Calmed by the River Nile

Gliding down the River Nile, it is not surprising why since ancient times, it has been a source of inspiration for many.  As I sit on the sundeck looking out at the vastness of this river, I imagine that not much has changed here over the centuries.  The riverbanks are lined with palm trees and uninhabited fields.  I spy an occasional buffalo and watch birds fly in the clear blue sky.  A sense of calmness comes over me.

This River, I imagine has this effect on people.

The cruise ship quietly glides down the Nile at a steady pace, no rush, no hurry.  It is elegant and at one with the river.  I too am starting to a feel a bit of this calm rub onto me.

I lie down on the sundeck and watch the change in scenery as we pass by.  For most of the time, all I see in front of me is the vastness of this river which has been the conduit of civilization for thousands of years.  This great river had been the source of life for without it's waters, which also proved to be an important mode of transportation, life would have been very different in the desert.

Palm trees stand out against the clear blue sky and together with the wild grass the river banks transform into a beautiful sihoullete.  I am enthralled.  I wish I had brought my watercolour set so that I could paint this view, but then I want to travel light and I'm not that much of an artist.  It'll have to be another day.  For now, I opt instead to do a rough sketch in my little moleskine notebook. 

It's quiet up here on the sundeck and the engines are so quiet I don't hear much other than the splashing of the water as we glide by.  Occasionally we pass by another cruise ship and then to the delight of all those on the sundeck, we'd start waving at those on board the other cruiseline.  It's friendly.  It's fun.  I'm feeling chilly with the wind, and have wrapped myself up in my scarves but on the other sundeck people are sunbathing.   I gather they must come from somewhere very cold.

Cruising down the River Nile, we have no space for stress, for anger, or for all those emotions that make us humans insufferable beings.  Here, we are back to nature and at peace.  I feel like I am reliving a bit of history.   I feel like time has slowed down and that I have found a part of me that had been lost in all this crazy, hectic world.  It's effect is so unlike any other that just writing about it, I can once again feel myself sitting there on the sundeck with the breeze through my hair, sitting, watching the scenes roll by.  I am at peace, I am calm.  If only I could feel like this everyday....... 

The thought remains as the sunsets and I am reminded that another day has ended.  Another end brings with it another beginning and another chance for me to once more find myself at "peace" with the river.