Another Trip to Luxor

Another trip to Luxor, Egypt down and another Dickens-like experience of smiling people and joy, natural beauty beyond belief, and the struggle of a people whose financial crisis is hitting even harder than it was the last time.



On this trip, I went with my brother via Egypt Air from Cairo and arrived to an airport at what looked like 25% capacity and taxi drivers waiting outside in eager anticipation of what should be masses of tourists.  Woefully for them, it is mostly locals with rides and tour-groups who have buses prepared to take large groups of potential clients to the local hotels.  While waiting for our bags, I left my brother in the terminal to find Ahmed, a local taxi driver who I had made friends with on my last trip.  A very good and honest man who made my last experience triple of what would have been without a good guide.

To find him, we devised an idiotic plan that (with massive conspiracy from the universe) worked:  I had taken a picture with Ahmed on my last trip and printed it out.  The idea was to take the picture to the other cab drivers and hopefully they would know him and be honest enough to take us to him or to let us know how to get in touch.  If that did not work, we would walk to the cafe where the picture was taken and see if they knew how to get in touch.  The airport is in Ahmed's town and everyone seemed to know everyone.  Again, a dumb plan but worth a try.

When I approached the taxi drivers, I pulled out the 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper that we printed out and said simply "I'm looking for this man."  Not sure the level of English spoke by each cab driver, I truly expected them to play dumb and insist that I take a ride with them.  After all, they are very poor and desperate - it would only make sense.  To my surprise, every member of the crowd knew him and one particularly nice man pulled out his phone and gave him a call.  When the call finished, he looked at me and said "5 minutes."  Holy COW what a strike of luck!  The courteous man told me to go in and get my bags and he would wait for me.  I grabbed my bags and met my brother and told him the good fortune.  Of course, the fear was that we were still in the midst of a mistake, misinterpretation, or scam.

We waited outside with the taxi drivers until a blue Toyota pulled up and Ahmed got out.  Sure enough, it was him.  Not only did he stop what he was doing to come see us, but he did it in his own private car.  With a big hug I asked him if he remembered that picture we took.  He asked if he could have it.  What a great day.  We put the bags in the car and I offered the kind cab driver who helped us a 10 L.E. tip (about $1.50).  He refused with a smile.  Unbelievable that in a town with this level of poverty that someone would turn down some fazools from a visitor from a rich country.    

On the way to the hotel,  I asked about a guide and inquired if we could return to the cafe we finished my last trip at to see some of the good folks I met while there, especially the ever-smiling man who waited on us (I assumed his name to be Abraham, but was wrong - long story).  We organized the next few days and Ahmed availed himself entirely.  We contacted a guide to visit some of the tombs in the West Bank and discussed some friendly time to hang, smoke some sheesha, and enjoy ourselves.

Next stop, the Sheraton to relax for the rest of the day, smoke some sheesha out on the Nile, watch the felucca cross the river, and enjoy the local people of Luxor.

To be continued..............