An Excursion to Egypt April 2001

Cruising Down the River Nile

There is no doubt about it. The best way to see the River Nile and its people is from the deck of a cruise boat. You see it all as you cruise along the Nile, the Egyptian people going about their daily lives. You can see towns and villages and old buildings carved into the rock and isolated farms and houses. The banks have many houses built from the traditional mud bricks.

	The bank of the River Nile showing some of the houses built from mud bricks. Before the Aswan Dam was built, these would be washed away when the annual flood came and have to be rebuilt when it subsided. Now, with the flood under control, the houses last much longer than they used to.
Houses built from mud bricks

As you sail along the River Nile, you will see lots of children either playing at the side of the river, fishing from small boats or helping their parents with their livestock. They always shout and wave to you with big grins on their face - so do wave back ! It does twinge the conscience a bit, as you think that what you have paid for your luxury holiday cruising along the Nile, may well be the same as a year's wages for the parents of these children

Children waving from the bank

	One mustn't forget that the River Nile isn't there just for the tourists ! It is a working river and through the centuries it has been a source of food for the people of Egypt by providing them with a variety of fish. As we sailed along the Nile, we saw a variety of techniques, ranging from nets and line and rod, to hitting the water with large wooden poles, perhaps to stun the fish ?
Fisherman on the River Nile

No Zanussi washing machines here ! While the menfolk went off to fish, the women really did 'wash their dirty linen in public' ! No need to worry about having to watch out for rain or moan about not having a tumble dryer to dry the clothes !
	Washing day on the River Nile