SJEDS Travels to Egypt

From the harried city of Cairo, and the small tourist towns that dot the banks of the Nile, sitting aboard the deck of our cruise boat we saw yet another side to this fascinating and diverse country. Relaxing on the deck, and writing blog posts, the world that glided by was almost surreal.

The banks of the Nile are even more alive and green than can be imagined, and there exists a sharp contrast with the barren, sandy desert hugging the strip of the lush, fertile land along the Nile. The colors of the deep blue Nile, grass green fertile area, beige and white desert, and azure crystal clear sky are so sharp in contrast, it looks like a painting. Mile after mile of beautiful fields of crops go by, small rectangles which yield carrots, cabbage, figs, rice, sugar cane, sesame and much more. In the respite of the early morning, farmers and their children can be seen tending to their land, with only an occasional one noticing the tourists that lounge on the decks of their cruise boats.

There are more than 300 boats that cruise the Nile making tourists a common site, even in these remote areas. Occasionally small mud, adobe houses, and lean to shelters for the animals are seen. Water buffaloes drink from the river and small donkeys laden with crops walk along the paths near the Nile. Men can be seen washing their galabiyas in the river. Glabiyas are the traditional worn cotton dress-like garment that almost looks like a large nightgown to us.

When it is prayer time, the Nile is used to wash the face, hands, and feet which must be done before praying. Wherever the farmer happens to be when it is time to pray (which is five times a day for Muslims), he goes to his knees, facing Mecca, and touches his forehead to the ground to pray.

 
Near small villages, groups of boys play about in the Nile, screaming and splashing each other, to cool off from the intense heat. The small villages and towns encountered, always boast a mosque and when the call to prayer rings out, the melody is the perfect background music for the scenery of the Nile. It is a constant reminder of how intertwined faith is with daily life and all that happens in Egypt. It was a strange site, when we were passing a medium size town, to actually see a lighted cross atop a Coptic Christian church, a rare site amongst the many mosques.

The skylines of the small towns are horizontal as the homes all seem to have flat roofs, an architectural element that is not a problem where there is usually only one rain per year. A large majority of the homes appear to be unfinished, with the top floor having only support columns and what looks like rebar spiking up out of the columns. It is an odd site and appears that they Egyptians are in a constant state of construction. We learned that there is a custom that when a house is built, the top floor is left unfinished, and will be finished and used by the children when they become adults. Apparently as each child becomes ready to establish their own home they build on top of their parent’s house.

On the small islands that hug the coastline, goats and donkeys are seen grazing and dozens of white, heron-like birds are happily eating. In the waters around the small islands and along the banks, rowboats move around where fishermen are making their catch for the day. The occasional felucca that sails past makes the dream-like scenery even more enchanting. In the rural areas the sighting of a woman near the river was rare. It appeared that the men were doing the farming and the fishing and the women stayed near to the houses. On several occasions we witnessed men lean down to the Nile and using their hands as cups, drink directly from the Nile. Being from the U.S. and ever conscious of microbes and water borne diseases we would never consider drinking from the St. Johns river. Yet for thousands of years the Nile has been the source of drinking water for the majority of its rural inhabitants. A concept we cannot fathom. One of our tour guides offered us a drink from the Nile and told us this is traditional and will guarantee a return visit to Egypt. We politely declined thinking we would rather avoid a visit to the doctor.

While watching life along the Nile, I thought of the St. Johns and the many similarities and differences. One of the main differences on the Nile is that pleasure crafts are non- existent. No power boats, wave runners, bass boats, pontoon boats. Only people trying to grow crops, raise animals, and fish the waters of the Nile to be able to provide for their families. How different our lives are, just by mere virtue of where we are born and how much we take for granted. Although life along the Nile appeared peaceful and romantic, the day to day struggle for existence was evident. One appreciates their struggle and at the same time can only be thankful for the blessings we have.

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