The Nile, Egypt — Where I’d Take My Partner To
Eat your heart out, Cupid. This blue-eyed Cleopatra knows how to treat a Valentine.
I’ve soaked my arthritic joints in the hot springs of Iceland’s turquoise Blue Lagoon. I’ve also licked the taste of sea salt on my lips as I sip a warm Cabernet Sauvignon, hearing the church bells echo along the Amalfi Coast. I’ve even sipped a piña colada while petting stingrays and later soaking my toes in a cenote inside Mexico’s ancient Mayan ruins.
Despite having done these fantastic things, there has always been one dream that has been beyond my reach: Soaking in the sun’s rays while cruising down Egypt’s Nile River.
A significant piece of me would spend every penny to make sure that we have this adventure. Taking an excursion down one of the world’s most ancient rivers has always been a dream, and I have every intention of full-filling it one day with the love of my life.
As an adventurous young girl, I envisioned being the next Indiana Jones tracing my fingertips against faded hieroglyphs that would lead to a lost city. If that didn’t quench my thirst for exploration, then I’d make sure to solve the secrets of a hidden tomb tucked beneath a cluster of sandy ancient ruins. Even Lara Croft would be jealous.
This dream has existed in my mind for more than twenty years:
Sitting on the riverboat patio next to my husband, we’d let the warm breeze caress our skin as we sip on glasses of Bannati wine as we watch the silhouettes of a caravan disappear above the dune’s peaks.
After a smooth docking, I’d guide my love to our camels waiting to greet us. Riding side by side, I ignore my dress fluttering against my thigh as we take in the sounds of lutes, lyres, tambourines, and sistrums heading into a souk.
Perusing the bazaar, the smell of spices, perfumes, and frankincense wash over us. Here, he treats me to a plateful of mouthwatering dates, and I make sure he has the most divine cup of sweet almond coffee known to man.
Watching the Sphinx disappear over our shoulders, we return to our barge, where a candle-lit dinner awaits us. Sailing by, the crocodiles hug the shores as we watch the sunset. Hearing the whispers of the Sahara Desert, we hold each other curious about the tantalizing secrets that exist beneath the sand.
At the end of the night, I give Ra thanks for not burning my delicate ginger skin so that I can treat my husband to a day of imagination and wonderment. Only after we’ve had our fill of watching thousands of luminescent fireflies glowing between the Nile’s cattails do we retreat to our cabin.
Cuddling close, we fall asleep in each other’s arms on the canopy bed. With smiles chiseled on our faces, we rest knowing that we had a day of magic: He was treated like my beloved Mark Antony as much as he made me feel like his Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra.
Shout out to KL Simmons, who always makes me think about yesterday in a healthy way, but tomorrow optimistically. Also, thank you to Warren Patterson for another excellent writing challenge!
