Suitcase and World: Sick as a dog in Aswan.

Saturday, February 3, 2007

Sick as a dog in Aswan.

My first day in Aswan was spent in bed - I was determined to shake off the flu so I could enjoy the rest of the tour. I got into bed and piled on as many layers as I could. The fever eventually broke and I was able to join the group for dinner in a restaurant located next to the Nile River. I had my first taste of a "real" Egyptian meal and it was wonderful - many more were to come!

From lower left, it's me, Bridget, Alex, Sandy (tilting her head), Kirsten, Dora in red, Laura, Daniel and Daniel.


On the way back to the hotel, Lei and I did a bit of souvenir shopping. Though I had pretty much slept all day, I was still a bit tired so sleep came easy that night.

Geographically speaking, Aswan is located in southern Egypt but because the Nile flows from south to north, the region is referred to as Upper Egypt. The population of Aswan is dominated by the Nubians - an ethnic group that shares more of a common heritage with Sudanese than with Lower Egyptians. They definitely look more African than Egyptian.

One of the reason for visiting Aswan was to learn more about the Nubian culture. For a description of the group's first day in Aswan i.e., what I would have seen and done had I not gotten sick, check out Lei's posting on her blog.