giza morning
giza morning happened near the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on an early morning in September 1989. At the early hour no tourists were yet to be seen, although they are normally gathered here in large numbers.
The photographer, then a student, had traveled from Germany with his best friend in their trusty travel vehicle, a Citroën 2CV. It may seem surprising nowadays, but this very car is especially well suited to this rather unusual kind of long-distance journey: it is inexpensive to acquire, spacious, comfortably sprung, very economical on fuel, sufficiently reliable, otherwise easy to repair. And it has a roll-back roof, which on the one hand invites leisurely open-air driving, and on the other is ideally suited for hanging freshly washed shirts out to dry in the sun and fresh air — clearly visible in the picture.
The “Ente,” german for duck and called so by enthusiasts, is perfectly positioned in the image right at the foot of the converging side lines of the pyramids. The pyramid in the background is clearly identifiable as the largest of the Giza pyramids, Khufu’s Pyramid. Beside the "Ente" is parked a camel with its rider, who presumably is waiting for the influx of tourists eager to experience the adventure of sitting on a camel. Thus, a whole animal world meets here among the pharaohs. Camel rider and Ente driver greet one another and, one may imagine, exchange experiences about their vehicles and the day journeys ahead of them.
The viewer is presented with a colorful range of further stories to imagine: how did the Ente get there, where would it go next? What might the camel rider have thought in the face of this almost extraterrestrial encounter, and what later told his friends? How does one even get such strange idea to drive to Egypt in an Ente?