Egypt Explorers: The Village in Luxor

After our visit to the Karnak Temple, we took an amazing ride by horse and buggy through the local village and market. Our drivers were two twelve year old boys who liked to drive fast and wreckless. I repeatedly asked them to slow down, so I could get better pictures, but they replied, "Ferrari" and laughed. I thought we would end up killing a few people before our ride ended! We did not have an inch to spare as we drove wrecklessly through their market. I felt terrible from disrespecting their space, but the Egyptians didn't seem to mind, and the boys enjoyed our fear. I guess they are used to the crazy tourists.

As we drove around Luxor, I felt so sorry for the children. None of them had shoes, and they filled the streets looking for something to do. They ran along our buggy begging us for money. The back streets were full of garbage. However, the tourists areas were emaculant. Mayer said they cleaned these streets twice a day, but they did not care what their village looked like since it was not the typical place toursists would visit.

We saw everything imaginable. Donkeys pulled carts and wagons full of produce. One cart I saw was full of huge blocks of ice. I am sure they had to use it for refridgeration since most families could not afford a refridgerator. Coffee shops were always full of men smoking hookahs. The Egyptians truely believe it is safe to smoke, and they do it quite often. The hookah operates by water filtration and indirect heat. It is used for smoking herbal fruits and tobacco, and is often considered to be healthier than smoking cigarettes, although recent studies have shown that it is just as detrimental to a person's health.

By Missy

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