Salute

Crossing on the Nile Ferry at 4.30pm at least 3 days a week, you begin to recognise people that are crossing with you.
Workmen carrying their tools leave Luxor and head home for a shower and shai.
Women carry empty handwoven baskets and cartons, they had a good day at the local souk and have sold their homemade cheese, chickens, geese and eggs.
Office workers smartly dressed and still as crisp and fresh as when they left their homes at 7am (Air conditioning preserves so much!)
A few white shirts and black trousers cross the River to head to their second job at one of the few West Bank Hotels. Shifts are sparce now, job share is reminiscent of the desolate months after our Revoultion of January 2011.

Just before Adel and his co worker, take the last 25 piastres off of the passenger (1LE if you are a tourist) he presses THE buzzer. This signals to all potential passengers running frantically on the Corniche, that the ferry is about 'To move' Many times I have heard this buzzer at the top of the steps and have fled hurriedly down the stairs to the river...there is nothing worse than missing the ferry by seconds. BUT Hamed always shouts 'Basora Madame' (Quickly Madame) and stalls the untying of the rope that holds the ferry in place on the East Bank shore, until I am safely on board.

One other thing I have noticed at 4.30pm, is that the River Police are frantically speeding to and fro from the East to West and back again. I think they enjoy the thrill of the people watching them in their speed boat and are simply dropping workers back to their respective 'Banks' I have wanted a photo of these guys in action for a long time and until now, the timing was wrong. Today, I 'Got' them and I even got a salute!