My friend Tom wishes you a belated Happy Thanksgiving from Egypt

Dear Friends,

Happy Thanksgiving.

This year I find myself away from family and friends but after more than a week in the Middle East I feel closer to the rest of the world.

The news of Barack Obama's win has excited people here--in Jerusalem on both the Arab and Israeli side of the wall, in Cairo the informal capital of the Arab world and in rural Muslim towns along the Nile River north of the High Dam at Aswan. Children no older than 10 break out into chants of "Obama! Obama! Obama!" and in one school I visited a banner was made with a photo of Obama where children practiced their English by writing "Yes we can" and "I love you" on the paper. A glimmer of change.

Now I am on the River Nile cruising to Luxor aboard one of the many boats for this purpose. Luxor is close to Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. The scenery is almost biblical. Lush rice fields, palm date groves and banana groves for a few kilometers or so from the river followed by a stark break to desert and dry cliffs.

Periodically there is a village marked by the minaret of the mosque. At night it is lit with a green light and the call of the Hazan to prayer echoes across the Nile. Teen boys work the water in boats fishing. They pound the side of the boats with clubs to scare the fish into their nets. On shore camels are dragging gigantic palm leaves. Shephards prepare sheep and goats for market. The temperature is a cool 80 for this winter but the sun is intense.

The Egyptian people are very friendly. Quick with funny jokes or a smile.

There is inescapable poverty here but very low crime. The crimes are structural on the people, not by the people.

All of this is a reminder of the many things to be thankful for and for me that means you. Happy Thanksgiving.

From my iPhone on the River Nile,

-Tom

P.S. Photo of great pyramid at Giza.