I don’t recall when or how I learned of Tayip.
On the internet for sure. Most likely the blog post of another. No matter. It was a fortuitous discovery. For three days in Luxor he was available whenever needed.
At first he was just a tuk tuk man. Then my driver. By the last day, I had come to know Tayip. His knowledge of ancient Egypt. His own history. His family. The pain in his life.
Tayip is not a pushy man, as others can be.
“This is your trip, my friend,” he told me more than once. “You must decide what is best for you.”
We would talk. He would offer possibilities. I would choose.
Egypt is a land like no other, and I’ve just scratched the surface.
There are the Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel, three hours south of Aswan and near the northern border Sudan.
The Great Temple for him,
the Small Temple in honor of his wife, Nefertari.
The Tomb of Inherka,
deep below the ancient sands of Luxor.
The Tomb of Ramses III,
in the Valley of the Kings.
The Tomb of King Tut, dead at nineteen,
but eternally famous.
I have many photos, enough to fill an album or two. But they can be found throughout the internet, and taken by every visitor.
My last evening I spoke with Tayip.
“What about tomorrow, my friend?”
“I want to see the sunrise, and visit the morning desert,” I told him.
And so we did.
The Monastery of St. Theodore,
The oasis of a French family.
The desert,
where I walked,
and Tayip waited.
He introduced me to a man of the desert,
a good friend,
then retuned me to the New Memnon
to make final preparations.
There are good people everywhere.
It is up to us to eternalize them.
Please call Tayip when you are next in Luxor.
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