Day 6 - Aswan Souk and Cruising - March 14, 2023

We got to sleep in today which was nice, getting up at about 7:30 and up to the dining room for breakfast at 8:15. This morning the Germans had a trip to the Nubian village, the trip we did yesterday, so we had the morning free to do what we wanted. We had decided to get off the boat and away from the tourist sites to see a bit of the real Aswan and visit the Souk. Ok, you could argue that the souk can be quite touristy and certainly it was, but we tried to get away from that and explore the outer reaches where only the locals would normally go.

I was not sure whether we would be asked any questions as we left the boat but no one took any notice of us though we did take notice of the sign taped to the window near the door about our departure time (2 pm) but we would be back well before then.

We continued out the boat, up the stairs through the park to the busy street which we now had to cross. There are no such things as pedestrian crossings here so we managed to get close to a set of lights then cross between the vehicles to the high concrete median then onto the opposite side. The roads in the area all have fairly wide pavements (sidewalks) so it was easy to get around. The first thing we did was to find a bank machine to get more cash as we have been using the local currency a fair amount. The small bank we found had four of five machines crammed into a small room that was a bit too crowded for my liking so I waited for the machine outside only to have a man and his wife cut in front of us. The bank machines are interesting in that many have a covering over them, presumably blocking anyone from viewing your PIN as you enter it. In any case I eventually was able to use the machine, yes it had an English option again, and get some cash (4,000 LE, or about £110).

We had agreed that we would be as inconspicuous as possible, visiting the souk early in the morning when it would be less busy, NOT carrying anything other than our phones (our big Canon SLR was left in our cabin). Mel sneakily took pictures throughout our wandering and managed to get some good pictures.

We had a good idea where the market was and knew that it would sprawl on the surrounding streets anyway so would be difficult to miss. The main entrance is right on the road running along the river a short distance from our berth so was not difficult to find. There were a lot less people about than the other day and we saw no signs of people wanting to show us around or people with sad looking animals looking for handouts that we had been warned of. The ground is paved and in good condition throughout the market and we quickly got stuck in. Many shops were still closed but there were a good number of bakeries open as well as spice merchants, fruit and veg stalls as well as small convenience stores.

Early in our wanderings I stopped so Mel could check her phone on the side of a busy street beside a pile of rubbish some cats and a donkey were scrounging through. Some rather dusty cars were parked nearby not looking like they were in very good shape either. The streets though were remarkably clean with no smell of sewage (which I was used to when living in west Africa) or rotting food. Yes, some were compacted dirt and there were chickens and animals around as well as bits of rubbish (mostly paper and plastic) but it was quite clean.

I stopped to pick up some dried hibiscus flowers as I use them to make a drink (soak in water, add lots of sugar, there you go) from a spice merchant who spoke not a word of English to me. Easy enough to point and gesture. Not really that cheap (20 LE), but an interesting thing to do.

Later we were sucked into another spice merchant who insisted on us showing his shop. Mel and I had already agreed we would not let either of us be taken in by ourselves so we both visited his, admittedly, quite nice shop lined with wooden bins of any spice you could think of. Though, to be honest, we were not really in the market for spices but eventually satisfied the owner by buying a small bag of roasted peanuts which ended up being quite expensive. The piles of spices are, of course, the big draw for visitors with the perfect coloured cone piles on trays outside the shop.

Of course, anywhere there was a queue we immediately went over to see what was going on. In most cases it was people waiting for their breakfast or picking something up from the bakeries (which open early in the morning). The baked goods look quite good with a lot of middle eastern dishes such as baklava. Stalls selling seeds and nuts were also everywhere. Generally the fruit and vegetables (including some rather large cauliflowers) were easy enough to recognize though we were stumped at the spice shops by these wine dark red round balls which turned out to be tamarind paste.

It was quite nice to be out this early as there were very few stalls selling souvenirs or other items obviously targeted at tourists. It was not very busy and we got a much better sense of what the market is really like. Nicely many of the streets are covered from the heat of the sun making wandering quite easy.

We made another stop at a convenience store to pick up a 2 litre soft drink bottle, and 2 packets of crisps which were MUCH cheaper than the tourist prices we have been paying. In fact when paying I did a double take when told the total (50 LE), asking the man to repeat the price.

Outside they were cooking up some bread on a griddle.

Animals are very much used for hauling things around but they also use cars and trucks. I suppose it is a matter of money but they two work quite well together on the streets and there is no sign of dung. The animals mostly seem to be in good shape and we have only seen one or two instances where they are perhaps being hit a bit too hard. The cars are often very old but seem to be in great shape – Clean and shining. The weather must be good for them and their cost must encourage the owners to care for them as well.

Mel stopped to watch a construction site with a bit of wonder…very little health and safety as the workers scrambled around without safety barriers or hard hats.

We were back at our cabin just after 10:45 but we were told they were still working on our room so to come back in a few minutes. When we did we were surprised by the sight of some more towel work - A monkey hanging from a coat hanger in the air conditioning unit above our heads outside the bathroom door! On the bed there was also a lovely flower made out of some more towels. They seem to like us. We were told on the first day that the staff would be told we had provided a tip so this is perhaps their way of showing appreciation? Or, maybe, they simply like us.

We returned to the deck to read before lunch at 1:30 pm then the rest of the afternoon was on the deck as well. The boat set out at about 2:45 pm and we sadly watched as the sights of the last few days disappeared behind us. It was the first time we had seen the city from the boat as it had been dark when we arrived.

We passed by a bridge under construction before being once again in rural Egypt with greenery on either side of us.

The boat made another stop at Temple of Kom Ombo just after 4 pm for some of our fellow passengers to visit the site but we stayed on board with the boat leaving at just after 5.

Another evening of watching the sun set and, again, dinner at 7:30.

One of our fellow English couples on board has had some issues with their room so they requested another. They had been given a bunch of fruit as a way of apologising but could not eat it all so Mel and I gladly took if off their hands…the fruit here is wonderful! It might not look great but it tastes fantastic. There is something about fruit that has been ripened on the trees rather than in a box.

We did have some hassle at the souk today but it was easily dealt with and we are glad we made the effort. It was so interesting just to see what was there and to be out in the “real world” instead of our artificial one. The people were generally quite pleasant and seemed quite happy. It was a colourful and living place that feels like a central part of the local culture.

Tomorrow we will be back in Luxor and we will be seeing a lot more than we did when we first got on the boat. We are looking forward to it.

⇒ Continue to Day 7 - Luxor Temples - March 15, 2023