There were many wonders which Abel and his fellow Wayfarers saw during their tour of Egypt. In major cities like Memphis and Thebes, they saw the glory of Egyptian architecture. The Kingdom of Egypt was shining in all of its grandeur. Everyone always talks about the Pyramids and the Valley of the Kings. A lot of people overlook the Temples of the Ennead Gods, the walled gardens and public parks, the huge marketplaces, the restaurants, and more. The Wayfarers were wide-eyed as they took it all in.
The Wayfarers were there to take an honest assessment of Egypt's miliary and sociological structures, and they most certainly did that. The purpose of the trip was business, not pleasure. Along with Achieng, Jaleel and the others, Abel took note of the Egyptian military bases, the gendarmerie and their caserns, and of course, the encampments full of Assyrian military men. Ashurbanipal, ruler of Assyria and enemy of Nubia, didn't seem to fully trust his Egyptian allies. The man caused problems everywhere he went.
"Behold the wonders of Egypt," Achieng said to his companions. The Wayfarers sat inside Zekri's restaurant, an eatery located in Fazi neighborhood of southern Memphis. The City of Memphis, home to three hundred thousand souls, was the very heart of Egypt. Some claimed that Thebes was greater, but opinions varied on that subject. Merchants from far and wide came to Memphis to ply their trade. Egyptians of all stripes walked to and fro as they went about their daily business. The place was lively and seemed heady, decidedly a fun atmosphere.
"Wonders indeed," Jaleel remarked, and he smiled at a curvy Egyptian woman who walked by with a tray of food. Zekri's restaurant employed several female servers, and all of them wore skintight green tunics which hugged their curves. The woman in question served a trio of men who dined at a corner of Zekri's restaurant. Noticing that Jaleel was looking at her, the woman shot him a look. Emboldened, Jaleel looked ready to get up and go over to introduce himself to her, but Achieng stopped him.
"My young friend, we are here on business," Achieng reminded Jaleel, who shrugged. Like many Nubian men, Jaleel found the ladies of Egypt utterly fascinating. Abel concentrated on his plate of goat meat, brown rice, hummus and potatoes which he would wash with some maize beer. The local Egyptian concoction of maize beer was not as strong as its Nubian counterpart, but it was alright nonetheless.
