Egypt - Faluka Ride

Previous to our camel ride adventure (see THAT story below), a faluka (boat) took us across the Nile to the other bank where our camels awaited Our Captain, Mohammad, grew up on the Nile. He even showed me a picture of him as a five year old on a ship helping his father. He has lived in Egypt all of his life and loves the Nile. He told me of a tradition that they have on the river for visitors (a nice word for tourists). If you drink the water of the Nile you will return very shortly. Knowing that the Nile contains some of the foulest water molecules known to man, I politely denied pointing to my stomach. Although I desire to return to Egypt I didn’t want to have to stay there permanently . . . in a hospital. He said that if I touched the water that would count. I did so with a big smile and he cheered. When we wasn’t looking I quickly sanitized my finger.
I told Muhammad that I like to dance and so he took out his drum and began to sing a vibrate song that got all of us dancing (me more than most!). Dancing on a boat on the Nile – what could be better?
Eating bananas and drinking Fanta, we returned by boat at sunset. We laughed as we shared our stories from our camel ride and looking longingly at the grapes that we weren't allowed to eat.
Sigh. How picturesque!