The remnants of power, greed, sacrifice, love - all inscribed skillfully, methodically along the eroding structures that remain of the ancients. We were one of the very few people touring the marvels of Aswan. While enjoying the incredible Roman-inspired columns of the Philae Temple and the delicious taste of freshly squeezed lemon juice, guilt does tend to creep in, considering the reality of the state that surrounds us. The tourist industry in Upper Egypt has plummeted so severely since the revolution. The livelihoods of the Aswanese, especially of the Nubian community heavily dependent on tourism as their main source of income, have eroded in such a sort span of time. It is no wonder that our tour guides were so happy to host us. As we zip through the waters of the southern Nile, we try to become more conscious of our surroundings. Beyond the stories carved into stone lasting multiple centuries, but of the resilience of those who keep the fire of hope burning, even when the harbour is full of boats.
The triple T's.
I call us the double T's. Typical Tourists (TT). Or maybe I should call us the triple T's? The Typical Tourists (TTT)? There were three of us there anyway. If you're in Cairo, how can you NOT become a triple T when the ancient pyramids of Giza are calling upon you? Time to get into our plaid shirts, put on our arabian turbans and gear up and all. Time to get our triple T's on! A few clips of our midday adventure that probably went on for a little too long. Slept like a baby that night. Traipsing in the desert for hours on end will do that to you! b.
Love at first sight! 
Giz
Long walks on the beach
Getting close to sunset, one of the best times for capturing most dynamic and serene light! Enjoy :)
To float or not to float?
Lately, tourist havens here have been empty. We were probably the only souls there at the resort off the Red Sea coast. It was a little creepy being the only ones greeted by 10 servers at the breakfast buffet. Lots of awkward smiles that's for sure! We had the beach all to ourselves. Not even a lifeguard in sight on site, which made me a little nervous given that my swimming skills are as good as my cooking. Although sometimes I magically cook up a miracle on a good day. I will make sure I write up a post when that happens, but don't hold me to it. Don't worry, I'll save you, Ali said to me as he pulled out the GoPro excitedly from my purse. His words convinced me, somehow, even though we (both) knew that his swimming skills lag behind mine (I love you!!). And so, we let loose, for the first time in a long time, swimming...umm, more like, SINKING, laughing, care-free, hand-in-hand under the hot mediterranean sun.
b.
Hello morning sun, nice to meet you at last!
I felt like a bag of stones, no, ROCKS, lay on top of me as I woke to the familiar sound of guitar-playing beeps ringing so annoyingly from my phone. Please, just 5 more minutes, I thought. The dangerous 5 more minutes. The 5 more minutes that turn into 10, that turn into another hour, that cause havoc in the morning when you wake up and realize that you are already late for work! It was 3:30 am. No office to rush to, yet an extremely important event was about to unfold that very morning. It took all the power that I had in me to get my unconscious self up and out of bed before dozing back into that seductive la-la land we call sleep. Ali called the reception desk of the Ain Al Sokhna resort we so spontaneously decided to invade that weekend to get a drive down to the beach, 200 metres away. Ya, that's how we roll over here. No one answered though, as expected. Ugh, you mean I'm going to have to walk all those 200 metres on foot? Ali smiled at me patiently and reassuringly said that it'll all be worth it. And oh, how it was worth it. Every gruelling step of the way! Watching the sun effortlessly rise against the glorious horizon was such a majestic site. At that moment, I was suddenly aware of what was happening. Every morning, the sun greets me so kindly and warmly, asking me where I've been for the past few hours. Today, I reciprocate by patiently waiting and reflecting upon the wonders of darkness until I can finally be the first to greet the light.
b.
