Philae Hotel Aswan

... so it is nice to get everything for so cheap. I think I could take on the best American car salesman after being to Egypt. I have been so busy I really haven't had time to eat very much, but that is ok, i get what I need. I should be getting fat while I'm here since it is so cheap. Dinner costs on average $4.00 US. I was getting tired of pita though, so I got Veal cutlets and soup at a restaurant tonight ...

... dinner, then went ashore and caught a local taxi to a villiage where the other group were staying with a Nubian family, watched Egypt beat Tanzania much to the delight of the locals, the game was actually played in Aswan so the whole city had been decorated with Egyptian flags.<br><br>Back to the felucca about 10pm for a good nights sleep. We were up with the sun and the crew cooked us a very nice breakfast of pancake with bananas and honey.<br><br><br>

... view of Cairo that was quiet, but still heavily smogged = it also makes sense given traffic congestion around 6am and the endless security procedures at the airport. We have four processes - each with metal detector and occassional pat down - only once has the metal in my passport pouch set one off tho - the female guard sent me back through with a cool look. The flights were full and a little nerve wracking - the seat next to mine was broken and fell forward ...

... wine and played pass the pigs. It went on for awhile and Mohammed joined us mid game and caught up pretty quickly. Gabriel won, I came second and the rest followed. Good fun.<br><br>Bedtime was just after 11pm &#8211; just as we are starting to get in the party mood and stay up later, we find it is our last night. We were all a little sad with this. However we were also very fortunate they we chose this method to cruise the nile - very expensive but well worth the cost in everyway.

... rude. After about 20 minutes of unproductive arguing, he put me on the phone to some American guy from the company and he said that my transfer guy wasn't supposed to be there until 3 because apparently thats the time my travel agent had told them my flight would get in. Then he says 'oh, it also says you were supposed to arrive yesterday'. Hmm, so that means that if i arrived yesterday at 3, i'd still be stuffed because they obviously didn't even attempt to pick me up at the time they ...

... by themselves.<br>At this shop they would probably be able to find the correct mix of essences to create any perfume that we are familiar with. They had their version of Chanel No. 5 and it was a match according to my nose.<br>We were then on the cruise boat, where we had great food, clean toilets and air conditioning. And a swimming pool.<br>Although we were now on the boat, we weren't going anywhere just yet. We had another big day tomorrow before we left Aswan.<br><br>

... creepy glances from my guide who must be wondering why me a woman was not travelling with my husband but only with my kids and a couple. .<br><br>Finally, we checked in. The rooms are run down , not well maintained and had a weird musky smell - a far cry from the Intercontinental in Cairo and even looked shabbier than St Catherine. At this point, I don't really care but just want a shower and sleep. Tomorrow is but another day...

... and Ayup had purchased while we were sightseeing, we were on our way again. But after making such good progress with the wind in the morning, we were able to take things at a more leisurely pace in the afternoon. During one of my swims I found a sand bank in the very middle of the grand breadth of the river that allowed me to stand up in water barely above my knees. A little further on we tied up and Sala jumped in the water to take a ...

(Originally published at http://www.troysgonewalkabout.com)<br>< br>It was a long, long night on the train. We played cards for a while and received constant updates from Paul on the state of the toilets he sampled in each carriage. I used to think I had the smallest bladder in the world, but since meeting Paul I now realise I only have the second smallest. Sleep was difficult to come by, with sellers continually wheeling a rattling tea trolley down the aisle, and the man a ...