History

You are stuck in the past. You don’t even exist in the same country anymore, but you are determined to continue with your story. You remind others that the following events occurred just under two months ago…

The next day, in Aswan, you settle your felucca situation. Following new directions, you find yourself in the lobby of a hotel, close to the original one you visited. It is dimly lit, poorly decorated, and furnished with a small seating area and television. Soon, you are introduced to “Jack” and make arrangements for a three-day, two-night tour. “Jack” asks you for a favor. You are skeptical, at first, but realize you can always decline later. “Jack” wants you to help him on the computer. He says that his English skills are intermediate when it comes to speaking and listening, but reading and writing are much more challenging. He has received an e-mail from a client who also speaks English as a second language and uses awkward structure. You are happy to help- after all this has become your specialty.

After translating and responding to a couple different e-mails, “Jack” is so thankful that he treats you to an Egyptian-style dinner at local prices. It is nice to have a meal here other than pizza or eggs, cheese and bread.

“What will you do now?”
“Oh, I’m going back to my hotel. I don’t like being out at night, here.”

You want sex? I need fuck you.

You make arrangements to meet with “Jack” the next day to complete the deal- meaning give him the money. The next day you wake up early. Today you plan to visit the Nubian Museum and Elephantine Island.

The Nubian Museum is about half an hour walk from your hotel. The only way you know how to get there, without getting lost, is to walk the Corniche along the Nile River.

“You want felucca?”
“No, thank you.”
“Felucca?”
“No.”
“Good price. You know how much?”
“NO!”

The Nubian Museum unfolds the story of Nubian history and culture from over 6,500 years ago to present day. It contains impressive artifacts, stunning jewelry, portrayals of ancient and modern Nubian life as well as detailed displays of the construction of the Aswan Dam. Even though you decided against visiting the Aswan Dam, you find this display particularly interesting. The construction of the Dam was an attempt to control the flow and irrigation of the Nile’s water. As predicted, the restriction allowed for more crops to be produced each year. Unfortunately, it also had an adverse affect. The water table rose so dramatically that it began submerging some of Aswan’s most treasured monuments. Ironically, the construction of the dam brought wealth to the country by yielding rich and plentiful harvests each year, but at the same time the country would be losing millions of dollars from the resulting detriment to its tourist industry. Something had to be done.

A huge Unesco project involving many corporations, countries, and millions of dollars was put into effect. It involved the deconstruction and reconstruction of the monuments mentioned in a previous post. The result of this project is the monuments as we see them today.

“I still think it would have been better as an underwater dive tour.”
“Yeah, but then they wouldn’t make as much money.”

You decide that your most pleasant memory of the day is being approached by four young Egyptian girls inside the museum. The oldest is 12 and the youngest, 6 or 7 years old. They surround you, asking questions like, “where are you from?”, “what’s your name?”, “how old are you?” The rest you can’t understand. You gather by the intonation of a mother figure in the distance that she is telling them to stop bothering you. They walk away smiling and waving. About ten minutes later, they come back. The oldest offers you a pen and tells you to take it. You accept. They ask if you have a mobile. You laugh and tell them your phone number. They never call you- or if they did, you didn’t answer.

After the museum, you take the ferry over to Elephantine Island. The significance of Elephantine Island is that it was once the main source for trade of ivory and granite. It was also a renowned center for worshipping the Ancient Egyptian gods of Khnum, the creator of humankind and controller of the Nile’s water level, his wife Satis, and their daughter Anukis. The ticketed site on this island is the location of the ruins from their religious edifices. Here, there are some reconstructed temples, including one built by Queen Hatchepsut in honor of Satis, the ruins of a residential colony, and a cemetery for sacred rams. The rest of the island is filled with scattered Nubian homes made of mud-bricks, thatched roofs, and wooden doors with padlocks. Modern Elephantine families live here. It is open for people to walk around, but you feel a little awkward walking through the perimeters of their homes. You thoroughly wander about the island, however, as you get a bit lost trying to find the location of the ruins. After a few hours, you return to the mainland for the evening.

You make the final arrangements with “Jack” for your felucca trip, departing the next morning- the next leg of your journey.