Today we have been exploring the islands in the Nile at Aswan but our first stop was to visit Ismael who we met last night whilst walking alongside the Nile, we were up by the Freyar Gardens which overlook the river and got chatting to Ismael who is a retired diving instructor and yoga teacher and with many other skills. He invited us to visit him this morning and so we were searching a dusty road off the Corniche, were helped by a shopkeeper and sent down a further dusty lane with goats and small children playing. Finally a door opened and there he was smiling and welcoming us to his home - a very old three storey building with an open stairway with rooms off it. We discovered that he often invites those he meets to visit him and has a page a day diary in which visitors express their thanks for his hospitality - including massage and yoga advice.
We then took a ferry over to Elephantine island, and no sooner had we got off the boat andwe met two men each claiming to be the headman and offering his services as a guide, and at the Museum and adjoining site we fought off enough offers of guiding to manage to enjoy exploring the amazing ruins under our own steam. This is a beautiful place and the views from the islands are truly amazing with the steep west bank rising into sheer desert only a few metres from the river edge.
After wandering and getting thoroughly lost in one of the Nubian villages we arrived at the other side of the island to see if we could get a ferry boat across to a small island with what looked like a very fine Botanical Garden. Below us was a moored boat and its owner Agassi persuaded us to take his boat over and that he would then wait at the exit ferry steps to take us back - he said the season was very bad and he was hardly getting a fare a week, so how could we refuse.
The Gardens were fantastic, well laid out, very shady and cool in what for us was a hot day, we got a cheap ferry back, the guy could not change a 20 LE note (noone here has any change we have seen only two coins in all of Eqypt and noone selling any service has any change to give so its a nightmare) but in this case I just gave him the 3LE notes I had and he had to accept them and I am certain that the local people pay less than that anyway.
Brian
We then took a ferry over to Elephantine island, and no sooner had we got off the boat andwe met two men each claiming to be the headman and offering his services as a guide, and at the Museum and adjoining site we fought off enough offers of guiding to manage to enjoy exploring the amazing ruins under our own steam. This is a beautiful place and the views from the islands are truly amazing with the steep west bank rising into sheer desert only a few metres from the river edge.
After wandering and getting thoroughly lost in one of the Nubian villages we arrived at the other side of the island to see if we could get a ferry boat across to a small island with what looked like a very fine Botanical Garden. Below us was a moored boat and its owner Agassi persuaded us to take his boat over and that he would then wait at the exit ferry steps to take us back - he said the season was very bad and he was hardly getting a fare a week, so how could we refuse.
The Gardens were fantastic, well laid out, very shady and cool in what for us was a hot day, we got a cheap ferry back, the guy could not change a 20 LE note (noone here has any change we have seen only two coins in all of Eqypt and noone selling any service has any change to give so its a nightmare) but in this case I just gave him the 3LE notes I had and he had to accept them and I am certain that the local people pay less than that anyway.
Brian
3 comments:
No one has any change! Gosh! Well I wonder why not?
{insert picture of Brian rolling about on the floor laughing!}
I am wondering about the 'other skills' that Ishmael has? By the way he is smiling as he cuddles Tess - one wonders if she has yet enjoyed the 'massage' or is waiting in anticipation!! I hope Tess isnt showing her feet and bottom of her shoes inadvertently attracting unwanted attention!
well we have our suspicions about other skills of course but Tess has been rescued and is now safely in Luxor
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