Aswan

After 15 hours on the sleeper train, we arrived in Aswan, the one-time capital of the Nubian empire. Without much of a plan, we walked through the street and settled on a Felucca—or wooden sailboat—ride in the Nile.  Our captain (and the man who lured us off the street) was Abdullah. 

Captain Abdullah.

He took us around the island of Ellephantine as the sun set behind the west bank of the Nile…not bad.  

The multilevel 10^th century monastery dedicated to St. Simeon with the modern Aga Khan Mausoleum at the top.

Ray and Sophia...photo credit to Dave

A felucca at sunset

Then, casually, Abdullah mentioned that there was a wedding going on that evening in his Nubian Village, Cobani, half an hour from Aswan.  Would we be interested in going?  We had read somewhere that Nubian weddings are open to the whole community and even foreigners—there is plenty food and cheer to go around.  How could we say no?  

Our group with the groom, Abdullah, and other village members. The groom is holding a whip, for good luck.

What followed was one of the most amazing cultural experiences of my life.  We arrived at the wedding to see over 100 men in robes sitting on benches and milling around listening to religious leaders pray and sing through a microphone.  There were exactly 3 women to be seen, Monika, Sophia and my mother.  We learned later that this was the first of two nights of the wedding, the Islamic night.  The following night would be a more “normal party” according do Abdullah.  Inside the house was a large courtyard where food was being prepared. 

Sophia with the kids after they pulled her away to henna tattoo her hand.

They laid our a rug on the sand and served us food.  Meanwhile, shy children poked their heads from out of doorways.  There were still no adult women to be seen.  ALL the women, it turns out, were in a different courtyard with the children.  They were not allowed to join in the religious ceremony or the dancing.  Almost no one spoke English except Abdullah.  But soon the children broke the ice, coming up to us bashfully at first--and then in droves--to shake our hands and speak the few English phrases they knew (how are you? I love you!)

Dave makes friends…without a common language.  Yeah Dave!

Soon we made out way to the front yard where the band had started to play.  Dancing followed which looked something like a lower back stretch: legs stationary with arms, torso and head swinging back and forth in time to the beat.  Naturally, we partook.  Everyone was so friendly and they found it hilarious to watch our back-stretch dances.  It was such a warm and valuable exchange.  There is no drinking alcohol under Islamic law but the tea flowed late into the night…

Despite the fact that Dave took 4 dance classes one semester last year, it was Dad who jumped in first to show off his moves. 

For the next two days,  we hit up archeological site after archeological site.  As far as I can tell, that’s the thing to do here in Egypt.  

Temple of Isis at Philae: We had to take a boat here since the temple is on an island.  When they built the mammoth Nile High Dam in the 1970s, this temple in its original location was to be fully underwater until UNESCO moved the entire site, brick-by-brick to higher ground.

Philae Temple

Fatimid Cemetery...or Tatooine?

Mummified Crocodiles at Kom Ombo...so cool!

Mom and Monika leave Edfu Temple

Herbs and spices at the Aswan Bazaar.  Here we spent 20 minutes haggling over the price.  The shop keeper mentioned he was looking for an American smartphone.  Dave actually had an old Blackberry with him on the trip and he returned later and haggled for an hour before agreeing on a price and selling it.  The true Egyptian experience.

And now for Ray’s wall carving and hieroglyphic interpretation. 

Bro! Why did you eat this cursed block of cheese?  Now you are turning into a crocodile!

No matter what vegetables you put on this table, when I zap them with my wand they become eggplants. 

Want a meatball sub?

Be sure to wear sandals when yous step on the fire-breathing lion.

Soon to come: Luxor and Sinai.