river nile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP0NmJnsIjs muzika nila


Rijeka Nil gledana s mirisne Jasminovim cvijetom prosute sjeverne obale u Luksoru, doima se veoma široka, ljena i spora. Voda se kreće polako, dan prolazi a zrak se ne pomakne, ne postoji vjetar. Rijeka je tamna, zelena, prazna , par starinskih jedrilica Faluka klize na površini s obješenim jedrima kao u scenama iz Dalijevih slika.

Sprijateljili smo se sa vlasnikom jedne Faluke i jedrili Nilom nekoliko dana. Jedrili smo noću pod svodom tisuća zvijezda kroz nepoznate zvukove noćnoh životinja, cvrčaka, i jeli datule i gvajabe. Jedrili smo kroz zoru i popeli se na otok Krokodila i otok Slonova, hodali kroz džunjgle banana , i brali male naj slađe banane pune sjemenka sa stabala. Čak smo naišli na antikvarijat u banana šumi, pun brončanih aladinovih lampa.

Ovo je bio zadnji dan jedrenja pred povratak na sjever u Kairo.


Jedrili som južnom stranom Nila, obrasle trstikama, šašom, dugonogih ptica boga oziriza, krava s ptičicama na leđima, bufala. Vručina je bila zločesta, posala sam samo para, ljena i apatetična za pričati, pustevši da me rijeka nosi s brodom nizvodno i tiho.

Začuo se smijeh u šašu.

Dječaci su se igrali u vodi trčali i prskali. Pukla je u tren sva opuštenost i potencialno destruktivna potreba da se bacim u rijeku preuzela je sva ostjetila.

Dali u rijeci Nil žive krokodili? Pitam.

Ne baš, ne mnogi. Odgvori mornar.

Cijeli mjesec u Egiptu nosila sam duge haljine koje pokrivaju tijelo, i marame, poštujući način života u Muslimanskoj državi, stalno mi je bilo pre vruče. Naredila sam da zaustave faluku na otočiću u sred Nila. Vlasnik i mornar smješkali su se nisu vijerovali da ču se usuditi učiniti što je sljedilo. Skinula sam mumificirajuće haljine i bacila se u rijeku.

Ljigavo blato zgnječilo mi se kroz nožne prstiće, odvratno i strašno, nikad se nezna kakva čudivišta u mulju žive . Rijeke i jezera imaju jedan zemljani, slatki miris, totalno različit od mirisa mora, u njima se osječa prljavo. No hladnoća vode bila je toliko dobrodošla u toj vručini. Napunila sam trbuh zrakom kako bi mogla plutati bez da diram mulj i prskala sam uokolo broda, ali sa svakim dahom mutni Nil me je nosio nizvodno. Pomisao na krokodile odzvanjala je usrcu koje je je kucalo malo brže puno adrenalina i brzo me vratilo na brod,sretnu da bar jednom sam prekršila pravila konzervativnog društva, i napravila ono što Kleopatra nije nikada, skočila u tamne vode rijeke krokodila.



The River Nile, looking at it from the jasmine scented north shore in Luxor appears very wide, lasey and slow. Water moves slowley, day pases slowley and air does not move at all, there is no wind. The river is green murky and eampty but for few one-sail boats falukas.





We had befriended the owner of a Faluka and sailed the Nile for a few days in a row. Sailing during the night beneath milions of stars to the sounds of night animals and cricets eating local foods dates and guvayabas. We sailed at dawn, up to crocodile and elephant islands, walked the banana jungles, and picked the sweetest small bananas full of seeds of the very trees. On one we came across an open shed full of discareded copper lamps and antiques as one Aladins genie lived in.








This was one of the last days on the boat. We where sailing along the south side of the Nile, full of swamp plants, cows, buffalos chewing , and long legged birds walking about. The heat was malicious, I began to evaporate, be apathetic lasey to talk letting my self drift with the boat windless down stream.





Than we came across shepard boys swimming in the river laughing. They where spltatering one another and running aobut squealing. Sudenlly my apatyhy snapped, a potentinlay destructive and unavoidable need to throw my self in to the river arose.






Are there crocodiles i asked? No? Not many..






I had been wearing dresses which cover my body and scarfes, respecting the Muslim ways the whole month in Egypt. I was at all times over dressed for the heat and constantly too hot. I comanded the boat to stop on an island in the middle of the Nile where I could throw my self into the water in partial seclusion. The owner of the boat and sailors gigleled to them selfs, they had not seen a woman do this in their life and did not belive I would .





The child in me which was born and raised next to the sea and playing in it, simpley for one time disregared the rules of this conservative society, did the thing Cleopatra was too afraid to, faced the crocodiles and jumped in to the dark Nile.






Ghastley mud squelched trough my toes . The rivers and lakes release a earthey, weedey, sweet smell, nothing like the sea, one feels a dirtey in them. But the cool was so wellcome in the heat. I filled my belly with air to be able to float not touching gooey bottom and swam spraying araound he boat for a few minutes. The current of Nile was stronger than i thought and began to carry me further down river with each breath. I was not quite sure wether there where crocodiles and snakes lurking in the mudy water and the fear drowe me rapidley refreshed back to the boat.