I had the intentions of going to the Sudanese Embassy today to get my visa sorted. This was quickly dashed when I discovered the embassy was not open on Saturdays. I didn't mind, I was quite looking forward to a day of doing nothing as my life as been pretty hectic recently.
Aswan isn't that big but there are a few things to see. I like to walk around a town first to get a feel for it so I never book trips or take taxi rides straight away. Cycle touring enables you to get a feel before you've checked into your hotel as well because you've taken the hours leading up to arrival to see, feel, smell and breathe in your surroundings. I went for a walk and left Nigel safe at the hotel as I've done everywhere I've been. As I've said before, when you're alone you are aware of and you recognise more things than you would do if you were wandering along with a group or another person. After spending more and more time in Africa I am less shocked by things I see and expect certain reactions and expressions too when I walk past. Staring is a common initial response, Beirdre is a subject that has been mentioned by some strangers as I've noticed them stroking their naked chins when talking to each other as they've past me. (Must be jealousy) An overreacted shout in my ear with childish laugh to follow is also a common thing to have to put up with. Egyptians have no concept of how loud they are. Im a loud person but when I'm relaxed and walking around the streets all I want is an equally relaxed "hello" or "hi" but instead you get an exaggerated assault on the ears that if you did in front of your mates when you were 7, your mum would tell you off for "showing off"
As I walked along the Nile where the "faluka people" hang out I was prepared for a wave of offers as they clocked me and all seemed to jump to attention from their resting spot against the wall. Knowing this, I got in there first. One guy had just cut short his conversation with a group of his buddies to approach me and give me the best price of the day no doubt, I got to him first. I bounded up to him with hand out ready for a good firm shake, "you're back!!! Good to see you again, sorry I can't ride in your boat today, I'm off to the shops. See you later." As I said this the look on his face was priceless.
I left him speechless with mouth open wide and hand still out. I walked on with a smile and a ripple of laughter from his friends in my wake. I was really enjoying myself today.
I decided to get the public ferry over to Elephantine Island. I payed for the boat, (which was free) and jumped on at the front readying myself for some good pics. One lady to politely said to me, "this is where the women sit, the men go at the back" what? No way! I love going to front on any seafaring vessel I step foot on, boats, cruise ships, log flumes, I'm always at the front! Not today I'm afraid, I had to sit at the back with the men and the bad view!
Elephantine is a very small island in the Nile with a Nubian village at one end and a luxury hotel at the other. I have never seen anything like it. The village was made up of intricate walkways cut in between a combination of mud brick huts, brick buildings and farming sheds. It was fascinating and I loved every minute of it. As I walked around I was completely left alone by the locals. I don't think they were used to a lonely white man walking through their village and still, there was no begging, no staring, they just got in with life.
The kids ran around me as if I wasn't there, the boys shooting the girls with guns made from sticks and others playing hide and seek. I was in yet another world but this world was strangely merely metres across the water from the town of Aswan. I have previously thought that some of the places I've been to have been places of no dreams, one can look at them with sorrow and pity. Here could've been one of those places but I didn't feel like that. The children were happy and laughing - not trailing after the white man in the hope of a couple of quid. The people were hard working and cleaning and goin about their daily routine, not interested in showing off! Here was not a town of no dreams, just different ones and it was an absolute privilege and honour to be allowed to walk around it.
I got back on the ferry over to the mainland. I was happy with my experience and I didn't want to spend the whole day exhausted as I had done so on previous "days off." I walked towards a bar where I knew showed football and with Al Jazeera TV I knew I could get three games back to back!
As I walked along the street I was followed by a boy selling newspapers. I had clocked him about 30 seconds previously riding on a horse and cart as he was staring at me. My senses heightened and set in Africa mode I noticed he was following very closely and trying to sell me a newspaper that was all in Arabic. "Just £5, just £5" he said, then BAM! I judo chopped his wondering hand that had briefly place on my back pocket from underneath the newspapers. Nice try kiddo but you're lucky you only got a chopping, the police were just metres down the road but he stopped walking before things got too far to warrant a stern ticking off. Whether that would've happened or not I don't know, I just carried on to the bar.
I sat in the bar initially alone but attracted attention from the odd individual that came and went. I chatted to a lot of people but a few were worth a mention. Mustapha the first, he sat down next to me, we had a chat, he got me a drink and some burgers and then left. I did not ask for them in the first place and he wanted nothing in return. Then during the second game which was Man United, two others sat next to me and ask me a lot of questions throughout. I was happy with the win and one of them suggested I should buy everyone a drink. It's hard being a poor English man in Egypt because they assume you have ridiculous amounts of money. Yes, the exchange rate is good but I'm not Richard Branson. I payed Mustapha's kind gesture forward and got the two guys that I had chatted to a drink. Not the 30 others that had arrived for the Real Madrid - Barcelona match.
I sat and watched the Barca game as well. My original position of being sat alone watching Arsenal in front of the t.v had gradually throughout the day became a front row seat for the "El Classico" in front of now a huge crowd of Egyptians. Lots of people poked "the English one" an asked him questions throughout the game about what he was doing there, what football teams he liked etc. Mustapha came and sat back next to me and I couldn't force him to have a drink. He was yet another genuinely kind man that I can add to my growing list whereas the guy that suggested I should buy everyone a drink just because I was English and United had scraped a terrible victory was more of a stereotyping presumer, I can add him to a growing list also.
When the football finished I grabbed some food and still caught the end of the Saints game. I had had a good chilled out day for once where I felt comfortable despite being a Tic-Tac in a family box of Maltesers.
Tomorrow I will go to the embassy. What happens there decides what I do for the next week. It could be one week twiddling my thumbs waiting for the boat or hello Sudan!!!
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