I'm Off My Beaten Track in Beni Hassan...

A nobleman on his boat, Beni Hassan

...and I'm picking up from where I left off in my last post.  I'm taking you to Beni Hassan...

THE FERRYMAN
 

Our boat, MS Nefertari, left the moorings during breakfast and continued upstream to Beni Hassan, sand banks permitting.  A leisurely morning with a leisurely breakfast, my book, and the passing scenery with fishermen and children to wave to as we floated past.

The tombs at Beni Hassan are hewn from the bedrock of the plateau that flanks each side of the river.  The boat moored on the western bank as the wind was too strong to tie up at the usual point.  This meant a trip across the river on the local ferry organised by the tour guide.  At 2.15 pm, the ferry pulled alongside and waited for everyone to board.

Some locals were already on the ferry, and the Ferryman spoke to them harshly and banished them to the back of his vessel.  Hardly the way to treat one's fellow compatriots and customers, I thought.  Moreover, I was sure we weren't really that important!

On reaching the other bank, it was a short walk to the face of the plateau and then a climb to the tombs.  I wasn't prepared for the walk.  The path took us through a tiny village with houses half mud brick and half red brick.  The children bombarded us with vigorous waves, some shouting their names and other little phrases in English that they had learned.  In this area, the schools are very poorly equipped, with even the most basic requirements challenging to obtain.

The Nile is the lifeblood of this country in more ways than one.  It irrigates the land and provides electricity for those that can afford it.  The river provides water for drinking and washing, and it brings us - decadent westerners and our foreign currency...

...again, we are guarded.  Local men from the village, who are caretakers for the tombs, escort us with rifles slung over their shoulders.

Beni Hassan is named after an Arab tribe that settled in the area in the ninth century AD.  Numerous ancient tombs are cut from the rock and date from around the 11th Dynasty.  In the second and third centuries, the burial chambers were lived in by the early Christians, and the original artwork suffered considerable damage.  Some of the tombs had survived and contained some beautiful frescoes: the militia training, making wine and bread and other scenes from everyday life.  One wall shows a nobleman in his chariot, protected by the hands of the sun god Ra, going into battle.  Most of the tombs are those of noblemen who governed the area about 4000 years ago.

After the warm, still air of the tombs, we venture out into the afternoon sun.  I can feel it burning into the skin of my arms, but the wind is a welcome relief, if only temporarily.  We return to the ferry for our trip across the river to the Nefertari...

... a rumour of a shipboard romance is going about, I learn over dinner.  I'm told that T— and C— have 'got together' on the cruise.  I look across at their table and think about my conversations with them.  Shipboard romance.  What rubbish!  It was painfully obvious to me that T— and C— have known each other for centuries!  One little surprise was the cake - made by the ship's chef - for T—'s birthday.  And each slice may have been small, but it was delicious!

This is the last post from my Egyptian journal for this year.  If you've enjoyed this post then you might like to read the earlier ones about Cairo  Giza  Solar Sailing and Egypt generally - just click the links.