TABLE
OF CONTENTS
|
Egyptian
Camels
By Suzanne Schefcik
During
our stay in Cairo, we
ventured to see one of the most amazing architectural structures of its
time,
the pyramids of Giza.
As we ventured through the streets of this quaint town, it became
apparent that
the entire city was a direct target for tourists. From modes of
transportation
to market places, the wants and needs of westerners could be found. The
dissipation of traditional Egyptian culture was apparent through many
different
aspects throughout the society.
The means
by which we reached our amazing destination was on the backs of camels
and
horses. As we hopped on the backs of the humpy camels, they began to
moan and
whine. When I asked our tour guide if this was okay, he replied with
“Don’t
worry about it.” I felt that this was a rather normal practice and
moved on. As
we bumped and rolled
through the desert, I saw the way in which the guides
treated the animals. Camels and horses were beaten and ridiculed by our
tour
guides. I could see scars and cuts all over their bodies. They looked
as if
they were whipped or brutalized on a regular basis. I felt terrible for
these
animals, and even worse that I was part of the problem.
The horses
on which we rode were malnourished and in bad shape. They also had cuts
and
scars on their bodies. They were in horrid condition. In fact, one of
the
horses had a large hole in his forehead. Our guide told us that he had
been
shot in the face, but he was still an asset to the company. I truly
could not
believe that this horse was still used to haul tourists through the
desert, or that
it was even alive for that matter.
The
pyramids are located near the large city of Giza. In all actuality, there was no
reason
why animals were necessary to bring tourists to them. A fifty foot walk
from
the city limits was manageable by all of us. However, being the
tourists we
are, we decided it’d be an experience to ride camels there. It was
apparent
that the tourist industry has reshaped the face of Giza, especially around the pyramids.
Along with
camel and horse stalls lining the streets, papyrus stores, handicrafts
and
trinkets were everywhere for tourists to purchase. Our tour guide had
us stop
in his sister’s store on the way back from the pyramids to buy
merchandise. When
we refused to buy anything, our guides became frustrated and outraged.
Apparently, it is customary to buy all local tourist garb, or at least
a common
trend. Another tourist attraction, the laser light show, was directly
aimed at
westerners. The loud booming voice that flooded across the entire city
was, of
course, in English. At its entirety, the show merely explained pharaohs
and
gods. The history of the town of Giza
and its people were too unimportant to mention.
According
to Ikram in the article titled “Remaking the Modern” written by Farha
Ghannam,
“Investments in tourism were especially important because they were
expected to
yield high economic returns and provide substantial foreign exchange
and
well-paid employment.” This began taking shape during the 1980’s under
the
ruling of Sadat. Sadat felt that Egypt needed to look toward
the
West in order to face its own problems of unemployment, housing
shortages and a
lack of adequate services, Ghannam points out. Although this change in Egypt
did
indeed create jobs and an influx of money, their traditional culture
has begun
to dissipate in order for western norms to infiltrate.
Through the
various modes of transportation in Giza
or a stroll through town, one can visualize the tourist industry
booming. The
use of animals, which is completely unnecessary, to conveniently
transport
tourists to sites, is widespread. Is the misuse or abuse of animals and
loss of
cultural identity on the rise in Egypt due to the influx of
foreign
services and tourism?
Back to
Multisited Ethnography
|