Natural propulsion on the Nile
We load the boat in Aswan and set sail under a bright sun whose heat is tempered by 15 knots of cold winter wind. Manu can’t wait any longer and launches his board. He paddles along the shore line to get some shelter from the head wind. Right from the beginning, I am impressed with how our captain can maneuver the boat with such precision, steering with his feet, approaching the river sides, racing with some other feluccas or just tacking suddenly to go back and pick up the hat that on of the kids– Shadé – dropped in the water! Hassan started to sail with his dad (also captain) when he was a toddler and has an intimate relationship with his felucca and the Nile.
Even facing the wind, the current being pretty strong, Manu is covering some good distance, moving at a similar path to the boat.I am now excited to get a real feel of the river by paddling its water. Assan manages to pick Manu up by coming alongside while he is still paddling. I jump on the board while Lou, our other daughter, is begging me to let her paddle. I want her to rest for the first day. There will be a lot more paddling to come…
I have been looking forward to this moment, to paddle these waters that have much history. As a stand up paddler, I get really intimate with how the water feels. It’s unlike even swimming or surfing; the fact that the paddle becomes the extention of your arms and hands makes a special connection with the elements. The wind has now died allowing a perfect reflection of the landscape on the water surface. I stop paddling for a moment and sit on my board to take it all in. The sun is about to disappear behind a sand dune while covering the opposite palm tree covered bank in the most beautiful red light. I feel very thankful to experience that very moment that I have been dreaming of for so long.
