Sailing Down The Nile
Posted On Thursday, March 30, 1989 at at 12:19 AM by AlvinOn arrival from the overnight train from Cairo, we visited the Aswan Dam and the must-see sight of Abu Simbel, before boarding a Felucca to sail back down The Nile River. As the story went, Abu Simbel was completely transported, almost piece by piece, from the Upper Nile to make way for the building of the Aswan Dam, and was later accurately re-constructed and re-assembled, further down The Nile - impressive engineering !
The Nile being the source of life for the Egyptians, was teeming with activities and we saw Nubians farmers, fishermen as well as children springboarding into The Nile - a picture coming straight out from ancient times ! The banks of the Nile were either covered with green oasis or the land was populated with interesting riverside towns, the houses looked primitive but very were well organised and clean. Here's Mandy with a few girls she met on the felucca !
The Nile being the source of life for the Egyptians, was teeming with activities and we saw Nubians farmers, fishermen as well as children springboarding into The Nile - a picture coming straight out from ancient times ! The banks of the Nile were either covered with green oasis or the land was populated with interesting riverside towns, the houses looked primitive but very were well organised and clean. Here's Mandy with a few girls she met on the felucca !
Walk Like An Egyptian !
Posted On Tuesday, March 28, 1989 at at 12:12 AM by AlvinAfter the hard slog leading to the completion and award of my Ph.D., it was time to pick up our travels again. We flew in to Cairo and visited the famous Sphinx and Giza Pyramids. These were impressive sights and were somehow very familiar as we had seen and read so much about them for so long, they did not disappoint.
It was incredible to notice that the world famous Giza Pyramids were just 5 minutes walk from the nearest Cairo suburbs and if we had not been choosy in taking our pictures, we would have taken (in the photos) people's homes and terraces, probably with them eating dinners and watching TVs. As in many world renowned sights, the locals had a ring-side seat and they got to see the Pyramids EVERYDAY !
We left the tourists behind and ventured into these suburbs where we met many friendly school children and had a slightly better understanding of their lives lived under the shadows of the Great Pyramids. We would be taking the overnight train to Aswan tomorrow so we headed back to the hotel for an early night.
It was incredible to notice that the world famous Giza Pyramids were just 5 minutes walk from the nearest Cairo suburbs and if we had not been choosy in taking our pictures, we would have taken (in the photos) people's homes and terraces, probably with them eating dinners and watching TVs. As in many world renowned sights, the locals had a ring-side seat and they got to see the Pyramids EVERYDAY !
We left the tourists behind and ventured into these suburbs where we met many friendly school children and had a slightly better understanding of their lives lived under the shadows of the Great Pyramids. We would be taking the overnight train to Aswan tomorrow so we headed back to the hotel for an early night.
