Originally posted by Ash These have brought back beautiful memories, particularly #1 - reminded me of the picturesque sceneries of Aswan.
Thanks for sharing them.
Lovely night capture of the bridge on board the Nile cruise.
Did you ever try 'karkadeh' on board? (sweet floral drink that looks like red cordial, in case you hadn't heard it before)
Thanks for your kind comments Ash. شكرا
I can see how you, as a native Egyptian I presume, can long be that country, its nice people, slow pace, its colours and smells.
About karkadeh, I don't know. With every lunch and evening meals we were welcomed with a small fruit drink, different every time and often with alcohol.
Perhaps they served it, perhaps not.
Egypt seems to have a strange mixed attitude towards wine/alcohol and porc (2 of the 5 pillars of the Islam, is it not?).
Although porc we have not found on board (I'm not a porc eater at all, so I don't mind), alcohol flows in great quantities.
We've had some very good red wine, bottled in Egypt from Lebanese grapes from the Bekah valley. Very, very, nice.
Our guide told us that after the year 641, when Mohammed took over control over Egypt, the counrty was principally christian, he declared freedom of religion, however people converted to the islam paid less taxes. The clever fellow
Still, the koptic christian minority and the muslim majority seem to live and work very well together, acustomed to a common set of traditions.
It is in deed a wonderfull country. Though life seems to be hard there for the people, which are proud of their country and heritage.
I guess you know better how it is over there than we do as western tourists.
This was our fifth trip to Egypt, also the Caïro and lower nile area we found worth visiting and red sea diving can be spectacular.
Our last year's trip to Jordan reminds me much of Egypt and that was also very, very interesting and impressing.
- Bert