We departed for the airport at what I thought was very late given our flight time, but Cairo was deserted ... it was the Sabbath and the Muslims adhere to it with much greater faithfulness than most Christians observe Sunday in America ... something about Christianity and capitalism, I think. Apparently during the night there was a lot a gunfire and sirens near the hotel ... we slept through it ... but many of our group heard it and were disturbed by it. Mohamed blamed the Beduiuns who are bringing guns into the city which was illegal under Mubarak. It was the first morning that I had heard the 5AM call to prayer ... perhaps I was disturbed in the night without realizing it until nearer to the first morning call.
Anyway, we made it to the airport in plenty of time for our flight to Aswan, site of the Aswan Dam built in 1902 and the High Dam built in 1965. It was about 1 1/2 hour flight south. Aswan is beautiful - no smog (Cairo has a major smog problem!) - and more small city in scale. We boarded the bus into the city and passed many highlights, most memorable to me was the Fatima cemetery where Muslim followers of Mohammed's wife Fatima are buried and where living followers build small houses to live close by.
From the bus we boarded a small shuttle boat to take us across part of the Nile and to Elephantine Island where we lunched at the Movenpick Aswan Hotel (a Swiss hotel). We had club sandwiches, cheese pizza, and burgers with or without cheese. A funny menu now that we were totally accustomed to Egyptian cuisine! After lunch we shuttle boated back to the bus and boarded for our journey further south through the desert to Abu Simbel. We were on our own with only one security guard even though typically there are morning and evening convoys from Aswan to Abu Simbel. I wasn't sure how to interpret this situation but with no choice really we departed.
Most of my fellow travelers slept all the way to Abu Simbel but I couldn't. Unfortunately Harold wasn't feeling well so he slept all the way, too. I was too fascinated with the desert landscape to sleep. I looked and looked and looked! For the first 1 1/2 hours the desert was tan with lots of black volcanic rocks and sand and rock layers of tan and black. There were tracks all along the route from trucks and plows keeping sand off the road and pushing it into interesting patterns just off the road. I saw one large oasis community - green and lush with palm trees and green bushes and low houses ... just like an oasis in the desert is supposed to look! A low "mountain" range - a ridge, really - followed us to the west and created eery shapes as the sun fell behind it late in the afternoon. Major power lines eminating from the power grid at the high dam traveled along beside us all the way to Abu Simbel. Naturally occurring mastabas and pyramid formations dotted the landscape; no wonder the great architect Imhotep used these shapes in his temples and tombs.
The second half of the drive had different landscape - flatter and more stereotypically light sand swirling across the desert. Just before we reached Abu Simbel we saw a canal system under construction which Mubarak had started to bring more water from the Nile into the area. Whether or not the canal system ever will be completed only time will tell. But billions of LEs already have been spent to get it started.
At 6PM we arrived in Abu Simbel and it was very dark. The vendors knew we were arriving but we resisted their entreaties. In the dark (next time we will take flashlights ... somehow some of our group knew this would be helpful and willingly shared theirs with the rest of us) we stepped slowly and carefully down a long, dark staircase to the sandy and rocky path down to the boat that would be our home for the next three days. The boat (the MS Omar El Khayan owned and operated by Jaz Cruises) was a mini-cruiser with 6 floors, one dining room, two large lounges, central winding staircase and glass chandeliers - very well appointed and comfortable, right down to the very accomodating staff of the gift shop! The only other group onboard were Germans so that was most interesting to us. Our dinner was very tasty - a buffet with complimentary wine. We went to bed very early due to the very early wake up call (4AM) so that we could see the glorious Abu Simbel temple at sunrise ... we are all thinking this better be good!
Alas the Curse of the Pharoah strikes Harold during the night and he is forced to start the Cipro and Immodium and to skip the trip to Abu Simbel!
Photos are from Aswan and include the Aswan Dam plus views as we crossed the Nile River to our luncheon location.
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