EGYPT'S PAST GLORIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 78, 15 July 1942, Page 5

EGYPT'S PAST GLORIES

Continuing with Gnr , Burt Norman's narrative of his trip through the wonders ol' the upper Nile we present a further extract. Our guide then brought us back to the town where he took usi by boat across the Nile to an island with more ruins oia it. This prov-i ed very interesting as there is the remains' of a huge granite gateway still in good condition built by Alex-, ander during his reign in Egypt a long time ago. Then back to the boat for a sail round Kitchener's island. . This island at one time belonged to Lord Kitchener and after his death hisr relatives gave it to the Egyptian Government who made it into a beautiful park with trees from all parts of the world. It is a, marvellous place having beautiful flower gardens, shrubs, trees and lovely shady nooks and yet 30 odd years ago it was just a sandy desert island. It proves! what can be done with the desert sand if given enough water. We had lunch from a luncheon basket and a bottle of beer provided by the guide (the basket not the beer) in one of the shady nooks on the island and believe me 1 it w r as just like a picnic at home in N.Z. From the island we crossed back to the town where Ave visited the bazaars in other words the native shopping area and then to the train for our return to Cairo where we arrived next morning at 7 a.m.* having covered over twelve hundred miles by train alone since we started out.

At nine o'clock I bade farewell to my three Aussie friends who were going up to Alex for a couple of days and then booked a room at the N.Z. Club for the remainder of my leave which I spent in sleeping, eating and reading mostly. One afternoon I decided I would have a look at a part of Cairo I had not visited before so away I went and walked and walked until I began to get into the fair dinkum low area and also out of bounds to all troops. I decided to get back and then promptly got lost. You can imagine then that I spent a very unpleasant two hours as there were no soldiers or even white people anywhere about but after wandering* about here, there and everywhere I eventually got back to the better class area where I sure; heaved a sigh of relief. Moral don't go out alone in Cairo in places you don't Know. Incidentally the population of Luxor is 30,000 and of Asswan 28,000 while the natives are a different type from those met in Cairo and Alex. They are much better and more natural. On the Wednesday I returned to camp where I learnt that I had been posted back to my battery much to my delight and on the Thursday I rejoined them and left for Syria on the following Monday where 1 I am j now. In this letter I am enclosing a poppy picked as Ave passed through Palestine which I' will describe next letter. As I said in my last letter we are now in Syria the exact part of which I am naturally not permitted to state. But I can say this that where we are now is marvellous after the hot sands of Egypt. We ore actually at the moment above the snow line and on this mountain on either side of us there is snow which to us is a grand sight. There are lots of wild flowers about among them being wild tulips which are very very pretty. I am now in the best of health having quite recovered "from my so-f journ in hospital etc. and now we arc in this country I guess X will get even better still. I will now tell you about our trip up here or rather up to a certain point this time. Wc left our base in Egypt at about 8.30 a.m. one morning and after passing right throuhg Cairo we proceeded along the sweet water canal for about 15 miles. From there we struck out into the desert where we passed through a few native villages. In the afternoon we passed through the centre of the town of Ismalia which is quite a nice place having for Egypt a lovely park on the side of a canal. It is a much cleaner town than most in Egypt and neatly laid out. At about 4 p.m. we crossed the Suez Canal into Arabia. It was a great thrill to cross the Canal (on a pontoon bridge) as actually this is what all the fighting In Libya and Egypt is about as Jerry really does want that strip of dirty water. From the canal we crossed more sand and then at six camped for the night, had tea and into our bivvies which can be erected in a matter of five minutes. The next morning (incidentally the anniversary of our departure from New Zealand) Ave Avere aAvay at 6 a.m. and drove till nine when we stopped for breakfast. Still in the desert although it was getting (Continued in next column)

much better. At 3 p.m. we crossed the frontier into Palestine and at 4.30 we made camp again for the night being still in the more or less desert. Next morning Ave were up bright and early and away and soon started to get into fertile land which as av© ; proceeded became better and better: Shortly before we stopped for the day at 2.30 p.m. we observed orange and grape-fruit trees scattered here and there. Where we camped in an old military camp we discovered huge grape ' fruit orchards, so naturally everybody was after them as they weret ■ lovely and ripe. There was no need for us to pinch them as the Pales- -VM tinians were exchanging two san& bags (slightly smaller than sugar bags) for a tih of bully beef need- VH less to say the l members of our truck - were in. We got four bags in thefinish and—was the fruit grand. To think that you pay 5d or 6d each for them in New Zealand. yH There were showers in this .so we sure took' advantage of opportunity to get cleaned up again* After a good meal with plenty~|>M of grape fruit we went for a to the top of a hill and at gazed down into a fertile valley with croups and fruit trees. It made us think of home as it easily have been taken for a Zealand scene from •'the distance. By this time we had seen «a lotrßM of Palestine Arabs who dress, ; picturesquely that is until you them close and then one sees its a very ragged outfit they They certainly -are not like Arabs as depicted in the There may .be Arabs like that up to the present I have not any even remotely resembling thQE&|^H