My LUX(or) Life

Me in front of Luxor Temple

I LOVE Luxor. Not the way that tourists (or I) would normally love a city for its glitzy buildings, glamorous shop windows, and characteristic neighborhoods. Luxor, Egypt doesn't really have any of those. Nevertheless, during the recent Egyptian revolution, when all foreigners were being evacuated from Cairo at the request of their governments, I headed straight to the airport, and instead of returning home to the U.S., boarded a flight to Luxor.  I realized that my affinity with this ancient  city could stupefy even the sages when I arrived and the locals were shocked. "How did you get here?" they asked. " The last of the foreigners left days ago!"

Instead of feeling scared that I was "the only one" left, I actually felt lucky. Now I had the city to myself, I thought, and I would be able to enjoy it even more. The shock that I felt during the first week of the revolution in Cairo seemed melted away as soon as I heard the first wedding procession on the street. In glaring contrast to Cairo, where we had an early evening curfew, the residents of Luxor could go out as they pleased. Despite the one old military tank on the Nile Corniche (we joked that they gave Luxor an old tank so that it would fit in with all the antiquities), there were no signs of danger.

View of Mosque and sunset from Tut Hotel

I've always felt that Egypt's greatest assets were not the monuments and temples, but the people and the Nile. Luxor has all of them. Slated to become the world's largest open-air museum, this unique combination of 7,000 year old temples dotting the skyline along with breathtaking views of the Nile and people so kind, down to earth, and genuine make Luxor impossible to forget. Luxorians are the kind of people who can look at someone and sense what they are like, without ever exchanging words. Despite cultural differences, I rarely need to explain my thoughts or concerns - its as though everyone can sense what I feel.

Luxor takes her name from the word "Al Uqsor" or "The Palaces" in Arabic. When the Arabs arrived there in the 7th century, they believed that all of its temples were palaces. Our modern English word "luxury" was born out of its name, for Luxor's palaces and monuments were the most splendid of their time. Even millenia after they were built, they still stand testament to this great city. Although 75% of the monuments were destroyed by the Persians in antiquity, there are still enough of them to draw 4,000 tourists to visit this city of 400,000 each day during high season (October-April)!

Mahmoud Fathy, founder of Digital Bridges of Technology

My life in Luxor is simple. I wake up, enjoy breakfast (the best so far is the custard filled brioche at the Tut Hotel) while overlooking the Nile from my balcony and hearing school children singing songs at the elementary school across the street. The brioche are so light, airy, and tender that they call to mind the best ones I ever ate in Venice in 1996. The view of the Nile is always the same, and the kids voices projecting from across the street remind me that despite the monuments, Luxor is a living city. Next I get ready and wait to hear from my friends to call to invite me to lunch, dinner, or coffee.  I make appointments to conduct meeting for an organization that I chair called the Baltimore Luxor Alexandria Sister City Committee. 

Metropolitan Cafe Mahmoud Edris, Dr. Ali, and Ahmed Edris

Keep in mind that this is a very "of the minute" place so even if you had plans from the night before, it's best to better check. It's good to have a Plan B, and a Plan C. Once a friend stood me up because he was walking to meet me and met another friend on the street who emigrated a long time ago. He sat down to have a drink with him and 6 hours later remembered our appointment. In true Luxorian fashion, however, 2 other locals invited me to lunch and dinner and I ended up having a great time.  My favorite way to spend the evenings is at the open air Metropolitan Coffee Shop and the newly renovated Kababgy restaurant (arguably the best kabobs in Egypt) on the Nile. In lieu of board rooms, Luxor's most important decisions take place in coffee shops, and its easy to understand why. Here the setting is so beautiful that it can transform even the most difficult decision into a piece of cake! Traditional drinks like hot milk and cinnamon, anise tea, tea with mint, fresh juices and Turkish coffees continue to flow until agreements have been met. Understandably, I've never seen anyone leave angry.

Me & Koty Edris

Since my original plans in Luxor got sidetracked during the revolution (no tourists to lead the culinary tour), I found myself immersed in the lives of my friends. Restaurants were closed and I got to go to people's homes for lunch and dinner everyday. Enjoying delicious, home cooked meals like tagins (Egypt's clay pot stews), roasted meats, orzo pasta, Egyptian rice, soups, and more while sitting Indian style on the floor for two months unintentionally strengthened ties with people I already felt close to. I got to cook in people's homes and help set the "table" (even though everyone has traditional dining tables, most prefer a tablecloth or blanket spread out on a clean Oriental carpet). To me, there is no match for the  kind of non-verbal language that takes place during these daily acts. We learn about one another and become closer as a result of performing them together.  Despite all of the inconveniences of the revolution, the fact that I got to meet new people, and grew closer to those I already knew made the experience worth while.
By the time I left Luxor on April 5 all of the travel bans on Egypt had been lifted. Tourists from England, Italy, Spain, and the US started trickling in.  Like me, they felt lucky to have the city to "themselves."  Tourists on the fence about traveling to Egypt right now should go ahead with their plans. Tourism is the backbone of the Egyptian economy, and everyone in the business has been working diligently to renovate and upgrade their services during the past few months. In addition, many places are also offering discounts. The weather is beautiful now and you will get unparalleled attention. To book a tour, contact Far and Beyond Travel.
Whenever I leave Luxor I get extremely emotional. Somewhere deep inside I worry that I won't ever go back. In recent years I started making plans to return before I leave in order to avoid depression.  Usually, my friends ask "When will you be back?" and I like to have an answer from them.  This time, however, something was different.  After two months of including me in family life, I was instructed by one of the matriarchs with the same words that she tells her children when they travel "Come back soon!" and "Matkhareesh!" "Don't take too long!" "I won't," I replied. "In sha Allah." "God willing."

Veal and Potato Tagin

(Recipe from Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture)

Veal and Potato Tagin

Tagin Bitello wa Batatas

4 Servings

Although this cooking method is ancient, it is still preferred by many modern chefs. Clay pot cooking is one of the healthiest cooking methods available because it requires hardly any fat, and the food retains its flavor, thereby enhancing the whole dish. Clay pots also “seal” the flavor inside and don’t need to be checked on often during cooking.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon clarified butter (ghee)*

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 cups chopped tomatoes, with juice

1 pound boneless veal shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes

5 cloves garlic, sliced

3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground dried red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 300F degrees. In an oven proof saucepan, or regular sauce pan if you will be using a clay baking dish, heat clarified butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add tomatoes, meat, garlic, and potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and paprika and stir well.

If using a clay baking dish, spoon stew into dish and cover. Otherwise cover saucepan and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until meat and potatoes are tender and a “crust” forms on top. Remove from oven, taste, and adjust salt, if necessary. Garnish with parsley and serve in baking dish.



• Clarify butter by melting it and removing the white solids from the top

 


Italians who call Luxor home



Traditional coffee pots, brass and copper ware

With friends at a wedding ceremony

With Alaa Megaly at a Wedding