On the road between Luxor and Aswan, tourists must have a police escort ever since the threat of terrorism became a concern in this part of Egypt.
But with a driver up to the challenge, we tried to overtake the escort. Bad idea. Pedestrians and donkeys flew by at disturbing speed as the placid Egyptian landscape turned into a nerve-racking thrill ride. Tourism in the Middle East has plunged, and most visitors who do see this part view it from a Nile cruise ship. But I think Egypt remains a safe place to travel.
Like the police guard we chased down outside Luxor. As we approached the rear vehicle, a hand emerged, signaling us to back off. We pulled around to pass. The driver tried to run us off the road. Advertisement We waved and gestured frantically, wearing our best stupid-Americans-on-a-road-trip smiles. The guards grudgingly waved us on and let us join the convoy. The countryside looked peaceful again-lunar cliffs, lush green fields, iridescent Nile. My friend Mark was visiting from the United States for 10 days.
Just remember: This place is infuriating. And this place is fun. Particularly after the killing of 58 tourists at a temple in Luxor in , visitors tend to be skittish. When Mark saw children with a book of matches tittering over their firecrackers, the tension eased. This was Ramadan, the Islamic holy month, which in some countries means four weeks of fasting and concentration on the Koran. In Cairo, it means four weeks of fasting, concentration on the Koran-and firecrackers.
Cairo is not a pedestrian-friendly place-too many vehicles on too-narrow streets, little observance of traffic laws, sidewalks crowded with vendors. The essence of the city, however, is missed from a bus or taxi. We shopped briefly in the Khan, then enjoyed a late dinner at one of my favorite local greasy spoons, Mohammed Refai, with the best grilled meat we had found so far. Weeks before Mark arrived, Eleanor began talking with a Cairo representative of the lodge and made arrangements for our group, which grew to include several neighborhood families.
