An Egyptian village

In England, the average village is a small collection of dwellings, pubs, church, some shops, probably surrounding the village green. They vary of course, but this is basically it and they are surrounded by fields of grains, or vegetables or lying fallow as part of crop rotation. The fields are bound by flowering and fruiting hedges and a variety of trees. Drainage ditches surround the fields to ensure they don’t become waterlogged.

In the Nile delta, the village I stayed in was the same in so far as it was a small collection of dwellings, a couple of very small shops and I think there were two mosques. There were also fields and trees but the fields I saw were rice or alfalfa and the trees were mangoes, bare of fruit at this time of year, palms heavy with dates and the like. Whereas our countryside is noted for its greenery, here everything is covered in dust or sand. While our crops rely mostly on rainfall theirs need water channeled from the Nile, firstly via canals then through sluice gates opening onto irrigation ditches, or from water pumped from artesian wells. Fields and orchards are criss-crossed with irrigation channels consisting of two parallel raised earthworks about knee-high that can be blocked or opened to direct the water as required. It's an ingenious arrangement and one that has probably been used for thousands of years. When my parents were there about 25 years ago there was still the 'scoop-wheel' and donkey method (may father's description, I never saw it) of getting water from the canal to the irrigation channels but times have moved on.

During my parents' visit, most houses were one storey built out of the traditional blocks of Nile mud with dirt floors and tree branches strewn over the roof for insulation against the heat during the day and the cold at night. Since then, laws have been passed forbidding building with Nile mud because it is so incredibly fertile and of better use in agriculture. Gradually the houses are being replaced by brick buildings, still only up to three storeys. Once you get off the main agricultural motorway the roads are unpaved. As they don't get the rainfall we do that makes it necessary to have paved roads, and there are few vehicles in the village, they are all dirt roads. Makes sense to me, why pay for something you don't really need?

I went for a couple of walks with my friend, the first of which took us through fields of mango trees to the canal. Just before the canal was a buffalo grazing accompanied by a stork-like bird whose name I forget. The birds feed on insects that feed off the buffalo and help keep them clear of infestation, as well as other natural pests that can ruin crops - they're known as the 'farmers' friend'. They are also an indicator of good organic land as they avoid land soaked in pesticides.

The sun started setting as we walked alongside the canal on a roundabout route back to the house. The plants and trees may be dusty due to the lack of rain but it all adds to the charm of the place, giving it a sort of smoky feel and softening the landscape. There was a wonderful, warm and peaceful glow to the countryside as we walked back through the door.

The other walk was for the length of the village, along the dirt road, past the two mosques and the variety of houses going up alongside the low Nile-mud houses. We drew quite a crowd of interested children and I felt like the Pied Piper of Hamlyn. Let's face it, this was not a tourist area and I stuck out like a sore thumb, many of them would never have seen someone like me other than on the television. It was all pretty good-natured and when they got just a little out of hand and too excited, as children do, an adult voice would call out and they'd settle a bit, or my friend would warn them off. If they ever said anything untoward it was never translated for me!