I am in Luxor right now. I am on a boat, taking the obligatory Nile Cruise, so I have limited Internet access. while checking my email today, I was very pleased to see this article in the New York Times regarding a predominantly "liberal" protest that took place in Cairo.
The protesters called on the military council now ruling Egypt to end the practice of sending civilians to military trials, to expedite legal action against former President Hosni Mubarak and his associates, and to start governing with some civilian presidential council.
But now, I am in Upper Egypt, so it is a good chance to check in on the rest of Egypt. There are 80 million people in Egypt, and only 20 million of them live in Cairo.
Business is very low on the tourist areas in the Nile. The tour guides tell me that the coverage of the Imbaba Clashes, in which 12 people were killed, hurt tourism more than the Revolution, in which 800 people were killed. The temples on this trip seem full to me, but my guides tell me they are nearly empty. I went to the papyrus store today, and the salesman nearly begged me to buy things. I bought two small pieces, but I could smell his hunger for business, as he offered me three pieces priced at 550 LE for 350 LE. A moment of sorrow.
My daughter fell in love with a horse today. Her name is Aziza. She pulled our horsedrawn carriage to the temple of Edfu. Apparently, during the revolution, the citizens of Edfu demanded that the only way one can get to Edfu Temple is by horsedrawn carriage. This reduces the number of cars on the road, and guarantees nearly full employment for the citizens of Edfu. I like this tradition. It is scenic, and it slows the flow of tourists into the temples. We gave the driver a few extra pounds to buy Aziza some extra oats. A moment of joy.
The protesters called on the military council now ruling Egypt to end the practice of sending civilians to military trials, to expedite legal action against former President Hosni Mubarak and his associates, and to start governing with some civilian presidential council.
But now, I am in Upper Egypt, so it is a good chance to check in on the rest of Egypt. There are 80 million people in Egypt, and only 20 million of them live in Cairo.
Business is very low on the tourist areas in the Nile. The tour guides tell me that the coverage of the Imbaba Clashes, in which 12 people were killed, hurt tourism more than the Revolution, in which 800 people were killed. The temples on this trip seem full to me, but my guides tell me they are nearly empty. I went to the papyrus store today, and the salesman nearly begged me to buy things. I bought two small pieces, but I could smell his hunger for business, as he offered me three pieces priced at 550 LE for 350 LE. A moment of sorrow.
My daughter fell in love with a horse today. Her name is Aziza. She pulled our horsedrawn carriage to the temple of Edfu. Apparently, during the revolution, the citizens of Edfu demanded that the only way one can get to Edfu Temple is by horsedrawn carriage. This reduces the number of cars on the road, and guarantees nearly full employment for the citizens of Edfu. I like this tradition. It is scenic, and it slows the flow of tourists into the temples. We gave the driver a few extra pounds to buy Aziza some extra oats. A moment of joy.
No comments:
Post a Comment