Bummin' Around

Yesterday afternoon was a pretty rough one for me. I wanted to wander around looking at the city, but got hassled so bad I retreated to the Fayrouz, exhausted and cranky. A lot of people around here just won't take "no" for an answer, and sometimes fire right back with "Whyyy?" Even worse, yesterday was the first day I really experienced a lot of the annoying sexual comments that women complain about after visiting Egypt. Stuff like "Hey Princess!" or "Hey beautiful!" is annoying but I can shrug it off. But I just wanted to buy a bottle of water from a mini mart and had to deal with, "Want anything else? Boyfriend? Husband? Try tonight!" I have also had a couple of men ask me to kiss them! Blargh! Some of it might stem from frustration. If I am obviously not interested in a motor boat ride or whatever, the captains will say things like "Nice butt! Nice body! Very sexy!" in hopes of provoking a reaction from me.

When I read back over my complaints, I worry these things don't sound that bad. But it feels bad, and it is so constant that you honestly do start to feel upset. Every time someone looks at you in the street, you worry they will approach you. Some determined guys will try to physically block your path and force you into a conversation. It's not even possible to shop normally because the salesmen can't leave you alone long enough for you to examine their wares. I walked past a little boy sitting on the sidewalk, and he just started saying, "Hello, money! Hello, baksheesh!" Hilarious, but awful.

Then, for some reason, today was much better. I checked out of the Fayrouz with some sadness -- that place is really great and I intend to go back. And then I went to a restaurant on the west bank called Tutankhamun, which serves very delicious Egyptian food. All of the stuff I was eating at Anafora (called Anathema by some...) was boring, boring, boring. Rice, vegetables doused in tomato sauce, bland bread with bland hummus, dried-out chicken. But at Tutankhamun, wow! Potatoes in tomato sauce became magically delicious! I had rosemary chicken that tasted fabulous, and capped off the meal with an absolutely amazing glass of lemon juice. The quiet balcony with a Nile view didn't hurt, either.


As I walked around this afternoon, I didn't have nearly as many problems as I did yesterday. Sure, I was approached multiple times by men saying, "Yes, motorboat? Yes, caleche?" But for some reason they were more inclined to take no for an answer. I wonder what changed? Maybe they recognized me from yesterday. Oh, and in case you need more evidence that hassling is a widespread problem, this type of sign is all the rage in Luxor advertising:


Be warned, however, that these signs just mean the owners will try to hassle you into their hassle-free shops!

I had good luck today, though. I found a bookstore next to the Winter Palace that sells a bunch of Arabic lit in translation, so I stocked up for the long travel hours I'll be logging in the next couple of days. And then, walking around in the other direction, I stumbled across a nice little shop called Habiba, which is run by an Australian expat who has lived in Luxor for ten years! She seems happy here. She is an awesome lady and her products are good, so look up her store if you get a chance. I bought a tunic that I am exceedingly happy with.

Oh, and in case you guys are interested, Mr. Mack is back at it -- but with a different lady!