52 days along the Nile between post-revolutionary Egypt and
Upper Nubia cut off from the outside world.
On foot, my only companions were a backpack and a camera,
never knowing where to drink, eat, or sleep.
To put my finger on what motivated the first explorers from the
18th and 19th centuries, seeing with my own eyes this Nubia
that my imagination and reading had attributed an alluring
mystery.
But beyond the happiness of humbly experiencing adventure
with a capital A, the encounter with the Nubians would become
the keystone to my motivation.
A true revelation, far beyond my wildest dreams.
These men and women allowed me to survive the austere desert
of Nubia thanks to their selfless generosity.
I had nothing to give them in return, being in effect “naked”,
bearing only my friendship and smile.
But I promised to tell the world about them and their projected
disappearance.
