Another great relief to the uncontrollable feeling of ennui and sense of monotony, which comes over most people on a long day’s ride on a camel’s back under a broiling sun, is reading. The scenery may be impressive and full of interest of all kinds, and your companions may be kindred in spirit and pleasant to talk to, but nevertheless a book is an agreeable change. And not a stiff book either, but rather a novel or some such light reading.
-Murray’s Handbook for Travellers in Egypt, 1847
I took only one book with me on the Darb, a very stiff English-Arabic dictionary, but it did me no good with the Kababish, whose word for Water is pronounced Moiyya, while my Concise Oxford gave me Mā’. At least KhairAllah didn’t think that whenever I felt thirsty I cried for Mother. That would have been Ummi to him.