Kitchner’s* Island Aswan – Botanical Garden

Ten minutes by motorboat and finally there it was: the „island of plants” - جزيرة النباتات باسوان  - that I wanted to visit already in January 2011.

Of course, I had to bargain for the ferry trip. Of course, the ferryman lied to me. But I soon forgot about this…

Very old trees rise up into the sky, their leaves and palm fronds swish smoothly in the light breeze, provide comfortable shade and protect from the torrid African sun. Tree trunks, thin and thick, smooth and rough, rising straight into the sky like pillars or crosswise – all are carefully labelled with their Latin, English and some also with their Arabic names as well as their country of origin. They are from Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Malaysia, Indonesia, Madagascar, India, Australia and and and…

Some show off with fascinating, colourful, luscious blossoms and others, however, show delicate, subtle, aromatic blossoms, whose miraculous beauty may be discovered only from very close.

I am drifting across the neatly cultivated alleys, I let myself get bewitched by the whispering of the leaves and the fragrance of the blossoms carries me away, enjoying the green and the colourful fauna that I’ve been missing for so long. Benches invite to gaze at the Nile and the opposite shores, to follow the boats with the eye, to linger, to dream…

At the very end of the island there is a greenhouse. A gardener leads me to young mimosas and lemon grass, to papyrus and other plants and herbs whose name I neither understand nor know but whose fragrance I inhale.

The island is a place of calmness and a place to replenish. The small museum at the entrance exhibits numerous plants, seeds and fruit together with their description – botanists will be amazed.

Much too fast does reality catch up with me: bargaining with the ferryman brings me back to the Egyptian daily life. Never the less: it was good for me.

Here are some pictures:

 

*Lord Horatio Kitchner (1850-1916) received the island in 1890 for his services to Egypt during the British colonial time. He was general governor and in fact ruled Egypt. Having a passion for horticulture, he imported plants from exotic countries and turned the island into a botanical garden.

Aswan in spring 2012

I sat on a concrete bench and ate a Hawaushi (kind of a pancake filled with spicy meat) watching a shop owner who scolded a boy that had thrown an empty bottle on the street. He demanded the boy to pick the garbage up. And in fact: everything was clean. No paper, no butts, no plastic bottles.

That was in January 2011 in the Souq. About three weeks before the outbrake of the famous revolution on 25 January 2011.

“Aswan, ia gamila, hassal eh?“ Aswan, my beauty, what has happened??

16 months later, Aswan looks like all places in Egypt. It lost its denotation of the cleanest city in Egypt. In the Souq, cobblestones have been removed and not replaced, holes have not been filled up, garbage is carelessly discarded everywhere. Many shops are shut. The thick dust from the previous storm makes everything look even more bleakly. Two days before, the bazaar owners and shop assistants demonstrated: the tour guides prefer to bring the tourists to the big souvenir shops in direction of the airport because there, they get a higher commission.

The huge Nile cruisers are lying dark and ghastly ashore. The coachmen are waiting in vain for customers. A fistful of feluccas is on the Nile. My hotel in a gorgeous garden is almost empty – there are only 15 guests. Hardly any tourists find their way to Aswan. Utter misery.

Thereby, this beautiful landscape is always attractive with its charming enchantment, its location a treasure. Historical sights are almost empty and can be admired in peace and calm. The golden hills, the blue Nile and the green Islands form an ever ancient unit, spread calm and serenity. Endlessly, reliable, ignoring the course of the events. Fatalistic like its people?

Aswan, my beauty, what has become of you? Egypt, with your history of thousands of years, how deep further do you want to tumble?

Vanish and immerse

Hurghada - Luxor

I am going to Aswan. The place that I fell in love with and that had the reputation of being the cleanest in all Egypt.
Four hours by bus to Luxor. Sandstorm in the mountains and in the desert, a view of 200 m.
Relief in Luxor.
Just a moment only.
Jostling and pushing of taxi drivers in the bus entrance „Taxi Madam?“ One step later, heat and storm are overwhelming me.
I am battling my way through the taxi drivers towards the boot, pick up my luggage and shove myself through the “Taxi Madam?”-men towards the train station.
Just 150 m. They stick on me like flies, dart on me as attracted by a magnet, jump up from chairs and stairs like an elastic spring, and emerge between cars and coaches. “Taxi Madam?”

It’s cool inside the station concourse. I am ignoring the “Where do you go?”-calls and walk firmly towards the left luggage room. The platform is overflowing with waiting passengers; I squeeze through them as well. My luggage is left in a seventy years old wooden box for two pounds fifty. On my way out, I hear many times what time the train to Aswan is supposed to leave; they are expecting some tips for this oh dearly helpful yet unasked information. Outside the train station and while crossing the street, I feel again like a magnet for all landlords, taxi and limousine drivers, tour guides and coachmen. Unwilling to hire any of them, I must hear: “f* you!”

Sipping at a cup of coffee some meters in front of Luxor temple that can hardly be discerned in the sandstorm. What a sad aspect. The sandstorm reflects somehow the desperate condition of this country. What next?
How to go to Aswan? The train does not leave because there is a demonstration in Sohag. Once more, the only railway line Cairo – Aswan falls prey to the people’s resentment. They have my sympathy – but their action does neither improve tourism nor the country.

Next slap into the face

The (Islamist dominated) parliament has submitted a law in order to avoid that any representative of the old regime may become the next Egyptian President. This disenfranchisement law was duly approved and published by the SCAF.

Ahmed Shafiq – Mubarak’s last Vice-President after his stepping back, long-standing minister and ex-air force commander – was out of race.

Yet to give up was not an option for Shafiq and yesterday, he appealed this decision. And what a surprise: the high court approved his appeal today and that’s why Shafiq may run for presidency! The court did not give any reasons for its decision – rumours say that the court wanted to avoid further appeals and a delay in the elections.

What a joke!

After Omar Suleiman got out of the race, the SCAF has again “his” candidate. He has decade-long military experience, is faithful to the old regime and no Islamist. The Islamists will be furious. They cannot even agree for a single common candidate to support. Their own “alternative” candidate Mohamed Mursi has little chances. And the one that unites sympathy from Islamists, liberals and old regime loyalist – Abuel Fatouh, ex-Muslim brother – might lose those voices on Shafiq. Same might happen to Amr Moussa.

It seems, by the way, that today’s court decision might put into question the constituency of the presidential elections.

I wonder with what idea (not if!) the Islamists will come up next?

Khamasin – Sandstorm

Some days ago, a dreadful sandstorm blew across Egypt. On Monday over the Delta and Cairo, on Wednesday evening it reached Hurghada. I had to go out late and was almost carried away by the storm. I protected my head with some books.

The Khamasin („fifty“) normally blows in March or April around the Coptic Easter (which was celebrated last weekend) over North Africa and the Levant. The name “fifty” is derived from the fact that this hot wind blows for about three or four days within a period of 50 days after the spring equinox. The timing was perfect this year. After the Khamasin, there is rain on the Mediterranean coast and in the Delta and so all the dust will be washed away. However, of course not here in the South – dust and sand remain there, where it settled down. Once the storm is over, summer comes.

The visibility was maximum 200 m on Wednesday and Thursday and it was rather uncomfortable outside, if not dangerous. The fine red dust makes breathing difficult and astmathics suffer especially. The dust penetrates even finest cracks and covers everything with a thin layer inside buildings and flats. One wishes to dust and clean – but that is complete nonsense: ten minutes later, everything is again covered with dust. The floor has to remain slippery, the laundry unwashed, furniture and all other contents remain coatedJ. Just have to wait…

Today, the wind is still in storm force, but since yesterday morning, the sky is again light blue, the dark blue sea and the golden islands outside as well as the dark shining mountains in the desert can be discerned clearly from the horizon.

On Wednesday evening, I was lucky: a taxi driver saw me emerging from a side street and fighting against the storm. He waited for me on the main road. He knew me: He was the one who brought me to the side street one and half an hour before.

Plagues in the country of the Pharaohs

Egypt is suffering from all kind of plagues. One of them is the bird flu which took its toll also this year. About two months ago, the foot and mouth disease appeared and so far, around 13’000 cattle (according to official figures) have died. Especially poorer farmers are badly struck because they lose all their belongings and source of income. Compensation was promised – yet if those concerned will ever receive it???

Those among you who have seen how (the poor) people live here may imagine the hygienic standards among birds and cattle. It’s indescribable. I already dread to walk past by the butchers’ where raw and bloody meat together with the cattle’s tail is hanging down… When two years ago the bird flu reached its peak, it was forbidden to sell life poultry. Last year, those sales booths reappeared here and there and now they are once more part of the daily life.

However, Egypt is suffering from other plagues. For months already, people are fighting about gas. Most households use gas containers for cooking and this important good has been rare for months. Artificially rare, because it is stockpiled and sold at high prices to those who can afford it. The big mass of poor go away empty-handed. Of course, emotions explode also over a gas container and fights, stabbings and deaths occur.

Now, a new plague hits the well-offs as well and – yes! – tourism too. Likewise, for months, motor fuel has been scarce. In the news it was reported already weeks ago that drivers queue over several kilometres and for hours in order to get some of the sought-after fuel. The situation is getting worse: in Hurghada too, the queues are growing steadily in length and breadth (two lanes). Waiting for five hours is no exception anymore! Pushing and shoving (such wise guys are everywhere) have erupted not only in bad fights but even in a death. One of my students told me that she could not come to our lesson next week if she couldn’t find any fuel quickly. Soon, even the tourist buses will not be able to fill up their tanks. In the Alps, tourists are blocked because of the danger of avalanches; in Egypt because of fuel shortage?

What’s the reason? Smuggling is one. Another is: tactics and chicanery. To close people’s throats until they beg on their knees: we want the old regime back! Since: without fuel no food, no wheat for the bread and this in a country that relies on food imports for 60% of the food consumed!!!

When I was on my way to El Quesir on Sunday, the driver told me: the „feloul“ (members of the old regime) make drivers of the tank wagons two proposals: a) twice the money the fuel is worth and the fuel will be dumped in the desert or b) a bullet in his hand and the fuel will be dumped in the desert as well. Weeks ago, a video on Youtube was showing a lake of fuel in the desert behind Hurghada’s airport.

As always – remember: we are still living in the old regime, a revolution never happened – soon a powerful person will arise and thanks to his capabilities all these problems will disappear again.

But before that, the SCAF has to finish with the Islamists and all the other undesired figures. This will not take long because the first ones are wearing themselves out and the others are got out of the way by so-called legal measures. Then, the way is cleared for a representative of the old regime. Finally, calmness will come again.

Or just not – depending on ones’ point of view.

Another slap in the face

Yes, I’m still alive. The food poisoning in February took a lot out of me and has dissolved my energy thoroughly. Furthermore, the events in Egypt come so thick and fast that I can hardly keep up with arranging my ideas.

The latest slap in the Egyptian’s face and their revolution (this expression does not really fit any more) is that Mubarak’s ex Vice-President and ex-spy chief Omar Suleiman announced his participation in the presidential elections. This guy is responsible for the most brutal tortures and its deathly consequences, yet he does neither get accused nor disqualified. Why? Because he is supported by the SCAF. And who knows maybe even by the USA…

Further presidential candidates are announced by the hour and disqualified by the court in charge for mysterious reasons. The Salafists’ presidential hopeful (the ultra conservatives – an especially “religious” one) got the chop because his mother was allegedly a US citizen (only those may become president whose parents or partners have only the Egyptian citizenship). His fans don’t want to believe that this guy lied and are experiencing a complot by the USA. El Baradei, the most famous presidential hopeful in the West, gave up by himself. Ayman Nour (a liberal) was released from prison and pardoned by the SCAF only some days ago, yet today he was disqualified with the justification that he fist had to appeal the accusations. The Muslim brothers already guarded themselves against a possible disqualification: after having stated during the past 12 months, they would not nominate a presidential hopeful, they nominated their financial manager (who was also released from prison and pardoned by the SCAF). The reaction across parties and social classes was bleak horror and they realised: even the Muslim brothers are liars. Yesterday, they added another nomination: in case that their candidate Khairat El-Shater would get disqualified, they nominated a second candidate. Months ago, they excluded one of their leaders from their organization exactly because he was running for the presidency. Amr Moussa, ex-President of the Arab League is insinuated to have family relations to Israel…. (sic!)

Everything clear? No?

Yes: there are fights going on behind the scene: