Aswan Old Souk virtual walking tour скачать в хорошем качестве

Aswan Old Souk virtual walking tour

I loooove to wander through traditional local markets. They tend to be one of my very first destinations as soon as I step foot on new territory (I recently broke my own rules in Cairo with the Giza pyramids… but who can blame me ;). True that being the voracious raw foodie that I am, when traveling I’m always on the hunt for fresh and juicy local produce to feed my body and ward off long-haul flight dehydration but really there is nothing better to me for diving right into the culture, meeting its people and catching a slice of life. I’ve scoured a good many Southeast Asian colorful markets (they’re a personal favorite), from Yogyakarta’s lively Beringharjo market, to Bali’s magical Candi Kuning market and Bangkok’s bustling Khlong Toey market, but this was my very first time in a North African souk. And it was a totally novel experience! Sharia el Souk is a seven-block long market that runs parallel to the Nile. Though this colorful bazaar is primarily aimed at tourists (it’s arguably the most touristic market I’ve ever visited… I always shy away from tourist crowds and typically prefer to shop like a local it’s actually bustling with locals and the atmosphere puts you right in the thick of it. What I loved the most was the end-of-day smudging, so unique and delightful! I’m an avid “smudger” myself. cleansing smoke baths are a powerful purification practice I use almost daily at home but I’d never seen it practiced in open markets before. I stalked this wonderful fellow (pictured above) for several blocks as he was smoking up the souk’s shops and stalls with frankincense and leaving behind the most marvelously fragrant trail… Starting from the southern end, Sharia As Souq appears very much like the tourist bazaars all over Egypt, with slightly less persistent traders than elsewhere in the country trying to lure passers-by into their shops to buy scarves, perfume, spice and roughly carved copies of Pharaonic statues. But a closer look reveals more exotic elements. Traders sell Nubian talismans for good luck, colourful Nubian baskets and skullcaps, Sudanese swords, African masks, and enormous stuffed crocodiles and desert creatures. Aswan is also famous for the quality of its fuul sudani (peanuts), henna powder (sold in different qualities) and dried hibiscus flowers (used to make the much-loved local drink karkadai). The pace is slow, particularly in the late afternoon; the air has a slight whiff of sandalwood; and, as in ancient times, you may feel that Aswan is the gateway to Africa. I have often said if I won the lottery, I’d sell the house and travel and you’d probably never see me again. If money were no object, John and I would travel ALL of the time. In fact, I’d travel just to see new places and try new experiences and of course, EAT. ALL. THE. THINGS. As I write, I am sitting on the sun deck of the Uniworld River Tosca on the Nile in Aswan (yes, tomorrow I am seeing the dam). Up until last night the cruise has been wonderfully packed with gorgeous history, monuments, ancient temples. Our Egyptologist, Ayman has been extraordinary in THE very sense of the word (more on that in separate blogs). But when I travel what I really crave is a “do as the locals do” experience as we had on our first Uniworld cruise, checking out the local markets and such. Because we are “repeat offenders”, and I have kept in touch with Chef Daniel from our first cruise, he suggested I chat with Sameh (the Hotel Manager) and share my desire with him, and lo and behold, last night we had the BEST night of the cruise so far. We had a private guided walking tour through the local souk and I ate all the street food Sameh and Chef Hamdy recommended.