While exploring Abu Simbul yesterday, I became fatigued and asked to return to the bus. For lunch, Big Mo asked us to sit separately. Upon returning to the boat, we were asked to submit to a COVID test. The antigen test for Joan was positive twice, and the PCR tests were positive for both of us.
We were confined to our room. The next day, others were disembarking to fly back to Cairo. Meanwhile, we were preparing to be taken to a small Nubian village on the West Bank of the Nile. Aswan Hotels would not take us. The other alternative, a local hospital, was not recommended because of its lack of cleanliness. The picture above shows the three individuals who brought us the bad news. They are our guide Mo. Another was an OAT representative from the Cairo office. The third person was the one on the ship who administered the tests.
We had a lot of faith in the professionalism and guidance of our OAT staff. However, we were extremely apprehensive as we approached our new home. We drove on dirt roads surrounded by rubble, garbage, and disarray. We finally landed at 𝗡𝘂𝗯𝗮𝗡𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲, a small family guesthouse with what seemed like accommodations for three families. Compared to the surroundings, it was great, and we began with a good attitude.
The view from atop the ridge was great…overlooking the Nile River, the city of Aswan, and the Aswan High Dam. A small yard contained chairs and a hammock with a limited walking area. And, of course, we got to enjoy the calls to prayer five times a day! We preferred to invoke the blessings of the 134 Ancient Egyptian Gods….Pete figured that among all of their gods, one must be able to deal with COVID!
Several days later, we repeated the PCR tests. Someone (pictured below) administered them and came right to us at the guesthouse. Again, it turned positive for both of us. In the meantime, our tour members continued to Cairo, and we no longer hoped to join them….. And we were missing major sites of interest like the Great Pyramids at Giza. In addition, our hope of going on the post-trip to Turkey was now history!
Communication with various members of the OAT staff was excellent. They had given us an Egyptian phone to use. We used that and What’s App to keep in touch. This helped us schedule the next round of testing, which had to be at least 48 hrs. later.
Initially, our “babysitter” and lifeline to food, 𝗔𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗱, was attentive. But as time passed, he became less attentive. However, he was always responsive when we asked for things like “please change the sheets and clean the bathroom,” etc. We did a good job communicating with him….he spoke Nubian, Arabic, and English as a distant third language. He and Pete had to refer to a translator on the phone, and things were “lost in translation”!
The guesthouse included a full board. Meals were delivered from various area restaurants. Ahmed brought them to our room. We had to be careful though….initially, lots of fresh vegetables, which we would ordinarily love. But not knowing how they were washed, we had to say no. Our fear was ending up with an intestinal disorder in addition to COVID! We did have lots of bottled water, so we did not have to worry about hydration!
They also had cooked veggies, but the Middle Eastern style of eggplant and okra in sauces was not appetizing. Ultimately, we ate grilled chicken, fish, and burgers….. mostly overcooked and dry (but we figured the germs were at least cooked out!) We felt safe with boiled eggs, yogurt, bananas, and oranges for breakfast. Pita bread was good when it was fresh. One day, in desperation for something different, Ahmed went to get Colonel Sanders Chicken for us (although he had to go over the Aswan Dam to the other side of the river to get it!). We do not even eat the Colonel at home. However, it was a treat when he returned with the Colonel in hand!!!
We managed a few “field trips” to the main village to get cash for our mounting lodging bills. (Truthfully, we were even amazed that this little village had an ATM!).
We used these opportunities to ask to be shown a few other things, like a tour of the village, and to answer our curiosity about the burning question….do they keep crocodiles as pets!! The answer is yes!!! The video below was taken as we toured this man’s house to learn about the crocodiles. Crocodiles play an important role in Nubian heritage and culture….in addition to the living crocks in cages, homes also have mummified versions that adorn walls. The crocodiles attract tourist dollars, are revered as pets, and finally, their skin, meat, and intestines (used for cosmetics!) are harvested.
Our transportation to the ATM was provided by our 12 yr. old driver, on a small three-wheeled pickup truck! This video shows our ‘joy ride’ through the village, making the poverty level even more obvious. Yet…..everyone had smiles on their faces.
One day, Ahmed’s Nubian family from Cairo came for a visit. Initially, we were irritated that our peace was interrupted. At some point, they set up a picnic at the table in front of our room and invited us to join them. We said no…. that we were sick with COVID. Like everyone else in this village, they are vaccinated and seem to have no more fear of this disease. They even work in the health professions as nurses and dentists but insisted we join them.
So, we sat down, removed our masks, and carefully chose some inviting food they had brought….shish kabob and a baked potato dish. We had a great time with them!
The Nubian people are some of the friendliest, most welcoming people we have met in our travels…..gentle and just plain nice. They told Pete he looked like George Bush…I said no, George Clooney, and they could not stop laughing! American culture has no bounds! Wherever we go…people know about Americans. But it took COVID for us to learn about the Nubians.
And, as I have learned multiple times on this trip, blondes in Egypt are a rarity, and they treat you like a movie star! They wanted to have their picture taken with me! I am going to miss this movie-star status upon return to the States!