Encounters in the Dust: Stories from a Luxor Stroll
We awoke at pre-dawn for a sunrise hot-air balloon ride the morning after we arrived in Luxor. The thrill of the experience revved up our appetites, so afterwards we grab Turkish coffees, an omelette for Kevin, and an Egyptian breakfast for me consisting of mashed beans, pita, falafel, and green salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and delicious “white cheese” (that’s actually what it’s called!). The Sunset Cafe & Restaurant in Luxor is steps outside of our Airbnb, but otherwise hidden off the beaten path. The sweet young man helping us was a mashup of waiter, chef, and errand runner. We asked for a little sugar for our Turkish coffee since we didn’t quite know what to expect from it, but apparently they were out of sugar. In a blink, we see the jack-of-all-trades hop on a motorcycle and eventually return with a small pouch of sugar. Crisis averted.
Next we take off to explore the our area on the West bank of the Nile and burn off some of the many breakfast calories. We take off at a brisk pace, but everywhere we turn there is someone offering us a taxi ride, a boat trip across the Nile, or a tour to one of the many archeological sites around Luxor. We have a four-day Nile cruise that will include those tours, so we politely decline their kind invitations. We don’t go very far before we are detoured due to construction. The city recently expanded the road and now are shifting the sidewalk along the river. The road actually is a path of packed and soft sand, so it doesn’t take long before our dark clothes have a layer of dust.
The more touristy area passes away and we encounter more authentic Egyptian restaurants with menus in Arabic and a local clientele. A man with his donkey and a loaded cart walk alongside us until the road veers right and the donkey, familiar with the changing road, quickens his pace as the man hops into the cart and flies past us. We switch directions and squeeze inside the yellow lines as cars breeze past us. The roads are noisy, but nothing compared to the chaos of Cairo. A fellow commuter with flowing robes wishes us a salam as we cross each other, and Kevin is envious of the head covering and more sun-friendly outfit, since by now the sun overhead is scorching his scalp. Tuk-tuk drivers stop and offer us rides as we continue to shake our heads, wave them off, and explain that we prefer to walk.
To our left are rows of banana trees with sections covered in blue bags to protect the fruit from insects, animals, and to create a microclimate that reduces blemishes, improves color, and prevents frost damage. We see other agriculture as well, and more donkey carts loaded with vegetables and herbs reconfirm that this part of the country is heavily into farming.
Giggling children who stop their play in order to wave and greet us with hello warm our hearts and provide a good diversion from the beating sun. We regret our long-sleeve shirts and lack of sun protection. I pause to pull up my hair into a ponytail to cool my back. We’re nearly three miles in when we meet up with an a fellow American named Tim, who’s been living in Uganda with his daughter, and have an extended chat about his mission work with Egyptian children. He’s been here for the last nine months after recovering from prostate surgery. We’re delighted to have a shared love of travel and desire to understand life in the places we visit. Before departing, we try to coordinate a time to meet up again for dinner and continue our conversation away from the midday heat.
As we close out our four-mile excursion, a maze of dead ends leads us to horses and goats grazing and a sighting of an unlikely snacks and cafe spot called “foodbook,” which gives us a chuckle.
The dust clings to our sweaty bodies as we climb the stairs back up to our Airbnb, but we are glad for the brief but sweet encounters that livened up our day.
