Ch. 1: Egypt time travel I

Time travel to Egypt part 1

I don’t feel any moment the need for a speech comparing my steps with steps for mankind. Maybe for the simple reason that I have had no contribution in the making, there is no audience to impress, or I am just too scared. In movies you see a strange field of force like a suspended fluid; you touch the field, smile for the camera, keep your breath and jump. Here was nothing: Closed the eyes at home opened them in Egypt under a bright sun. The ancient Egypt.

The streets of Amarna are crowded. People are different, smells are different, and noise is different. But still you have the same feeling of being home. I glance down, smiling at what I see.  If I look like an Egyptian maybe I even can dance like an Egyptian. I am dressed in a kind of skirt and sandals, very alike to the others, even in the way that they look used.  She was right; I am able to understand a little bit of the net of words surrounding me. Trying to catch fragments of a conversation which happened 3000 years before I was born is making my spine tingle. But human nature is stronger than this. From a hut twenty meters away I can smell fried fish. Their local version of a restaurant, I guess, not very attractive for someone coming from the twenty first century, but the smell is calling me. And in the end why not, I want an all inclusive immersion. When you are in Egypt you are doing what the Egyptians do, if you know how to do it. I have never ordered off a menu in their old language, and it’s probable that they have none but I am curious if I can read pictograms.

People were going in and out from the hut and I was studying them from what I considered to be a safe distance, but close enough to observe their gestures. They greet the owner, look at the exposed delicatessen and then point with two fingers their choice, simple. I took the courage to enter and salute the owner walking slowly to understand the small conversations between the people there. When I finally have grasped the words I have to say, I point coyly to my fish, without knowing what exactly is. I took a small copper ring from my pocket and paid receiving the fish and a smaller ring in return and that was all. I had interacted with an ancient Egyptian, felt like an Egyptian and proudly returned in the street still shivering with all that sun. The fish was delicious.

Probably you are wondering why I am not talking about the beauty of the city, about the monuments which no modern human has ever seen in their full splendour. It’s a curious feeling, but while I was very impressed by the ruins of old civilizations, Egypt included, even overwhelmed in some cases, I never had a similar sensation whilst walking in this new-old city.  It’s simply human nature; it appears so actual, so fresh, that I cannot give it the same respect I gave to the ruins of the same city. You cannot feel respect for a young child even when it looks so beautiful. In the end the difference was made by the awesome experience of the city’s own life. A day of Amarna’s life.

Io Deceneus Journal of a time traveler  Time travel to Egypt end of part 1

1 Comment

  1. This is getting a bit more subjective, but I much prefer the Zune Marketplace. The interface is colorful, has more flair, and some cool features like ‘Mixview’ that let you quickly see related albums, songs, or other users related to what you’re listening to. Clicking on one of those will center on that item, and another set of “neighbors” will come into view, allowing you to navigate around exploring by similar artists, songs, or users. Speaking of users, the Zune “Social” is also great fun, letting you find others with shared tastes and becoming friends with them. You then can listen to a playlist created based on an amalgamation of what all your friends are listening to, which is also enjoyable. Those concerned with privacy will be relieved to know you can prevent the public from seeing your personal listening habits if you so choose.

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