The Man of the Desert
The man of the desert is named Samir Manaa. He is an Egyptian born in the Sahara who has been working in the same spot for 45 years, giving camel tours around the Pyramids.
Samir loves photos, movies, and magazines. After a while talking between two rocks—one below us and one above us, blocking the sun—he invited me to take photos with him at sunset the next day.
He lifted me onto the back of his camel and dropped me off in a parking area that would become our meeting point.
Atlantis and the Underworld
That’s the title I gave to the moment I crossed behind the pyramids. On one side, there’s a vast golden openness with clean geometric lines; on the other, a dirt path with scenes I still struggle to describe.
To enter the desert, we had to slide a few souvenirs under Samir’s ID more than once. First, to the guard controlling the entrance. Then again, to two men on a quad bike dressed in civilian clothes. As they approached, the one in the back stared at me, lifted his shirt, and showed me his gun.
And there we were: me, my camera, the man of the desert, his camel, and two men pointing a weapon at us.
I want to share images of Cairo, the pyramids, and of Samir and his family for having been part of this adventure.
I want to share images of Cairo, the pyramids, and of Samir and his family for having been part of this adventure.
