June Emerson

Reflections in the Nile

Colourful characters and bizarre situations abound in this unpackaged, unplanned solo journey. The author frequently gets into difficulties and finds her western outlook hilariously inadequate.
This book is about the Egyptians that package holiday tourists seldom meet. It begins with the author staying with a family in a poor district of Cairo, and then follows he progress southwards by public transport of various sorts via the Fayoum oasis to Aswan and back.
Because the author is a woman, the attitude of Egyptians to women is a recurring theme, and many of their beliefs and customs are illustrated and reflected against the life of western women, but in a balanced way without any breath of 'feminism'.
There are meetings with all the colourful characters and bizarre situations inherent in an unpacked, unplanned journey. The author frequently gets into difficulties and finds her western outlook hilariously inadequate. The detailed glimpses of other people's lives are seen with understanding, humour and compassion.