January 27, 2004

Nile Cruise (of sorts...)
Aswan, Egypt

We didn't realize that we'd have to get up at 3am when we decided to take the "Long Tour" to Abu Simbel. The tours to this incredible temple are regulated by the tourist police and buses are only allowed to travel by convoy at set times. Ours was the early convoy at 4:00am.... which meant being picked up at the hotel at 3:30... and getting up at 3:00. Ugh.

Abu Simbel is 240 kilometers south of Aswan (only 40km north of Sudan) and a 2.5 hour drive from Aswan. At least this provided us with some time to sleep on he way down! The temple itself was built by Ramses II as a show of strength. It warned all ships coming from the south of a mighty, warrior, Pharaoh to the North. Of course, in addition, it was a temple where the Pharaoh and the other gods could be worshiped.

The temple is full of beautiful phaeronic wall carvings telling stories of great victories and images of the Pharaoh being carried into the afterlife. They are gorgeous (probably some of the best preserved in Egypt) but, for me, the highlight of Abu Simbel are the 4 larger than life statues of Ramses II watching the river flow silently past. Over 100 feet tall, they are amazingly well preserved given their age. (3200 years)

Aswan has been a  great place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of traveling in Egypt. The Nile is at it's most beautiful here with palm trees and green fields at it's banks giving way to desert mountains in the distance. As such, this seemed the most appropriate place to organize a Felucca trip.

Feluccas, the traditional Egyptian sailing craft, have been plying the Nile for centuries. We opted to hire one for a long afternoons sail between the many islands. We drank many cups of sweet Hibiscus tea and floated along with the wind and the current... that was, until we were "plundered" by another vessel chartered by an Egyptian family also out for a day's sailing. With our boat tied to theirs... there was much singing and cheering and we were encouraged to step aboard. For some reason, Heide was a wanted centerpiece for around 74 family photos!

After several more cups of sweet Hibiscus team, we made our way back to our vessels and cut the lines that tied our two boats in time to watch the sun slowly sink into the inky black Nile. The colors were a spectacular backdrop to the feluccas slowly making their way back to shore.

We both have mixed feelings about leaving Aswan. It has been a great place to recharge the batteries, but it's time to see something new. Tomorrow we'll take a "non-tourist train" and head North to Luxor. 

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This Page was last update: Thursday, February 19, 2004 at 2:00:04 PM
This page was originally posted: 1/31/2004; 4:43:44 AM.
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