Being in country for only a few weeks, let alone on a tourist trip, is regularly disparaged as a means of gaining in country knowledge. However, while hardly science, it still is a means of augmenting knowledge about a country. In this case, Overseas Adventure Travel includes a few interviews with admittedly a rather biased sample: a farmer in Luxor, a dinner with an Arab family in east Aswan, and a visit with a Nubian family in west Aswan.
Our talk with a middle class farmer was quite illuminating, his English was excellent and based on the answers he gave to our group he seemed both willing to speak honestly about his life and wise enough to see beyond his immediate situation. Like everyone else we've spoken to on the issue, he strongly favored the revolution. There wasn't much in the way of protests in west Luxor, based on what he said, but citizens did gather downtown to watch the news and cheer on the protesters.
The most immediate impact on their lives is that their farm now has electricity. That was a fairly shocking rate of progress until he explained the reason: the Mubarak government hadn't been extending electricity to parts of west Luxor in hopes that the farmers would move, which would free up more land for development. Based on this anecdotal evidence, it seems as if the difference between west and east Luxor may be the result of political battles rather than special traits of the Nile or a lack of bridges. However, that policy has now been reversed and electricity has reached the farm. This seems to be a fairly straightforward case of popular accountability sweeping away low-benefit unpopular policies. I have no idea what development approach would be best for Luxor in the long term, but I do think the high unemployment rate in Egypt shows the limitation of resort oriented development. In the meantime, I'm glad electricity has arrived to this farm and with it not television, but a washing machine (my mother noted that particularly delivery), which should greatly change how the females of the household spend their busy days.