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Near Luxor, we spent part of a day with a traditional Egyptian farming family whose home is right on the edge of the Nile River (East bank). They still follow many of the traditions passed down for centuries. Members of the three-generation family seemed very pleased to welcome us into their home for some tea and conversation and observation of various components of their way of life. Looking back, this was one of the most meaningful parts of our entire trip to Egypt.
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| Our articulate, handsome host, who is head of this three-generation family with both his parents and his children there, too. |
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| The traditional way of lifting water out of a ditch (connected to the Nile) using a weight to counterbalance the bucket of water being lifted up several feet. |
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| This grinding stone has been in this family's use for 500 years (literally)! We all had a chance to use it. Young son on our host's lap. |
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| Front door of the house near main sitting area. Our host did the Muslim "hajj" visit to Mecca in 2009, thus the paintings on the wall behind Janet. Our OAT guide is is on Janet's left, making arrangements on his cell phone. |
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| Our host's uncle working in the family's fields near the house, using a traditional hoe. |
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| Janet enjoying her first (of several) camel rides, this time in a field near our family visit home. |
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| Bread is the family staple, consumed at every meal. They grow the grain themselves, make the dough, bake it in a wood-fired oven, then cure it in the sunshine. It was quite delicious. |
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| The hostess working the oven; our host's mother was on the left in the other photo. |
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| Cooked bread curing in the sun. The recipe goes back hundreds of years. Note the "plate" under each loaf. It is made of recycled egg cartons, soaked in water then dried and shaped this way. Great recycling, eh? |
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