We have been pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the Egyptian people, especially the Nubians. You read horror stories about the touts in Cairo, and the obsessive push for haggling, tipping, etc. There has been all of the above, but those things have been greatly outshined by the warmth and genuineness of the people here. We have enjoyed tea with locals, made polite conversation with guards who are simply curious, and built connections with many of the people with whom we’ve interacted multiple times. Aswan may be an ancient marketplace, the crossroads for much of Africa on the Nile, between ancient Egypt and the other regions. Perhaps that boisterous social nature has passed down through the millennia. Whatever the reason, Aswan serves as a reminder that we all want the same things: to enjoy nice meals with our family, watch our children grow up, and rejoice in this paradise that is the Earth.