Reflective mood...
Reading the post about the Gala Dinner at the Old Winter Palace put me in reflective mood, as can be seen by my response.
It has now been quite a few years since I was last in Luxor, indeed it was Christmas 2016 - I spent Christmas in Luxor and New Year in Alexandria. It was a trip of mixed emotions because I knew it was my farewell tour. I had gone very much for a last visit as I very much doubted I would go back there again (never say never though). Many of my Egyptian friends were elderly, or women, or both, and did not speak English, so it was important to me to visit them one last time and try to explain to them how much I had valued their hospitality, company, etc, over the years, and I did not just want to disappear from their lives. Of course, I had the help from friends who did speak the language, but being there meant that the message came direct from me, and not forgotten after a phone call. That personal contact was very important to me as we had built up relationships very much using body language - a smile; laughter; tears; hand signals. Of course, I have still managed to keep in touch with many through the wonders of the internet, but as lives have moved on - marriages, relocation, illness, death - that number has got less and less over the years.
My first trip to Egypt was supposed to be the 'trip of a life time'. The sort of trip never to be repeated. In fact, visiting Egypt was never on my list of places to visit. How I came to visit Luxor so often is still a bit of a mystery to me. An elderly friend wanted to visit Egypt but felt she couldn't do it unless she had a friend with her. She eventually wore me down and I agreed to go, as long as she understood that I could not afford her normal 5* + luxury and it had to fit in with my limited budget. I scoured the Sunday papers travel adverts - no real internet back then, in fact I couldn't even use a computer - as well as visited various travel agents, and finally found a Nile Cruise that seemed to fit the bill. By this time a couple of other friends had asked to join us so I booked for the four of us. It was at this point that my elderly friend's son decided he would like to join us too. Why he never organised to go with his mother in the first place is something I don't understand, but if he had, I probably would never have gone to Egypt at all.
We had a lovely time together cruising the Nile, visiting the sites along the route. Oddly though, all of the others repeatedly said they would like to go for another visit - I didn't. They haven't - I have ...repeatedly. My friend's son, who is the same age as me, and I made a pact that we would meet at the Pyramids when we both turned 70. We've a few years to go yet, and although we were very good friends at the time we have rather lost touch over the years. He now lives in Argentina, so it will be interesting if we manage to keep that arrangement. Never say never - time will tell.
Of course, like all who have visited Egypt, or perhaps that should be Luxor, I have many memories - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some have almost broken me, many have made me stronger. Experiences and memories that have humbled me; brought me sadness; brought me joy; educated me; made me question so many things. All of these things are the benefits of travel and an open mind.
Will I go back to Luxor? Who knows. It is certainly not in my plans for the foreseeable future, but as I have already said, 'never say never'.
Reflective Mood
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Reflective Mood
Experience is not what happens to you;
it is what you do with what happens to you.
-Aldous Huxley
it is what you do with what happens to you.
-Aldous Huxley
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Re: Reflective Mood
Funny you should mention that.
I just posted on FB 'thinking of friends past.....
صلى الله عليه وسلم
I just posted on FB 'thinking of friends past.....
صلى الله عليه وسلم
"The Salvation of Mankind lies in making everything the responsibility of All"
Sophocles.
Sophocles.
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