The Bedouins were an ancient nomadic people who had lived in the desert for generations. They originally lived in the Arabian Peninsula and were considered a branch of the Arabs, or rather, atypical Arabs. Later, with the war and turmoil, they spread to other areas, but even when they spread, they lived in desert areas.
The Bedouins living in Egypt were roughly divided into four groups. The first group was the Sinai Bedouins, who still maintained their primitive habits and were the most primitive Bedouins. The second group lived near the Red Sea. They maintained some of their primitive habits but were influenced by modern technology. The third group lived on the northern coast of Egypt, the Awalla Ali tribe. They were more civilized, living in the cities along the Port of Mersa Matruh to Alexandria. Their habits were similar to the local Egyptians. The fourth group was the Bedouins living in the western desert oasis. They were engaged in traditional agriculture and animal husbandry, and occasionally led teams that wanted to travel or explore the desert to earn extra money.
In general, some Bedouins stubbornly insisted on the traditional way of life that had lasted for thousands of years and did not intend to change. The other Bedouins were influenced by modern technology and yearned for life in big cities.
Salem obviously belonged to the latter group. After seeing the bustling world outside, he was no longer willing to return to his primitive life of facing the yellow sand and facing the sky.
When Zhang Zian heard Salem say that he was a Bedouin, his heart skipped a beat. Professor Weikang was planning to hire a Bedouin as a guide to enter the western desert.
Salem sat on the rock dejectedly, constantly complaining about how simple and closed the tribe's living conditions were, how unreasonable the various rules and regulations that had long fallen behind the times were, and how boring the primitive life was day after day …
"Salem, you said you are a Bedouin?" Zhang Zian asked to confirm.
Salem raised his head and said painfully, "Yes, our tribe lives near the Siwa Oasis, but I would rather hope that I am not a Bedouin, or that I have never left the tribe."
Zhang Zian did not have the time or interest to listen to the troubles of adolescence. He was still worried about why he had not been born into a rich family. Instead, he said, "Salem, there is something I want to tell you — actually, I am not an ordinary tourist. I came to Egypt with the scientific team from China's Binhai University to conduct a series of field research."
Salem listened carefully.
"Two days later, we will enter the Great Western Desert. We want to find a local who is familiar with the desert as a guide." Zhang Zian continued, "So I want to ask you a favor. Do you know any reliable candidates?"
Zhang Zian did not place all his hopes on this young man, but at least he could be an important reference.
Salem replied without hesitation, "Jeff, you saved my life. I'm willing to do everything I can to help! If you want to go into the desert, any Bedouin in the tribe can be an excellent guide! "
It was fine to listen to these boastful words, but if they were taken seriously, they would lose. It was just like how everyone in China knew how to play ping-pong and could not be taken seriously.
Zhang Zian nodded. "What do you suggest? Who in the tribe had more experience? It would be a great help if you could provide me with the names of a few candidates. "
Salem thought about it. "In terms of experience, my uncle Nabari is the most experienced in the tribe. He has entered the desert alone countless times, and several times he has brought tourists like you into the depths of the desert and returned safely. People say that he is the only person who can enter the desert without any food or water and come out alive!"
He spoke with confidence and added details about his uncle's heroic deeds to Zhang Zian. Although there were definitely elements of exaggeration in this, the details were very detailed and did not seem to have been made up on the spot.
As for the identity of his uncle, there was no doubt that Salem did not avoid relatives. Many Bedouins married within the tribe, and more than half of the people in the tribe were related. Any adult man was basically Salem's uncle.
Zhang Zian thought about it. Because he did not know if Wei Kang had found a suitable guide, it was not appropriate for him to make a decision on his behalf. So he let Salem rest first while he sent a message to Wei Kang to explain the situation.
Wei Kang had just finished the academic exchange with Cairo University today and had just returned to the hotel. Seeing Zhang Zian's message, Wei Kang said that the guide candidate had not been decided yet. He had originally planned to hire a Bedouin guide, so this would save him a lot of trouble. However, to be cautious, he would ask his colleagues at Cairo University to inquire about Nabari's background. If he was trustworthy, he would officially hire Nabari as a guide.
Not only that, but Wei Kang also decided to let Zhang Zian not return to Cairo today. Instead, he would be the representative of the expedition team to the Bedouin tribe near the Siwa Oasis to familiarize himself with the situation. He would return to Cairo tomorrow night or the day after to report to him.
With Wei Kang's authorization, Zhang Zian was full of confidence. He asked Salem in detail about Nabari's age, personality, hobbies, and other personal information. He felt that it was quite suitable.
Of course, this kind of thing could not be wishful thinking. Perhaps Nabari was busy at the moment and could not or was unwilling to bring the expedition team into the desert. This was also possible. After all, Salem had been working outside for a while and had not had much contact with the tribe during this period.
Zhang Zian knew that Salem did not want to return to the tribe, but he still hoped that Salem could introduce him to Nabari. It would be easier to talk to him through an acquaintance.
In order to increase his attractiveness, he listed out the favorable conditions for the expedition team to hire a guide. For example, after entering the desert, the daily salary would be 200 US dollars, all the materials would be provided by the expedition team, and there would be additional bonuses after the successful completion of the mission.
When Salem heard the number 200 US dollars, he immediately jumped up from the rock. His eyes widened as he exclaimed, "200 US dollars? One day? Are you sure it's not 200 Egyptian pounds? "
Considering the responsibilities and dangers of entering the desert, a daily salary of 200 US dollars was actually not high, but in the eyes of the Bedouin people, it was a huge amount of wealth. Moreover, this was US dollars, the international hard currency, not the Egyptian pound that could depreciate at any time!
Zhang Zian replied with certainty, indicating that he had not heard wrong. It was indeed 200 US dollars a day. This was actually the base price provided by the expedition team. If the guide was excellent, it could be discussed further. Safety was the first priority.
Salem was so excited that he had forgotten that he had just escaped from death. His mind was filled with colorful US dollars!
200 US dollars a day. Five days would be 1,000 US dollars! In Egypt, where the average monthly income was less than 1,000 US dollars, and a four-star hotel cost 180 US dollars a day, how long would he have to work to earn 1,000 US dollars?
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