The day after
Trip Start
May 09, 2005
1
37
53
Trip End
Aug 01, 2005
Dahab,
Egypt
Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Then I went home to have my little ritual cry. I don't know why, but it seems every birthday since about 21, I have to have myself a little cleansing cry. Like I said, I have no idea where it came from or why it started because I'm not necessarily sad
A serious game of dominoes
. So I see it more as a cleansing practice--a way to start the new year fresh. So then I heaved a big sigh and I was ready to go again!We went to the horse dancing show after dinner. It's just as it sounds, a man sits on a horse and the horse dances to music. It's a tradition that comes from Upper Egypt and is really wonderful to watch. The horse is beautifully decorated in glittering saddles and bright coverings and does these interesting dance moves while the rider sits still on top giving the proper commands. Anwar and I debated whether or not the horse really even WANTED to dance or was a forced participant. Anwar tried to convince me that the horse quite enjoys it, but I think otherwise. It's the same debate other whether the camels want to be free to roam the desert or enjoy being beasts of burden (he may have won that one since the camels dutifully go home every night when they could just run away).
After that horse show we made our way to the usual spot: Tota. We had a blast dancing to America's best export--rap music. Then Anwar surprised me with a cake. Here, there is a traditional song they play on birthdays, cheesy along the lines of what they'd sing you at TGIFridays. Anyways, it starts with a long bell toll that goes on for a minute and then cheesy cha-cha-cha music where they sing Happy Birthday in English and then in Arabic several times
A young party-goer
. Everyone is dancing and screaming and clapping. It was a great time as we danced around the birthday cake with about 50 strange tourists and 50 locals that I've come to know here. So we stayed out until about 2:30am--I'm getting tired earlier and earlier with my old age! Today, nothing too much going on. I'm just wandering around and really trying to soak up Dahab. I try so hard to find photos that capture life here and how relaxing and beautiful it is--but not a single picture I take can do it justice. I wish that I could share it how it really is with each one of you, but unfortunately what photos I can conjure up will have to do.
Plans for my final two weeks are still a bit loose. I'm trying to figure out logistics as Anwar was going to accompany me on a 10 day holiday around Egypt before leaving from Cairo. If you remember from a previous blog, I spoke about finances here and how it usually falls upon one son in every family to support everyone else. Well, this is Anwar's burden and his sister dropped a bombshell on him yesterday that they need 3000 LE (about $520) to pay for his niece's first year of school next year. It's not like the US where just about everything can be paid in monthly installments. So he's dealing with the notion of having to hide out in Cairo when he goes to see me off, as he would lose face to go to his family and tell them he doesn't have the money. It's very sad, but then again this is just a fact of life here. It's difficult for me as an American to not feel guilty knowing that we drop this much money on a day at a salon or a nice shopping spree and here a family struggles to get that money to send a child to school. But that has been a major part of my learning curve whilst traveling in 'developing' countries: I cannot feel guilty for the situation or place into which I was born
Anwar at Napoleon
.Anyways, I am totally rambling. So my hope is that I will go up north along the Mediterranean coast to Alexandria and then west to the Siwa Oasis, close to the Libyan border, then back to Cairo for my flight home. But I guess along with myself, you all will see where my path leads me in the next few weeks!!
PS. Carmella: I checked in on Carmella the horse and sadly, she had a baby two months ago that died shortly after birth. Carmella has been sick ever since but it slowly making a recovery. I sad 'hello' to her for you today!
Comments
Happy Birthday
and many more. You seem to have a good attitude.