fredag 12. oktober 2007

The Train Journey




We didn't know that you could fly from Cairo to luxor in less than an hour. For the sake of Allah - it was our first time in Egypt, and let's face it, not far from the first time outside our own home country.

But our travellers guide had a nice picture of the Ramses Train Station so this was where we was headed in the pitch black Cairo night. If only our taxi driver spoke English! You should think that would be important in his profession? In the end I was reading desperately in my mini dictionary ... and this is how my first Egyptian Arabic words were : "Il mahatta...!! Mahatta Ramsis!!"

The sun rose over Egypt as we found our second class seats. Second class on purpose, we didn't want to see hoyty toyty tourists, I was there for Egypt, and Egypt was what I got.

The hours rolled by along with the landscape, and I got to see what Egypt looks like outside of the pyramids area and Nile Hilton. I saw farmers working in the fields much as they did hundreds and thousands of years ago. I saw the tractors and the trucks of the sugarcane industry.

I was brought "lep" and "shai" and slept for an hour on the shoulder of my friend, with my dream more outside the window than behind my closed eyelids.

I think I had imagined going to a country that was some kind of a museum, but here by the railway it was - more alive than ever. We went through cities that I never heard the name of before and where tourists very seldom go. Yet hundreds of thousands lived here; it is everyday Egypt.

After nine hours of shifting landscape we went off the train in Luxor and walked up Sharia Mahatta. "Finally we're here", my friend said. I just smiled to him, and I knew, that our travels had just started.

10 kommentarer:

Lady divine sa...

Have a great time!!!!! :-)

Ineshka sa...

This is a wonderful post and a wonderful journey. Someone once said that if you want to see a country, you have to meet its people. And I believe that is true. You are really lucky Nadiyya, to have had a adventure like this. Most people don't get to do what you have done, travel to Egypt and see the "country" as well as its people, some never even have the chance of going to Egypt in the first place! :) So please keep having these wonderful journeys and do please write about them :)

Anonym sa...

I will lady D :)

Ineshka, The thing is I fell so in love with Egypt that I in the end decided to move there. I even found my husband there, so my kids will be half egyptian... And my home is always open for you if you want to see my town and country :)

Ineshka sa...

Wow!! :) I knew your husband was Egyptian, but I actually didnt know that you are living there now :) That's awesome Nadiyya! :)

Nadiyya sa...

We have a flat and a small business (transportation and an internet cafe) But it is still not quite enough to live from, so I still need to work part time for a Norwegian company on the sea ;)

Anonym sa...

How wonderful it all sounds! It seems like you're getting the true local view of a country that many of us want to know so much more about. I want to hear everything you experience in Egypt - and live vicariously through you!

xoxo

Anonym sa...

as I live trhrough you on a few other areas ;)

Anonym sa...

Aww! Goose bumps on my arms...

The travel there is half the trip..Many people just see the journey as transportation..I don't!

Nadiyya sa...

Hmmmm...! Maybe you and me should go by train to Cairo too :)

Anonym sa...

Would love to!
Such an experience....yes please!!!