Our adventuress braving the desert sands . . . don't stray too far from the oasis, OK?

Moustafa and the fruit of the fields

Helene Holmes Haase Gouead 3/5/2004

Marriage in Egypt

This winter I decided to stay in Egypt for six weeks, and spent time with friends in the Sinai. While I was here I went horseback riding in the Sinai. This led to my marrying the stable owner. Moustafa and I were married on January 3.

I returned to the States for a month on January 11, and then came back here February 8.

I am now enjoying the life of an Egyptian village wife in Saqqara, interspersed with horseback riding in the desert. It is very much like being in the Peace Corps again, except now I have money, and I'm learning to speak Arabic from scratch.

I don't know how this is all going to work out in the long run, but for now I am very happy. Egyptian men are very romantic.

As far as I can tell, he doesn't have any other wives right now, although he did offer to marry my sister if she wants to come over.

The green part of the picture is the edge of the village, which is in the Nile Delta and very lush. There is a dramatic break where the desert suddenly changes to village. There are dozens of excavations going on of tombs and old pyramids.
From the balcony of my apartment I have a gorgeous view of the step pyramid of Zoser, as well as the skyline of Cairo. I am able to get e-mail, and I now have a cell phone: 0121027447. To call from America, should any of you feel so inclined, you have to drop the first 0, so you dial 011-20-12-102-7447. My mailing address is c/o Moustafa Gouead, Saqqara, Badrasheen, Egypt, although I've never gotten any mail, so I'm not sure it works.
Helene