Art is everywhere

What do you see every day, that others may view as artwork? A lot, I think... Anything can be art, situations, decorations as here, facial expressions, animals, everyday objects...

A lot of us take the world around us for granted. But your everyday world can be exotic for bloggers around the world.

This photo is from the front of a motorboat that crosses the Nile near Luxor Temple, Luxor, Egypt. I cross with one of these boats almost every day when in Egypt, as I live on the opposite bank of the city centre. All the boats are richly decorated with humorous paintings and good wishes.

Here is a challenge for all of you --- post a picture of something that you see everyday, that you would like to show other bloggers from all around the blogosphere.

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.

Everyday Nile

Most tourists think about one of two when they hear the words "The Nile". They think about pharaos and Baby Moses in the basket, that is ; stories and myths from the past.
Or they think about the Nile Cruise industry, floating hotels with bars and disco, and a stop once in a while to visit a temple or museum.

But for some people the Nile is every day, it is their life and their income. I talk about the motorboat men, that let you cross the Nile for a dollar. It is the sailboat-captains and their helpers. And finally the "Nile-police", who charges fines from anyone, because they hardly get paid at all.

They can look very relaxed there they sit on a bench or stand leaned to a wall, all day long, waiting for customers. But the truth is very different. Norwegians love the sun, but the teenager who stands there, hour after hour, with no shadow and only Nile water to drink, do you think HE enjoys it?

Probably he is worrying about his family at home. And probably it will be rice and bread for dinner again today.

I met a canadian woman once in Luxor. Very proudly she announced that she had avoided being fooled earlier that day, she had been on a two hour roundtrip with fellucca sailboat, and the boys on board had told her after that the price was 50 egyptian pounds (8 dollars) and she had refused, because in her Lonely Planet it said that the price ought to be just 20!

I found this very strange. 20 egyptian pounds for two men to share? To feed two families? I had a look in her travel guide, and there it said that 20 ENGLISH pounds would be a reasonable price....Well that's something a bit different.

There is a lot of gossiping about the boatpeople. They are looked down at, regarded as lowlife and treated like cattle. Well, a young man who has been out working from he was eight, to get his siblings through school, isn't only good enough in my eyes, he's got my deepest respect.

The Description of Egypt

Who hasn't heard about Egypt? Who hasn't seen pictures of the magnificent temples and pyramids? And the beaches and diving resorts by the Red Sea? And all of this is truly amazing. But Egypt is so much more!

I came to Egypt first time in 2005 with the pharaos in mind. I was going to stay there for three months. Seeing the most important tourist sites took two weeks. And there I was. I had not yet discovered the heart of this strange country.

I found that Egypt is also the desert. An ocean of barren isolation. To fall to sleep in the sand, counting shooting stars, was for me an amazing experience.

Egypt is The Nile. The eternal flow of water from the heart of Africa. The lifeline of this country from ancient times until today. Still birds and animals cool down and drink on the banks of this river - The mother of all egyptians.

Egypt is The people too. You are surrounded by openness and friendliness. I had to put all prejudices aside. This people opened their hearts and homes to me, and welcomed me as one of their own.

Now, Egypt is my life. It is my home. The people there are my family. And I can't wait to stay there full time!

Come visit!

The Real Egypt...

I Want to show you the real Egypt! This is my vision and my goal. If you never have been to Egypt, you have certain images. Pyramids, temples and maybe diving? Shopping in Cairo, Sailing in Luxor, driving over the Aswan High Dam, maybe a cruise on the Nile, or a camel ride in the desert. All of these are wonderful experiences, but still there is one thing we have not mentioned. Egypts' beating heart, the people.

So let me take you on a journey in your own imagination. Let us leave the Hilton and the Sheraton in central Luxor. Let us cross the river Nile. We are now in the villages of what was once ancient Thebes. Let us walk through the sugar cane fields. Welcome to Al Toot, To a village with a name that means raspberry!

We walk through a narrow street, curious children jump around you like squirrels, you just can't help but laugh. And then you see it. A beautiful house, an oriental dream, it is white with arches and balconies. It is not very big. And it feels like home. As the sun goes down arabian lamps are lit on the balconies. You decide to stay on the roof terrace for a few hours, with some other recidents. You enjoy healthy food and sweet egyptian tea.

As you watch the moon hanging over you, you feel you don't want to sleep... You don't want to miss this night. But Then it strikes you: This must be the perfect place for sweet dreams. The faint scent of incense follow you into your sleep.

Moving soon! Come visit !!