Aswan…………

………we sailed from Luxor to Aswan passing through the Esna Lock. As the boat was waiting to go into the lock swarms of boatmen came alongside urging passengers to buy their wares. The traders throw their goods up onto the deck of the boat with demands to buy, shirts, scarves, galabeya etc and these were landing in the swimming pool, on tables, back in the water – it was chaos, the air was filled with hurtling merchandise. I retreated down to our cabin. As I unwittingly turned on the light, goods were hurled into the cabin through the open window! I hurriedly stuffed them back out of the window into the boats below and slammed the window shut. Shopping is not a pleasant experience in Egypt, there is no chance to “look”. You are hassled and pestered if you even so much as glance at something (and even if you don’).
The temples and ancient sites are a completely different experience. You do have to run a short gauntlet of sellers, but once inside the only thing you have to be aware of is Egyptian men lurking behind pillars waiting to step into your photograph and then demanding appearance money! However the magnificent and sense of ancient presence is over whelming (or maybe it’s the 45degree heat!).
The Aswan High Dam was built in the 1960’s, flooding ancient Nubian villages, but the resulting increases in agriculture production and hydroelectricity have saved Egypt from famine. Lake Nasser is approximately 200 meters deep, which is as high as the Auckland Sky Tower. We visited a Nubian village and were nearly run down by boys on camels racing down the road to check out the local football match, which they watched over the fence from their camels stand.
There is a timelessness about Egypt which is captivating, however the contrasts and contradictions of wealth and poverty, the clashing of ancient and modern, the invisibility of local women dressed head to toe in Purdah against the scantily clad tourists make it a very complex experience.