elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第91部分

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x　and　dark　suit；　and　we　swept　down　the　grand　staircase　of　the　Old　Winter　Palace　in　fine　style。　Cab　to　Chicago　House；　drinks；　dinner；　etc。　Almost　all　of　us　stuck　it　out　till　midnight；　when　we　put　on　funny　hats　and　blew　horns　and　everybody　kissed　everybody。
　　
　Jan。　1；　2001。　Slept　in　（and　did　I　need　it）　while　the　group　went　to　the　West　Bank　（good　for　them）。　No；　I　tell　a　lie。　It　was　Luxor　Museum　and　a　free　afternoon。　Dennis　and　Joel　left　this　morning　but　I　did　not　see　them　off。　Prolonged　goodbyes　are　foolish。　Went　shopping　with　a　couple　of　friends　from　Chicago　House；　I　only　bought　a　camel's　hair　shawl；　and　some　amulets　for　my　〃book　covers〃　chain：　Sobek；　Set　（so　what　if　he　looks　like　Anubis　…　I　can　call　him　Set　if　I　want）；　Sekhmet；　and　Horus。　Then　kisses　and　〃see　you　this　summer〃　and　I　cleaned　up　a　bit　and　went　to　Sabri's　lecture。
　　
　I've　known　Sabri　el…Aziz　slightly　for　years；　have　spent　many　boring　hours　sitting　in　his　office　at　the　taftish。　A　formal　call　at　the　taftish　is　part　of　the　ritual　when　one　arrives　in　Luxor。　We　had　made　ours　a　few　days　earlier；　on　Sabri's　successor　as　Director　of　the　West　Bank　sites。　He'd　been　bumped　up　since　then；　to　be　in　charge　of　all　the　Upper　Egyptian　sites。
　　
　So　I　greeted　Sabri　with　an　Egyptian　kiss　（a　chaste　salut　on　each　cheek）；　which　almost　made　him　faint　with　surprise。　He'd　fairly　tall　and　thin；　with　receding　hair　and　regular　features　and　charming　manners。　He　gave　us　a　slide　show　〃tour〃　which　lasted　exactly　the　proper　time；　though　he　had　been　late　because　of　an　appointment　with　some　big　shots　from　the　SCA。　His　English　is　delightful；　larded　with　favorite　words　that　give　it　flavor。　〃Guys；〃　for　one。　〃These　guys〃　who　built　the　tombs　and　〃other　guys〃　who　are　archaeologists。　He　was　funny；　witty；　and　very　informative。　Began　and　ended　with　a　moving　statement　that　the　monuments　are　the　heritage　of　the　entire　world；　not　just　Egypt。　He　is　in　charge　of　all　the　monuments　of　Upper　Egypt；　and　he　makes　about　7；000　a　year。
　　
　Jan。　2。　One　of　the　reasons　why　Luxor　feels　like　my　hometown　is　that　I　keep　running　into　old　friends。　Yesterday　it　was　Bob　B；　he　was　ing　into　the　hotel　as　I　was　leaving　it；　both　of　us　on　our　way　to　different　places；　so　he　and　his　wife　and　I　agreed　to　have　dinner　this　evening。
　　
　It's　misty　tonight。　The　western　cliffs　are　almost　invisible　behind　a　cloud；　and　the　sun　was　white　before　it　sank　behind　said　cloudbank；　with　no　pyrotechnical　display。　Now　the　lights　are　ing　on　along　the　west　bank；　including　two　lonely　stars　that　mark　the　location　of　the　guard　posts　high　on　the　hill。　Must　be　a　lonely　job　…　and　a　cursed　long　climb。　What　a　contrast　below；　in　the　twilight。　A　tourist　steamer　heads　south；　lit　up　like　a　multi　level　parking　lot　（these　boats　really　are　awfully　homely）。　Half　a　dozen　feluccas；　with　their　graceful　triangular　sails；　glide　by；　and　the　little　motorboats　chug　back　and　forth。　They　are　gay　with　bright　paint　and　（rather　grubby）　cushions　and　funny　insignia。　
　　
　Tour　busses　whiz　past　（well；　they　go　fairly　slowly；　in　fact；　the　traffic　on　the　corniche　includes　bicycles；　taxis；　and　carriages）；　two　caleches　filled　with　Egyptians　singing　and　chanting　and　beating　a　drum；　the　muezzin's　〃Allahu　Akhbar。〃　I　do　so　love　this　place。　This　is　the　last　night　in　Luxor　for　this　trip。
　　
　Later。　Had　a　good　time　with　the　B's　this　evening；　they　came　to　my　room　at　six；　with　a　bottle　of　wine。　Rather　than　call　room　service；　who　had　stolen　the　glasses　again；　I　washed　my　tooth　glasses。
　　
　Jan。　3。　I　seem　to　have　gotten　a　slight　second　wind　lately；　partly　because　I　haven't　done　much　except　sit　around；　and　partly　because　I　am　looking　forward　to　spending　more　time　with　the　Expedition。　I　will　be　on　the　boat　with　them　from　Assuan　to　Luxor；　and　then　we　have　one　more　day　in　Cairo　before　flying　out。　（From　then　on　it's　going　to　be　grim　…　that　grisly　one…thirty　a。m。　flight　home。　All　in　all　I　have　eight　flights　on　this　trip。　Have　I　mentioned　that　before？）
　　
　Had　lunch　with　some　of　the　ladies　from　the　tour　and　then　wandered　over　to　the　arcade　by　Abouti's　to　look　for　a　slip。　（I　lost　mine　in　Cairo　…　don't　ask　how。）　No　luck　of　course。　
　　
　Abouti's　is　the　best　bookstore　in　Luxor　for　Egyptological　stuff；　but　its　selection　of　fiction　is　pretty　limited。　Have　seen　my　French　editions　at　two　places　in　Luxor；　plus　one　German。　None　of　the　English。　Transitions　are　a　pain　…　packing；　looking　for　missing　articles；　cashing　travelers'　checks；　paying　bills；　tipping　everybody。　The　first　part　of　the　trip　was　fine　…　I　even　got　a　smile　and　a　handshake　from　the　grumpy　guy　at　the　bank。　It　isn't　surprising　that　he　is　grumpy；　some　of　his　customers　are　rude　and　unreasonable。　He'd　been　very　nice　since　the　time　during　Ramadan　when　I　walked　in　to　find　him　reading　from　the　Koran；　I　immediately　stepped　back　and　told　him　to　finish　his　chapter　or　whatever；　that　I　could　wait。　I　was　rewarded　when　he　asked　if　I　would　like　him　to　read　aloud。　It　was　beautiful　…　sung　rather　than　read；　in　a　sonorous　baritone。　He　had　studied　to　be　a　muezzin。
　　
　Later。　I'm　getting　to　know　Luxor　airport　（excuse　me；　International　Airport　…　there　are　direct　flights　from　Gatwick　in　England）　only　too　well。　The　plane　was　on　time；　meaning　it　left　only　half　an　hour　late。　（U。S。　lines　don't　do　any　better。）　You're　barely　up　before　you　e　down；　flying　time　is　only　about　twenty　minutes。　There　was　an　interminable　wait　for　baggage；　so　Khaled　and　Bill　had　been　waiting　some　time　and　were　being　agitated。　I　suppose　losing　me　would　be　a　black　mark。
　　
　On　board。　They　are　very　nice　to　me。　The　suite　isn't　much；　a　tiny　sitting　room　and　bedroom　and　no　whirlpool！　…　but　it's　the　best　the　boat　offers。　There　are　some　lovely　old　Turkoman　rugs　and　a　TV　（can't　get　anything　on　it）；　and　everything　is　spotlessly　clean。　Even　Amelia　would　approve。　This　boat；　like　many　others　here；　belongs　to　the　Queen　Nabila　line。　We're　right　up　against　the　dock；　but　the　boats　are　lined　up　side　by　side　as　usual；　two　or　three　deep；　and　from　my　plate　glass　window　I　can　see　…　another　set　of　identical　windows。　For　about　ten　minutes　I　had　a　lovely　view　of　the　river　while　one　boat　pulled　away；　but　another　one　promptly　took　its　place。　
　　
　Jan。　4。　Most　of　the　gang　went　to　Abu　Simbel　this　morning。　They　had　to　get　up　at　four…thirty。　Need　I　say　I　did　not　go　with　them？　（Been　there。）　Shopped　the　suk　with　Bill　and　Nancy　instead。　Suk　is　more　authentic　than　Luxor；　but　I　fear　the　good　local　handicrafts　are　fading　out；　to　be　replaced　by　t…shirts　and　junk。　Bought　spices　and　three　embroidered　pillowcases；　not　nearly　as　nice　as　the　ones　at　Luxor　just　last　year。　Work　is　cruder；　colors　gaudier。
　　
　After　lunch　（the　food　is　fatteningly　good　and　hard　to　resist）；　we　took　feluccas　to　Elephantine　Island。　More　damned　wobbly　eight…inch　gangplanks！　The　old　museum；　once　the　home　of　the　engineer　who　designed　the　first　dam；　looks　odd　with　its　Victorian　trim　and　wide　veranda。　We　visited　it　a　couple　of　years　ago；　poor　shabby　neglected　place；　and　the　curator　was　pathetically　grateful　for　pany。　So　I　didn't　go　in。　Most　of　the　good　stuff　has　been　removed　to　the　new　Assuan　Museum。　Wish　I　could　say　something　sensible　about　the　excavations；　which　were　closed　to　visitors　last　time　I　was　here；　they　are　extensive　and　fascinating；　but　it　was　a　maze　to　me。　There's　no　guidebook　and　the　only　publications　are　in　obscure　（to　me）　German　professional　journals。
　　
　Jan。　5。　Went　to　the　Assuan　Museum　alone；　I　had　never　seen　it。　On　entering　whom　should　I　see　but　John　and　Debbie　…　I　love　these　serendipitous　encounters；　they　only　happen　to　me　in　Egypt！　But　John　was　all　bandaged　and　battered　from　an　accident：　A　truck　ahead　of　them　turned　a　corner　too　fast　and　dumped　a　boulder　on　the　front　of　the　Land　Rover；　shattering　the　window　and　more。　You　see　trucks　like　that　on　the　road　all　the　time；　overloaded　and　without　tailgates。　It's　a　miracle　more　people　aren't　injured。　（Maybe　they　are。）　
　　
　It's　a　splendid　museum　…　beautiful　architecture；　objects　well　displayed　…　and　John　and　Debbie　were　wonderful　guides。　We　went　back　to　town　about　eleven　and　found　a　place　on　the　corniche　…　lower　level；　actually　on　the　water。　They　had　lunch　and　I　kerkedah　…　a　deep　red；　sweet；　ice　cold　drink　made　from　stewed　hibiscus　blossoms。　Resisted　the　urge　to　purchase　the　blossoms　in　the　suk　this　year　…　in　Egypt　it　is　delicious；　when　I　make　it　at　home　it　tastes　awful！　The　boat　was　to　sail　at　12：30。　I　figured　I　might　have　some　difficulty　finding　it；　since　I　had　been　warned　it　would　be　moved；　preparatory　to　sailing。　I　was　right；　but　we　did　find　it　eventually。　John　and　Debbie　saw　me　to　the　gangplank　of　the　innermost　boat　（docked　where　ours　had　been　this　morning）　where　we　met　a　couple　of　other　people　from　the　tour；　who　greeted　me　and　I　them　with　shouts　of　joy。　We　had　to　go　through　three　boats　to　reach　ours；　they　tie　them　up　so　that　the　lobbies　adjoin；　and　it's　kind　of　interesting　to　see　what　other　boats　are　like。　
　　
　I've　gotten　to　know　most　of　the　people　by　now　and　have　chatted　with　most；　though　I　will　never　get　everybody's　name　straight；　I'm　hopeless　about　names。　This　is　a　great　bunch。　Phil　and　Kathe　came　back　from　shopping　with　a　bottle　of　gin　for　me。　That's　what　you　get　when　you　expose　your　vices　and　plain　aloud　（there　is　no　gin　at　the　bar　of　the　boat。）　It's　Egyptian　gin　and　probably　quite　vile；　but　what　a　sweet　thought　…　n。b。；　I　brought　it　down　to　the　bar　next　night　and　made　everybody　sample　it。　Tasted　like　grappa　or　anisette！　After　I　had　swilled　some　down　someone　told　me　I　shouldn't　have　because　sanitation　is　questionable；　but　I　figured　90　proof　alcohol　would　kill　most　everything。
　　
　Lunch　on　the　upper　deck；　then　departure。　I　do　like　sailing。　The　weather　is　perfect；　sunny；　and　not　too　windy。　My　window　faces　east。　There's　not　much　village　life；　only　lots　and　lots　of　palms；　with　the　golden　brown　hills　behind。　Road　and　railroad　on　this　bank　from　Hammadi　south；　sometimes　they　run　close　to　the　river；　so　you　can　see　a　car　or　a　train。　
　　
　Jan。　6。　We　arrived　at　Edfu　last　night　and　tied　up；　if　that　is　the　phrase。　Bill　had　the　gang　off　the　boat　at　seven　a。m。　to　see　the　temple。　I　watched　them　placently　through　a　slit　in　my　curtains　as　they　got　into　carriages。　It's　a　bustling；　busy　scene。　Across　the　street；　shops　display　the　conventional　tourist　stuff；　galabeeyahs