There's Always Something Wonderful To Discover In Egypt
Photographer discovers, once again, that patience leads to wonder
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have been to Egypt a few times.
My first visit, for one month, was in 1999, and I tried about every possible transport method: horse, third-class train (no doors, no windows), first-class train, felucca, bus, and shared taxi.
This meant I had to follow established itineraries along the Nile or to famous sites—until fate decided otherwise.
What follows is precisely what happened half a dozen years ago.
When I arrived in Luxor, I hailed a taxi. The taxi's engine exploded within five minutes, and I couldn’t even get out of the car because my seatbelt was stuck.
The taxi driver then pointed to where he was supposed to drive me. At midday in August, I was cooking under a 110 °F sun, trying to find my way alone, carrying a heavy bag.
When I finally arrived at my destination, I was a sweaty and very angry mess, vowing never to take a taxi again.
The poor guy waiting for me was very apologetic—it wasn't his fault—and insisted I call a guy, a driver he swore was the best. I took the number with the firm intention of never using it.
Sometimes, in life, you have to listen. As I planned to return to Cairo, I thought I might try that guy named Salem.
In Tell el Amarna—an important site, yet I was the only visitor—I saw that he knew all the different tombs I wanted to see—a good sign.
Later, on a brand-new, three-lane highway, I saw that the speedo was at the legal limit.
The highway was absolutely empty. I asked, 'can we go faster?' He turned to me and said a polite but firm NO.
If you knew how most people drive there, you would understand what I thought at that moment. KEEP THAT GUY!
Since then, Salem and I have traveled 5,000 miles together up and down Egypt, and he is now a dear friend.
Salem kept telling me about the Fayum Lake, that it was beautiful. Each time I went to Egypt, I said maybe, a polite way to say 'next time.'
Lake Fayum
We finally went last year. When he drove along the lake, I still thought, 'whatever.’ I was not particularly impressed.
Luckily, I wondered what would happen if I walked along the shore and waited for sunset.
And it was a revelation.
Next, a behind-the-scenes image, where you can see bags of sand building up a little pier.
For the following photos, I walked on that for a better view, risking falling in the water and ruining my beautiful camera.
And I waited more. For the three boats to be perfectly aligned. Note the moon in the top right corner.
And for that guy.
That was another Moment of Wonder!
Bonus image: Wadi El Rayan, a freshwater lake that looks like a miracle in the middle of the desert.
Remember that Egypt is in the Sahara desert, in Africa. In front of me was 3,000 miles of sand.
Had I somehow managed to walk the distance unscathed, the next lake I would see would be a bit larger, the Atlantic Ocean.