I left late Thursday evening and arrived about
two hours later in a city that was about 15° warmer than
Rome. Abeir had sent a car to meet me and after clearing customs
I was whisked away to the throbbing metropolis of Cairo. Knowing
of my weakness for Arabic sweets, I was greeted in my hotel
room by a myriad assortment of you can't believe what delicacies
and a warm note from Abeir expressing her delight of me having
come for her wedding!
My limited days of permanence in the land of
the pyramids now seems like one great bazaar of color and music
and movement. Abeir and Mohamed had programmed almost every
moment of my stay. I was an enthralled captive.
On Friday morning a car and guide was waiting
to take me to the Giza complex and other recent discoveries
nearby. I even made it a point to stop into my favourite little
perfume shop of exotic oils near the Great Sphinx. They still
serve the most aromatic jasmine tea that I have ever had in
my entire life while you are sniffing their precious scents
while lounging on enormous silken cushions. Black narcissus
was my choice of this day!
Rushing back to Cairo I had time to stop at
the National Museum which has recently been renovated and is
still one of the most bedazzling collections in the world! The
evening found me participating in the first phase of the marriage
ceremony. The "Henna Night". We all gathered in this
mega hotel complex on the Nile to begin the ceremonies.
At a certain point the men separated from the
women who whisked Abier off to a "secret place" to
paint her body with henna. Her painted body would make her more
acceptable to both "Allah" and her future husband.
"We men" carried on until the early hours of the morning
drinking, eating the most wonderful of things and watching the
most artful of belly dancers moving most graciously to Arabic
sounds! I was entranced. I was part of the Orient, if only for
a fleeting moment.
Saturday was a chapter from "A Thousand
and One Nights". A day to be truly remembered. The wedding
party, which was mainly made up of the most illustrious personages
from the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia were wearing the most
elegant of flowing garments and bedecked in the most beautiful
of golden jewels I had ever seen in my life. Sparkle was the
name of the game.
We gathered shortly after lunch at the main
pier of the hotel where we were welcomed aboard a myriad of
falukas. These small Egyptian sailing vessels, which trace their
history to ancient times, were completely bedecked in glorious
flower arrangements. The only thing which was missing were perfumed
sails - Cleopatra would have done that! We sailed the Nile in
the Cairo area for hours munching on the most delightful of
" Arabic antipasti" while being serenaded by musicians
- there were two boats only for the musicians!
The day climaxed with the celebration of the
marriage in the hotel complex. The gowns and jewels were even
more abundant and luxurious. The torchlight on the open terraces
overlooking the Nile made the evening ensemble seem like millions
of glittering, precious mosaics set apart from the deep blue
Cairo sky. Scents and smells from far off lands. The land of
Punt! Flaming lambs on silver platters with a huge golden sword
in each one were whisked through the gathered celebrants. Silver
and golden platters of mountains of Arabic red rice and other
delicacies followed to the accompaniment of Arabic music. Our
senses were completely and wonderfully abused. The musicians
and dancers entertained the wedding party till the early hours
of the morning. It was a tremendous success of color and sound
and taste and I was very happy to have been part of it!
This morning, which is still a slight blur to
me, found me sipping my cinnamon and cardamom scented coffee
and munching on the remainder of Abeir's gift of Arabic sweets
on my private little terrace overlooking the Nile. There were
two dominant thoughts in my mind at that moment. How exquisitely,
wonderfully magical this moment is and I must return!
Shortly after, I bid adieu to Abeir and Mohamed
and thanked them for their most gracious hospitality and wished
them all of the best that the world has to offer a young couple
very much In love. Tears formed in our eyes as we said our good
byes. She placed in my hand a small, elegantly wrapped box saying
that this is for you. She looked me in the eyes and said "thank
you for being part of this moment".
