The Nile, Romantic.

3) 26.03.08

Today, I shall conjure up a romantic image of Cairo: A park, overlooking the nile, abounding with all the young pharoes in love, as does every green spot in this country. Walking down the shore f the nile, they all sport those brilliant egyptian smiles, handsome on male and female faces lit up by the sunset.

The colours are magnified and enhanced here, the sunset becomes a polaroid postcard. The same pollution that causes this turns the sky slightly grayer, slightly pinker than it would be otherwise. Heat and the general fug do their part, of course.

Youth take romantic picture of each other with their cell phones, against a backdrop of fellukahs sailing on the nile and a chromophony of brightly coloured flowers. A gentle breeze blows the heat of the day away, and brings tididings of the cold of the night in this sweetest of hours, a night which will fall on us soon.

The sound of electronic tablas comes from some of the boats, ferrying lovers no doubt. From others comes the sound of modern arabic music, as homogenous as anywhere else.

Hegabs are blown around like Marilyns dress, uncovering not undergarnements, but wisps of hair that would otherwise remain hidden by faith. The young men enjoy this unexpected hair, the older ones appreciate it, remembering their young loves, who were probably unveiled.

A boatman handles his boat like a showhorse, cantering for our appreciation, trotting here and their for the publics amusement, before continuing on his way.

Public and chaste expressions of affection, limited to the holding of hands, loving words, whispered in some ear and deep looks into beautiful black or brown eyes.

Interestingly, the Hegab (the veil) is the only piece of modesty these ladies in love seem to be wearing: beneath their headgarb, on most of them tight shirts and even tighter jeans remind me that no body is like Egyptian booty. It is a bit controversial, but the hegab has become more than a symbol of faith, it has also become a signal of availability.

Also in this park are Anja and Kazya, a German/Japanese couple form Berlin, whom I will encounter in almost all other stages of this journey.

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