Transport in Luxor

On our holiday in Luxor, Egypt, one of the modes of transport I refused to sample was a calashe. While I am sure the experience would have been exhilarating, and possibly pleasanter than the inside of a taxicab with no air conditioning, I just didn’t think it fair to add more weight to the carriage and driver for one horse to pull. We saw some labouring along with three large passengers, plus driver, and it really didn’t seem right.

Some of the horses were clearly well cared for, while others looked tired and emaciated. One mare was working with a loose foal running alongside her along the main road beside the River Nile. This looked really sweet but it didn’t seem very safe.

I took this picture of calashe horses at rest in the centre of the town. Look carefully to see one lucky animal having lunch from a nosebag. The luckiest ones have been stopped in the shade of some trees.