little
beyond the hypnotic value of repetition and creating an orderly existence. To me, this is too high a price to pay.
I
took only a light jacket and my camera when I left the hostel, a serious error
in judgment. Ten minutes before the tour
was to begin, the air chilled briskly and the clouds darkened deeper. I walked up the hill to the Jaffa Gate inside
the walls of the
The
other tourists and I massed together tightly for warmth and to hear as we
started to explore the four quarters of
I
could only describe as astounding amazement when I was a witness to problems
plaguing church administration. An
example was the placement of a ladder out front on the church eves and never
moved because of dispute between these factions since 1935. I saw it!
There were many other such issues plaguing this church, I would have
thought they could figure out how to get along together.
At
the Wailing Wall, now commonly referred to as the Western Wall, I couldn’t help
but feel a kindred spirit with the pious men and women davening at the
wall. Apparently the custom began when
the
While
the five-person tour group in which I belonged saw quite a bit of the city, I was
happy to hear it was over. The rain and
cold permeated the light jacket and other light clothing I had chosen to
wear. I was soaked. I was happy to get
back to the hostel and dry off. I sat in
the communal main room and shared stories of exotic travel with others.
This
morning my intention was to see the
I
was trying to get to
Arriving
by foot in
I
saw Andreas, a young German man whom I first formally met at the hostel. Actually we've bumped into each other many
times primarily here in
Andreas
and I went to the
We
walked down a street populated with ultra Orthodox Jews. The style of living could easily replicate
the mode of living during the 1920's maybe in
We
next stopped at a falafel stand. So many
of these things around, just like hot dog stands in the
The
walk back was just too long to walk in the inclimate weather. Andreas and I had
no real idea where we exactly were, so finally gave up and took a cab for
twelve shekels each. It was a welcomed
relief just to sit in the cab.
Back
at the hotel, the fireplace was burning heartily, and I quickly defrosted. Since the trip was so cold, it was a true
pleasure to stand by the fire, but weather usually intimidates travel in some way. I am looking forward to leaving inclement
With
all my luggage I chose to take a taxi to the train
station. Nobody in the hostel knew
anything about the train to Tel Aviv, so I just went to the station and asked. “ Next train at
At
this very moment I have boarded the train for
The
train has not begun to move, but as I sit here I can, all too easily, see my
breath. My feet are numb. I want to get to Tel Aviv and conclude flight
arrangements to get home. I have always
felt a tugging of my heart at the point of a trip that I must say, "No
further, the adventure must cease now!"
The special fondness I hold for those dear to me, pull me home.
I
see why the trip by train is seldom used.
Rarely is a beautiful scene opened before me as we travel along the
coast. The chill in the air leaves when
we are a half hour outside of
I
spent an exciting day in Tel Aviv. The
guide told little of this modern city which, it seems, is almost diametrically
opposite of
Some
remnants of this ancient landmark still exist, but as far as I saw, the best
thing about Old Jaffa was the panoramic view of Tel Aviv. Buses emptied their guts, filled with jittery
and wobbly old tourists who venture forth from the same countries I have noted
before --
The
drive of the taxi, Yacobe, has not been married yet, but he hopes to be
soon. He is bewildered by my lack of an
ability to speak Hebrew. I offer no
defense. Other than a mild admonishing,
shown by the furling of his brow, I drew no harsher criticism. He thought I should "return" to
A
snarling traffic jam was caused by a car occupied by one man. He had the misfortune to have his old,
battered, blue car fail to crest a gentle, wide mound in the asphalt
roadway. He was forced to turn around
while cars had to wait more than ten minutes on both sides of the hill. The taxi brought me down a street where the
high fashions of
I
did want to see the signs of
I
walked from this eatery to the beach, where because it was a little chilly
sixty-five degrees at
Because
it was my last night, I decided to stay at a fancy hotel, the
The
taxi I took brought me to the water's edge of the
Even
while I was showering, I could hear the sounds below of a bustling city not
ready to give up this day, but preparing for the new one coming just the
same. I went downstairs and walked along
the beach. Since I have to be at the airport at
I
want to reflect back on the trip. What
particular locations or incidents are most memorable to me? I will list from my thoughts as they come to
me this early morning.
I
found great pleasure in the hostels, eating endless falafel, grilled pigeon,
seeing the Masada, swimming in the Dead Sea, the people I've met and talked
with, riding the camel in the desert, the Citadel and Necropolis in Cairo, and
the border crossing of Saudi Arabia.
My
dinner with the Palestinian family in
But
above all, the one shinning moment that I will recall with my greatest joy was
that one simple minute when I was standing across the street from the old wall
of
I
didn't read other than local newspapers.
I didn't watch American television.
I didn't stay in tune with local, national, or global events except,
through dialogue with other people or travelers. I hope that some of the friendships that I
forged out of necessity or opportunity may flourish and that I may cross their
path again.
To
reflect on future events may be somewhat startling to me, having been "out
of touch" for a while. I'll refrain
from opening these journals to the eyes of others. Many personal feelings went into these
recordings. I tried to be generally
accurate (except in my spelling and punctuation). I am seized with the desire to purchase several
different newspapers to reestablish my understanding of world events from a
perspective I did not have before.
Some
notable observations I should record is that I see that Israel has an agreement
on paper with Egypt, but a strong popular undercurrent of anti-Israeli
sentiment runs deep within the Egyptians.
They feel that while Sadat was able to regain the
Palestinians
are, generally, more staunch in their sentiments. They are clearly capable and willing to cause
destruction and terror if that might bring them closer to their impossible
dream of regaining
By bombing and anti-tourism activities, they
discourage travelers from visiting
The
land was barren and yielded little of value.
I truly would have liked to find otherwise, but my observations are
clear, and it was demonstrated time after time.
At
We
disembarked to the same waiting room I visited on the trip to
I'm
in
I'm
dirty, tired, and hungry -- all the wonderful things that heap misery on the traveler. I hardly napped on the way to
Now
the plane should be landing soon. I am
happy to be back in the
The
cramped DC-9 seems so small compared to all other flights I've taken. I have to stay overnight because I am not
able to arrange a flight. I have been
flying or waiting for
thirty-five hours, and I still have the