Aswan Oberoi Hotel

... ever imagined. I always go into something with the risk of not exactly knowing and sure enough, i always come out with more than i bargained for. Its simply amazing. <br>However, nothing compares to the experience of floating down the Nile at sunset, no one else in site, just your boat, and the captain. There were 3 young Japanese travellers who were amazing. They had been ...

... and the river has a sandy bottom although it drops off quickly from the shore.<br><br>We circle around Elephantine Island and see the famous Old Cataract Hotel which is currently under renovation. This is the hotel where Agatha Christie wrote the novel, "Death on the Nile".<br><br>We get back to our riverboat by 5 PM and, within the hour, leave for the train station to catch the 7 PM train to Cairo. It&#8217;s Saturday (Day 72) and we got to move.

... your car out of the way until the other cars can move - always expect a broken wing mirror and scratches - gives me hivs just thinking about it! <br><br>While I am on the Nile now (and our second cruise ship) we began our tour last week under the patient but firm guidence of Mohamed, a charming and funny chap - and our third Mohamed of the morning - he's an Egyptologist &amp; archeologist by training and in a country with 20% unemployment, tour director by ...

... very little today and tomorrow, before going on a day trip to Abu Simbel, where the legendary pharaoh Ramses II built a massive and stunning temple. Abu Simbel is about 40km's from the Sudanese border and there are not too many accomodation options at a reasonable price, so we will head down via mini-bus and check out the temples before coming back to Aswan. We'll do that on Monday and then have another days rest on Tuesday and maybe Wednesday before we go on a felucca trip up the ...

... a bucket and primitive crane type system which works really well. After some baksheesh &amp; many thanks we<br>took our leave and wandered to the gates of the temple. <br><br>Kom Ombo temple is dedicated to the god Sobek (crocodile) and also Horus as an elder I think. The reliefs here are stunning and some very different to what we have previously seen. The main temple dates from the Ptolemaic times built by Ptolemy VI Philometor though, most of the<br>decoration was ...

... a forth like that for a bit.<br>I had reached my limit of 70 Pounds but he didn't want to budge from 100 Pounds. I was considering walking away (the best tactic for bargaining) then noticed a couple of loose strands from the embroidery on the galabeya and a small stain on it as well. I said to him that those were bad and I wouldn't take it. I probably could have got him down a bit with those small things, but he accepted my price of 70 Egyptian Pounds and the deal ...

As we prepared to check out of St Catherine, my overstrained body was really feeling the impact. It's like a whole lifetime of not exercising being lumped into that 6 hours.<br><br>I limped onto the van and Mustafa is grinning sheepishly , probably very happy that he didnt go up with us. It's a long drive back to dusty, crowded Cairo and most of us were tired and our leg muscles ached. Coming in and out of the van became such a ...

... with a fascinating life history, including service in the British RAF during the Second World War. He took us to the town&#8217;s camel market and explained all about the caravan routes and historical importance of the animals for transport and food to the country. He also had an endearing quality about him where after stating a fact or proposition he would ask a rhetorical &#8220;Why?&#8221;, wait for us to respond likewise, and then ...

... it was an incredibly chilled day, spent relaxing, reading, eating (the vegetarian meals prepared by our crew Sala, aka Teddy Bear, and Ayup were incredible) and swimming in the river.<br> <br>It was a fantastic vantage point to watch the Nile activity pass along, from other feluccas to small barges transporting mud bricks, all the way up to the big square cruise ships, carrying the more monied tourists ...