I was worried about the dynamics of the group, which appeared in my luggage: An entire suitcase was filled with books and whiskey.
The last time I travel in groups was 20 years ago, but the memories had not disappeared. Even τρέμω by anger when I remember. An international herd between unidentified people in their fragile mental state to try to koinonikopoiithei. It looked enough with the TV Big Brother, if you tried to go on holiday.
Three days after arrival in Cairo, accompanied by a mountain of luggage and bags with champagne from the duty free, our group took the evening train to Luxor.
In Luxor, stayed in a renovated agrotospito next to the rough grounds and in a secluded monastery Coptic monks. By evening, my companions had begun to xetyligoun their careers. A film producer, a French photographer with particular sympathy in the gardens, a web designer, a botanist, an elegantly dressed lawyer, and an Iranian, I think, four travel writers of short stories.
But whenever pernousame the Nile and saw a boat, my heart sfingotan. Fovomoun that our destiny was to pagideftoume as a team in one of these tourist boats, forced to spend nights in our discos and our days by the pool.
But our experience has proved something quite different. After browsing immersed in a magnificent temple Ptolemaiou, with the roof and color to have remained intact despite the passage of centuries, the footsteps skonismena alleys of Luxor and we were on the banks of the Nile. A panel arising from the ground with our vessel, and as planks ypochorousan just under my weight, I felt myself slowly intensity and nefrikotita me to disappear.
I board a dahabiya, the local traditional sailing. In essence was a large room epeplee, which was protected from the sun with a ceiling of canvas. Dozens of beds, with huge yellow pads were concentrated around low tables. A glass of lemonade found in the hand before I hear the cry touched by my son: «Bampa, come to see the bedrooms of us is really cool». It was the right adjective for acres of Egyptian flax, ypostylomata and cushions that plaisionan the wooden room. The light from the waters of the Nile, "temachizotan" from the knitted parathyrofylla, kymatize to asprous walls and roof.
In the next 10 days, the crew proved creative in our demands, and responded enthusiastically and in our real Egyptian food, servirontas local delicacies such as «foul» for breakfast. Managed to ease the difficult balance to watch the guests and also to be discreet and pleasure as pigainoerchontan the vessel. When you come ashore, one-two times a day to see a colorful tomb or a deserted city, wearing the tourmpania an appropriate and followed us carrying water.
During our journey, never I felt anxiety and haste. We had entered a part time, the real currency of life, was something that could really be geftoume. Latrepsa feel I can say «yes», when I was asked if I wanted to play a game of chess or cards, instead of the usual "later, my love" - a promise that is rarely fulfilled.
For me the most favorite part of the day was the dawn, when one could admire the paignidismata of light and tranquillity of the Nile. Then, for about a half hour one can admire the petagma bird, and couples with erodious alkyonon. This is not a time for dialogue and, sometimes lalistatoi, photographers and artists come decisively to record that prolavainoun.
Disregarding the advice to the contrary, kolympousame twice a day in the waters of the Nile, and discovered that I had finally addicted to group dynamics. To protect from stomachoponous, pernousame dusk drinking Tom Collins (a cocktail made from fresh young Egyptian laim and local lemons), while the host read by our calendars of Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert, on their own in the Nile cruises.
The visitor should be particularly attentive to the Egyptian wine. We have sent back many bottles as being tainted before realise that wine Egypt has such taste.
Each evening, when dename, the captain sat in the bank and a pipe anave admiring the vessel. He was the captain of a dahabiya - Arabic means «gold». Those who have such a sail boat will not ask why ...
* The Barnaby Rogerson is editor of Eland Publishing, which specializes in travel and historical books.
