按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
。 （I lost mine in Cairo … don't ask how。） No luck of course。
Abouti's is the best bookstore in Luxor for Egyptological stuff； but its selection of fiction is pretty limited。 Have seen my French editions at two places in Luxor； plus one German。 None of the English。 Transitions are a pain … packing； looking for missing articles； cashing travelers' checks； paying bills； tipping everybody。 The first part of the trip was fine … I even got a smile and a handshake from the grumpy guy at the bank。 It isn't surprising that he is grumpy； some of his customers are rude and unreasonable。 He'd been very nice since the time during Ramadan when I walked in to find him reading from the Koran； I immediately stepped back and told him to finish his chapter or whatever； that I could wait。 I was rewarded when he asked if I would like him to read aloud。 It was beautiful … sung rather than read； in a sonorous baritone。 He had studied to be a muezzin。
Later。 I'm getting to know Luxor airport （excuse me； International Airport … there are direct flights from Gatwick in England） only too well。 The plane was on time； meaning it left only half an hour late。 （U。S。 lines don't do any better。） You're barely up before you e down； flying time is only about twenty minutes。 There was an interminable wait for baggage； so Khaled and Bill had been waiting some time and were being agitated。 I suppose losing me would be a black mark。
On board。 They are very nice to me。 The suite isn't much； a tiny sitting room and bedroom and no whirlpool！ … but it's the best the boat offers。 There are some lovely old Turkoman rugs and a TV （can't get anything on it）； and everything is spotlessly clean。 Even Amelia would approve。 This boat； like many others here； belongs to the Queen Nabila line。 We're right up against the dock； but the boats are lined up side by side as usual； two or three deep； and from my plate glass window I can see … another set of identical windows。 For about ten minutes I had a lovely view of the river while one boat pulled away； but another one promptly took its place。
Jan。 4。 Most of the gang went to Abu Simbel this morning。 They had to get up at four…thirty。 Need I say I did not go with them？ （Been there。） Shopped the suk with Bill and Nancy instead。 Suk is more authentic than Luxor； but I fear the good local handicrafts are fading out； to be replaced by t…shirts and junk。 Bought spices and three embroidered pillowcases； not nearly as nice as the ones at Luxor just last year。 Work is cruder； colors gaudier。
After lunch （the food is fatteningly good and hard to resist）； we took feluccas to Elephantine Island。 More damned wobbly eight…inch gangplanks！ The old museum； once the home of the engineer who designed the first dam； looks odd with its Victorian trim and wide veranda。 We visited it a couple of years ago； poor shabby neglected place； and the curator was pathetically grateful for pany。 So I didn't go in。 Most of the good stuff has been removed to the new Assuan Museum。 Wish I could say something sensible about the excavations； which were closed to visitors last time I was here； they are extensive and fascinating； but it was a maze to me。 There's no guidebook and the only publications are in obscure （to me） German professional journals。
Jan。 5。 Went to the Assuan Museum alone； I had never seen it。 On entering whom should I see but John and Debbie … I love these serendipitous encounters； they only happen to me in Egypt！ But John was all bandaged and battered from an accident： A truck ahead of them turned a corner too fast and dumped a boulder on the front of the Land Rover； shattering the window and more。 You see trucks like that on the road all the time； overloaded and without tailgates。 It's a miracle more people aren't injured。 （Maybe they are。）
It's a splendid museum … beautiful architecture； objects well displayed … and John and Debbie were wonderful guides。 We went back to town about eleven and found a place on the corniche … lower level； actually on the water。 They had lunch and I kerkedah … a deep red； sweet； ice cold drink made from stewed hibiscus blossoms。 Resisted the urge to purchase the blossoms in the suk this year … in Egypt it is delicious； when I make it at home it tastes awful！ The boat was to sail at 12：30。 I figured I might have some difficulty finding it； since I had been warned it would be moved； preparatory to sailing。 I was right； but we did find it eventually。 John and Debbie saw me to the gangplank of the innermost boat （docked where ours had been this morning） where we met a couple of other people from the tour； who greeted me and I them with shouts of joy。 We had to go through three boats to reach ours； they tie them up so that the lobbies adjoin； and it's kind of interesting to see what other boats are like。
I've gotten to know most of the people by now and have chatted with most； though I will never get everybody's name straight； I'm hopeless about names。 This is a great bunch。 Phil and Kathe came back from shopping with a bottle of gin for me。 That's what you get when you expose your vices and plain aloud （there is no gin at the bar of the boat。） It's Egyptian gin and probably quite vile； but what a sweet thought … n。b。； I brought it down to the bar next night and made everybody sample it。 Tasted like grappa or anisette！ After I had swilled some down someone told me I shouldn't have because sanitation is questionable； but I figured 90 proof alcohol would kill most everything。
Lunch on the upper deck； then departure。 I do like sailing。 The weather is perfect； sunny； and not too windy。 My window faces east。 There's not much village life； only lots and lots of palms； with the golden brown hills behind。 Road and railroad on this bank from Hammadi south； sometimes they run close to the river； so you can see a car or a train。
Jan。 6。 We arrived at Edfu last night and tied up； if that is the phrase。 Bill had the gang off the boat at seven a。m。 to see the temple。 I watched them placently through a slit in my curtains as they got into carriages。 It's a bustling； busy scene。 Across the street； shops display the conventional tourist stuff； galabeeyahs and those gaudy sequined shifts； shawls； and scarves。 Racks of Baraka bottles； Coke； and soft drinks； a cafe with plastic chairs of red and yellow。 The occupants of an apartment building across the street have hung their bedding and clothes out to air； over the edge of the balconies。 Two elegant old wrought…iron Victorian style lampposts flank the top of the stairs that lead up to the street from the waterfront。 The steps are crumbling and uneven； and sometimes； depending on where the boat docks； you have to pick your way over broken concrete and stones to reach the steps。
It's all part of the Egyptian experience。 。 。
Bill has certainly kept the gang busy。 When they aren't rushing around at odd hours seeing sites； they are being entertained。 The first night at Aswan it was Nubian dancing … a lot of horseplay （pun： part of it was two guys in a horse suit） … but some was quite splendid and the drums and tambourines were expertly played。 For one song a little old gent in a turban strode in and tootled on a pipe along with the drums。
Part of the fun is dragging the tourists up to dance … I'm sure the locals find it very funny … and I finally got dragged up too and made； I am sure； a perfect idiot of myself； but I got lots of applause。 I wore my Nubian lady's black dress with a deep ruffle around the hem。 Everybody was supposed to wear Egyptian garb； and some of the outfits were great。 These people are really good sports … they'll try anything。
Next night was Victorian night； in honor of Amelia； and I made an exhibition of myself again trying to waltz with Phil。 Stepped all over his feet。 The dear person whirled most of the women round the floor to Strauss waltzes。 None of the other men danced； poor shy things。 Last night was Bill's mystery； featuring stolen antiquities and a gold dagger and a corpse on the bed in the spare room。 Bill was very funny as Lord Carnivore； in plus fours and Holmes hat； stick； and huge calabash pipe。 Everybody entered into it with great good spirits； but we