Desert sands – curse for one, home for others

        Bedouins are nomad people who lived mostly in the desert regions. Most of them don’t have any documents. Many Bedouins are unlettered – can’t read or write. There isn’t precisely information about the number of Bedouins. From ancient times this people don’t let somebody to rule them. They have their own society with lows, ruler, tradition and believe. Bedouins pass on from generation to generation the secrets of desert and the ways to live in this inhospitable area hole live. From ancient times the Bedouins are the best guides through the deserts sands. They are also and good warriors. Every country where live Bedouins are trying to force them to lead settled life. Of course the modern world influences over their lives and only the Bedouins on the deep desert keep the old way of life.

             In the last few years more and more tourists visit a desert area which leads to more and more hotels. Because of this the Bedouins are forced to leave their villages and to go deeper in the desert where the survival is very difficult. Unemployment among the Bedouins is very high but they are not allowed to go to school and this deprived them of the opportunity to find job or to start own business. Hundreds of hotels offered many work places but most of time for them are hired Egyptians. Some of the young Bedouins are attract from the easiest life of the people in the big cities as Cairo and they moved there. This trend could provoke declining disappearing of the Bedouins.

            Some of the Bedouins on South Sinai have been made themselves in a tourist attraction. Almost every touristic agency can offer you the diner in the Bedouin village. In this way Bedouins are trying to earn some money because the live on the desert become more and more difficult. The Bedouins children who are allowed to go to school can’t be educated in the old Bedouin traditions. If this happen, the parents are called in the school. This is a shame practice because in this way soon or later the Bedouins will disappear.

            The Bedouins comes from different areas and speak different languages like Beja and Bedawai, so we can’t talk for them like one community. Each tribe has its own originality. When the Bedouins go through the desert they use for landmark the stars, stones and other marks which showed the right way. They carry only little food, water and weapon and know how to find water in the desert. The Bedouins are dressed with clothes with protect them from the sun but also allowed to the wind to cool their bodies. The women are dressed in black, with covered faces. They live usually in a tent made from camel –hairs. Usually the tent has two “rooms” – one for the guests and other only for the women.

Bedouins are   inseparably part of the Egypt culture and it will be really a pity if the modern world becomes a reason for their disappearing. Regardless of this, Bedouins say that they are real Egyptians.

 

 

Egypt – pyramids, pharaohs, sands and something more...

2600 years ago Herodotus wrote about Egypt: “Nowhere in the world there aren’t such things… even in the further world can not be found such things with unspeakable majesty”. Today we can still see some of the things, amazed the Greek Philosopher.

            Egypt is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. Millions of people visit this country leading by the desire to see the marvelous Egypt Pyramids, to see the deserts and its inhabitants in the face of Bedouins. Egypt is a country in Africa which includes deserts, green oasis, the river Nile and thousands of historic places and legends. Egyptian civilization has nearly 5000 years history. When you go to this magic country you have to see definitely the pyramids in Giza, the Sphinx, the tombs in the Valley of the kings, the temples in Karnack and Luxor and of course the statues in Abu Simbel. In Egypt you can feel also the Greek, Roman and Christian trails. All over the world there are parts of Egyptian history – Egypt obelisks in Istanbul and Rome, many treasures founded in the tombs which are part of private collections and museum exhibitions.

            If you decide to go to Egypt you need to know a few very important things for these so close and in the same time so different country and culture. When you choose your hotel you have to know that the hotel stars standard is not the same like in the other parts of the world. You need at least 4 star hotels. Maybe the most important thing which you have to remember is that the water from the fountains is not drinkable and you have to use only the bottled one even for your teeth. It is not a good idea to go there without an agency especially when you visit the country for the first time. The Egyptians expect tips for almost everything which they do for you even if you want to make a photo of them. The tourists who go in Egypt has to be prepared to see incredible poverty and dirt in Cairo but everybody say that the shock is only in the first few hours and after that you get used to with it. It is not a good idea to drive in Cairo because there is maybe one of the awful traffic on the earth. The Egyptians don’t use lights at the night, there aren’t any traffic lights and the only thing which they use is the car horn. People said that in Egypt you can’t drive a car which horn doesn’t work! For the walker the risk is also very high especially in Cairo because the drivers don’t take care about their safety crossing the street.

Egyptians are Muslims and are deep religious people. Ladies should be very careful to not walk alone on the streets, to not watch the men and also to not wear too bared clothes because this can provoke some problems. Egyptian economy earns mainly from the tourists so the country take care about the security and comfort of the tourists. There is a Tourist police and every few meters you can see armed policeman who you can talk to if you have any problems, most of them speak English so the language is not a problem.

            In Egypt you can feel the history on the air. You can feel and even touch the history so definitely you have to see it!