Felucca Ride

8/14... the night of the visit to the pyramids day... we were busy!

There are these big sail boat like type boats that cruise up and down the Nile called Feluccas. We decided to hope on one with some of the other newbies one night. It’s really cheap to rent for an hour or two and you just cruise up the Nile and back. It’s a big boat that has seating around three of the sides, minus the front of the boat, with a giant table in the middle so that you can bring food and beverages and have a mini party on the boat. You can get a really big group and lash the boats together, but then you just sit in the middle of the river, no cruising. I think I like the cruising too much to bother with this. The wind in your face and the changing scenery is just too good to pass up. Plus, you’d have to bring a TON of people to require multiple boats. Each boat fits up to about twenty people, with some slightly limited personal space depending on where everyone sits. We had ten and there was tons of extra space. It was so relaxing to just float along on the river, just as the sun was going down. My human welcoming committee Peter told me that he sometimes rents on just for himself when things get too crazy and he wants to get away and have some alone time. I could totally picture doing that. Grabbing my iPod and a good book, lazing around on the cushioned benches and enjoying a little picnic on the river, no one to bother me or worries about paper work and getting things done. I especially liked the ride at night, because the city lights are all ablaze, music is playing from various venues and there are other boats all lit up cruising by. It’s so fun to just watch people out and about for the night without being close enough to see or here the details. It reminded me of summers on the coast and made me miss the ocean even more. As a result, my friend Shannon and I are planning a trip to the red sea for the weekend post haste. I need a little beach sand on my toes and a little salt water on my skin. I know, it sounds like a rough life right now, doesn’t it? I am working my tail off in school too, don’t you worry. I just keep in mind that while everyone else I am with has a two-year contract; I am only here for five months and am trying to do and see as much as possible. I don’t want to be flying home in December wishing I had gotten off my lazy arse and seen more, experienced more. There are always people who want to do things and explore more of Egypt, so I find whoever wants to go different places and start adventures. So far, so good. Only 4 ½ months to go and one million more places to see/things to do!