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The bus carried us all the way from Cairo to Aswan for 12 hours. The trip back was divided into two parts: first part from Aswan to Luxor on felucca and second part from Luxor to Cairo on bus again. This arrangement of the trip enabled me to see the disserts, the oasis and the Nile River.

Nile River has been closely related to life of Egyptian people since ancient times. It doesn’t only provide water used for drinking and agriculture, but also serve as sources for geographical, political and cultural concepts. The part between the south border and Cairo used to be called Upper Egypt with lotus flower as its symbol; the part between Cairo and Alexandra Lower Egypt with papyrus as its symbol. The importance of the Nile River to the life of Egyptian people was demonstrated by an icon developed according to the shape of the river—the key of life, which were usually held in the hands of the Gods and Kings of the ancient Egypt.

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Some villages are built along the banks of canals connected to the Nile River. The peaceful water of the canal reflects the earthen houses and palm trees, which provide shade under the hot sun. The beautiful shape of the palm trees blinds me from noticing how poor the condition of the houses is. People are working in the wheat field and then transport the harvest from the field with donkeys. Sometimes it’s an irritation for me to see a strong man riding a thin and small donkey with his feel almost touching the ground.

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The sailing along the Nile River on the felucca is the part I enjoyed a lot.  Serving as a transportation tool before, feluccas are now used for tourism. It was interesting to observe how the crew staff sail the boat in a zigzagging way, using the wind as the driving power. The boat pooled over every 2-3 hours at the bank for food and toilets. Some people in my group swam and played in the water. A bonfire party was organized at the second night with people driking cold beer while dancing around the fire to the rhythem of the African drum. 

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Disserts are dry and dull without any sign for life. Sometimes, the road divides disserts and the oasis.  I wouldn’t be able to see the part of Egypt bordering the red sea and the Mediterranean Sea. It’s said to be very different.