After a week of traveling around visiting the ancient ruins of Kemetic civilization we finally were able to go to our guide Farouk's villiage on Elephantine Island. Three words: IT WAS AMAZING. Like children in the U.S. the kids are currently on their summer break however, many of them came out to see us as we arrived in our sail boat and presented a monetary gift to the mayor of the town and visited the surrounding area. I couldn't help but shed a tear at all the smiles I saw from the young Nubians who in so many ways reminded me not only of children who I know back in the States, but reminded me of how I used to physically look so long ago. As they sung a celebratory song for our enjoyment it quickly became apparent that some things in life, African life at least are truly universal such as jump rope. Some of the girls began to show off their many skills and even I joined in on the fun. I was amazed at how excited they were to see us and unlike many other places in Egypt where we have been constantly mobbed by people of all ages asking for money, I only had one little girl namd Zaynab ask me for something so that she could get a bottle of water from the local store and I gave her my 10 pound bill under the condition that she share with her sister Amira.
After we left the villiage we went to swim in the Nile river and to my surprise the same group of young people were already at our pre-determined swimming location. Today I felt that I was truly home.
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