The town of Mut is really a nice place. It’s the cleanest town I have visited. Hassle free for the tourist, due to the fact that not all that many people speak English, when they do you know they are involved in a hotel or some sort of tourist work, although they are not all that aggressive like in Cairo or Bahariyya.
This month I pulled out 1400LE out of the bank before I left Cairo which was interest given to me from the bank. This month the interest will last all month, which I am kind of happy about. Mut is very cheap, my room is only 17LE a night, I declined the breakfast because they wanted 8LE which was to much for just tea and bread. The Internet – DSL – is only 3LE an hour in town. Kind of funny the young kids in this Internet cafe watch a bunch of porn, if your thinking that the Internet porn is blocked here in Egypt your incorrect.
The dinner place I found is great, Chicken or Cow, potatoes, rice, salad without lettuce, lentil soup, and bread all for 6LE. Then I just go to the store for oranges and peanuts and things of this sort. The guys at the hotel invited me for some Felafel this morning, which was really nice. I have really been enjoy the Egyptian tea, you need to ask for Shai – Corshery. There is also a dish called Corshery which is macaroni, rice, lintels, and fried onions with red sauce for the topping which runs about 2LE per dish. Remember $1.00 = 5.53LE at this time.
To my amazement most guys out here in Mut have white teeth and they go by the traffic laws, everyone drives on the right side of the road and they stop for the stop lights. They have brand new traffic lights which shows the seconds for when it will change. It’s really a nice, slow, lazy type of town. All the food in the Oasis is the same, Bedouin style food. If anyone is looking to change their eating habits just hang out in the oasis for awhile.
I learned how to say “see you tomorrow” it is pronounced “ha shoe fuck burka”. Asking for change? you say, “Fuck-er”. It’s really weird, at first, saying the main English four letter word, although that is the way they say it.
I am not to sure when I will be leaving Mut, I am going to go and stay in Al Qasr for awhile which is also in the Dakhla Oasis. I am in no hurry at all, and quite relaxed; I sit in the sun in the mornings writing whatever is on my mind, and reading about Mark Twain’s travels, I am over half way through the book. Around noon I walk to the Awaha shop (tea, coffee, shesha) and have a cup of tea. Around 2 or 3 I will walk and have dinner for the day. The tea houses are a great experience. In Cairo you can find some dark, lurking ally-ways, where a Awaha exists, it’s a relaxing time, writing some, reading some, people watching some. There are Awahas in every town a place where the men hang out. Anytime there is a football game (soccer) the Awahas are packed – the Egyptian Soccer team is number one in Africa.
Some key aspects to connecting with the locals. It takes humility; a person has to lower themselves and treat the person as an equal and a friend. Have an interest in them. Make them feel clever and respect who they are. It’s an inner feeling they will sense which they will respect you in return. Have a listening ear. The ego-driven person, the mister know it all, the outward rich person, the stuffy-nose in the air type of person will never connect with the locals out here. Connecting with the locals provides deep inner satisfaction, an education, unforgettable memories; humility is the key quality.