Before we actually arrived at our destination, I needed to buy a fish for lunch. So, Karrar pulled over on the side of the highway where there was a fish seller and we stepped out of the car to select our lunch. I will admit, I never bought fish like this before!
The toilets, however, are certainly not more than 5,000 years old, although they are still not exactly modern.
Once the masgouf fish was cooked, we ate our lunch on a carpet outside, no doubt as people have done here for thousands of years as well. I imagine the fish, bread, onions, and tomatoes are also authentically ancient food, but the Pepsi not so much.
Karrar, Diana, and I climbed into the mashoof and one of our hosts took the rear and we headed off.
The fishmonger sliced open and cleaned up the fish as we watched, then wrapped it up to go into the back of the car as we carried on our way.
By the way the recording playing loudly in the background of the videos above is advertising a sale on bananas.
About twenty minutes away a local family hosted us for lunch, and the lady took the fish and stuck it in her grill for cooking over the fire.
As it cooked, we wandered around the little village. The marsh Arabs, as the people of this area are known, lead a lifestyle that in many aspects is probably largely unchanged from how people were living when civilization first began here 5,500 years ago. Examples of this include the boats (mashoofs) they use to navigate the marshes (although granted they carry motors today!) . . .
. . . construction of fences and buildings with reeds . . .
. . . the tinuru bread oven . . .
. . . and their domestication of water buffalo.
The toilets, however, are certainly not more than 5,000 years old, although they are still not exactly modern.
Once the masgouf fish was cooked, we ate our lunch on a carpet outside, no doubt as people have done here for thousands of years as well. I imagine the fish, bread, onions, and tomatoes are also authentically ancient food, but the Pepsi not so much.
Lunch was followed by tea, and then it was time for marsh exploration.
Karrar, Diana, and I climbed into the mashoof and one of our hosts took the rear and we headed off.
In all we cruised the marshes for a relaxing hour, passing water buffalo . . .
At one point we came ashore for a few minutes to visit some young water buffalo. The adults seem to roam freely for the most part, but these young are being separated from their mothers and are provided with food and water in this shelter.
. . . reed houses . . .
. . . and several other boats, as well, in some cases carrying picnicking visiting families, and in others local men going about their workdays.
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