Swimming in the Nile
In the summer of 1996, I made a big decision to go to a country I've been longing to visit-- the mysterious and ancient country of Egypt. At last, my dream came true when I arrived at Cairo International Airport, 26 hours after I left Japan.
The pyramids were much larger than I had expected. Walking inside the narrow corridors of the pyramids, I felt as if time had slipped. I was surprised to discover that the pyramids are actually very close to the city. It was a mysterious contrast between ancient and modern Egypt.
In the city of Aswan, we sailed along the River Nile on a felucca, a river sailboat. Our minds were at peace as we felt the morning glow of the rising sun from the felucca. Suddenly there was a strong wind and the boat turned over. (I had heard stories that the Nile was so full of bacteria and disease that people couldn't drink or swim in the water, but WE DID!!)
We desperately shouted for help and were rescued by some people on another boat. We were soaked through--our clothes, passports, airplane tickets and cameras. Of course my camera was ruined. We then had to walk in wet clothes back to the hostel we were staying at. Everyone in the street laughed when they saw us and asked what in the world had happened.
Later we went to the tourist police to complete an accident report. The police said, "Accidents like this happen only once or twice a year. You're lucky because most tourists don't have such a memorable experience."
Here are some links to the pages on Egypt.