Page 126 - WDT Magazine Egypt
P. 126

One tiny store sold household items and some
         packaged food. We entered through a very short
         door into a dark room big enough for only two of
         us at a time. An old man sat behind a wooden table
         with his two grandchildren. We purchased sodas,
         and one Pharaoh bought a bunch of candy that he
         shared with delighted kids when we resumed our
         walk.
           It was apparent the village was poor and in need
         of much repair and improvement, though the bright-
         ly painted houses and outbuildings did mitigate the
         feel of poverty a bit. Most of us would be shocked
         to live in these conditions, but we are looking
         through a Western lens. To the Nubians, just having
         a village of their own was a blessing.
           Fortunately, we could see recent improvements.
         Large electric cables are snaking throughout the vil-
         lage, and we saw refrigerators and electric hotplates
         in home kitchens. Some houses and buildings were
         concrete brick, a vast improvement over the mud
         brick Nubians have used for homes for many cen-
         turies. The village guest house even sported indoor
         western toilets.


































          126  WDT MAGAZINE SUMMER 2018
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