Seated in the small passenger plane as it nears the airport, I recall the initial assignment, two years ago, and how I was sure that it would prove to be the perfect situation to become the most miserable period of my career, if not my life. I remember thinking I should have continued my academic path into medical research instead of the outdoor pursuit of geology. The plane was descending and my reflective thoughts were temporally disrupted, as smoothness of the aircraft is replaced by the lurch and slowing as it touches down near the Nile River in Egypt. My thinking again turns to the task at hand. What a deal; to study sediment transport on a muddy river in Africa. What will the government think of next? Obviously this has been happening for millions of years as evidenced by the huge delta. Oh well, someone must study the process and that requires sampling and samples. Especially if the government is willing to pay for it.
The plane continues to taxi toward the off loading area and again I recall on that initial trip how my personal spirit and all connections to it were quite low. On top of this I was to meet a required government assistant which I was dreading. I had learned at the last minute the name was Gene. Probably some old retired half-trained gentlemen who would fall over his own shoestrings because he could not manage the complicated knot to secure them properly. Oh well, it will only be for a short while. I smile as my thoughts recall stepping off the plane on that first trip in the most unwelcome heat and somehow resisted the urge to about face and climb back on board. Several expletives escape my lips and as the lady just ahead of me turns and gives me a look of disdain I snap out of my self-pity. Ok where is the assistant who was to be here at my arrival? I'm anxious to get this over.
I will never forget the dusty little terminal which was only slightly cooler than the sticky heat of the outside except it was blended with the stench of people that could in no way take proper care of their personal hygiene in this type of climate. There were a few people waiting for passengers and others waiting to board but I do not see anyone who I envisioned to be, like say, Dr. Livingston in a pith helmet without a shower and shave. I remember thinking that his project was going just as I thought it would and that was not good.
I recall that I started to make my way to the baggage area when an attractive lady approaches with her hand extended. I snapped out of my morass of self-pity and without hesitation produce a genuine smile at this gesture and when she calls my name I felt a rush of elation. Was this my assistant? It had to be, as no one else even knew I was here. I stammered, are you Gene or was that, Jean? Well it was Jean without pith helmet, with shower and wonderful scent and a lovely lady to boot.
That was our first meeting and now I find myself eagerly awaiting her arrival for this third round of sampling and our journey up the Nile together. What fun we invented from the deck of one of the excursion boats. I have to admit I have spent considerable research time since in the design of some new tactics ... for us of course. I now reflect on this dream that came true. The saying that I use to scoff at now rings true, "If you ever visit Egypt and drink water from the Nile even once, you will be sure to come back. Indeed Egyptians, as well as all their guests, believe in that." I can hardly wait to get off the plane and look for Jean.
Jean was more than just an attractive woman but also one with no apparent inhibitions as I eventually discovered on that first cooperative project. By the second research trip we were having lots of fun in all sorts of positions and situations. Some of the side trips to small villages and ruins where very special and one of the real bonuses was her fluent knowledge of the native languages. I still do not know much about her and she seemed to want to keep it that way. I suspected that she was a celebrity or royalty of some sort and that added spice to the extremes of the relationship. The professor and the regal lady for two weeks of the year were a great hot sexual combination. I never knew her exact duties at the government level either, but then again, the fact it was government meant she might not either. She played the role of a royal 'lady of mystery' and on the second research project last year there was no doubt she enjoyed this relationship. It worked for me also and often in a spectacular way. This Nile trip was greatly anticipated, as I knew Jean would be again my close assistant and this trip now is my highlight project of the year.
