Aswan - jewel of the Nile

  Aswan, Egypt
Thursday, February 9, 2006

Hello again all.

After some fast moves I'm now in Upper Egypt, more commonly known as sourthern Egypt these days, on the fertile banks of the Nile in Aswan in the hope of finding some warmer weather that my weary boday can really enjoy. So far it's very pleasant and living up to expectations I had from my pre-trip research, and in a month or two it would be very nice to be here indeed.

We didn't arrive without a fight however - the boat ride across the Red Sea from Sharm to Hurghada was straightforward but the onward overnight bus to Aswan via Luxor was a physical challenge in the extreme. I didn't actually have a seat for the first 4.5 hours so the combination of standing, sharing a seat and sitting on the grotty floor tried the patience immensely. Oh well, after 10 solid hours of grime and constant chatter from the driver (trying to stay awake), we made it in one piece.

At this stage I also should mention about being in the company of a new 'mystery person' who I'm travelling with in the area for a little while but who would prefer to remain anonymous from the inquisitive eyes and minds of this blog's readers. Sorry about that but I have to respect their wishes, so if I mention 'We did xyz...' or 'Mystery went over there...', that's who I mean.



On to Aswan itself. Aswan is an ancient city despite its location hundreds of kilometres (millions of Cubits I'd reckon) down the backbone of the country, the Nile. The river widens nicely at this point and there's a number of sizable islands that made for excellent defensive positions covering the southern border. Tombs of noble personages overlooking the city from the west bank of the river date back more than 4,000 years which indicates it was founded early in Egypt's history and therefore it is a centre of prime importance.



Nowadays it's a thriving little city of maybe a couple of million people. Life revolves around the river (which is a hive of activity even in the low season), the boulevard running along its eastern bank (called the Corniche), and a parallel street a couple of blocks to the east which contains the souq (market).



Arriving early in the morning we had to get supplies so plunged right into the souq. Traders yabbered at us from all directions but we managed to pick up some fruit and bread supplies before beating a hasty retreat to sustenance and sleep. Just so you know, prices are incredibly low in here (20c for a T shirt or scarf), indicating that the economy is not doing so well, as I've heard from a few sources around the traps.



After some rest it was time to hit the water in one of the world famous Nile 'feluccas' - practical, stable and cute local ships that no doubt adorn many a picture postcard sent out of Egypt each year. It was great to be on the water again, although the haggling required to secure a fair price deadens the pleasant aspects of the experience somewhat. Anyway, we headed straight to Elephantine Island and the ancient ruins of Yebu.



After a quick tour of the Aswan musuem (a small and motley collection of artefacts for those who have been to the Egyptian museum in Cairo) we headed into the growing dust storm to check the ruins. This was once the main settlement in the area so the archeological dig is quite extensive, with work still ongoing.

Despite this there isn't a great deal to see excepting the views over the city, a long range view of St Simeon's monastery on the west bank, and a couple of ancient Nileometers. These were places where measurements were taken of the Nile's water level to determine likely harvests and the subsequent taxes the Pharaohs would levy. Important stuff indeed, although it was difficult to tell how it worked and which tablets were replicas or broken originals glued anywhere pleasing to the eye.



After a quick stop in the neighbouring Nubian village - a place with little going for it except narrow, littered laneways, goats in the streets and mummified crocodiles in the houses you will be invited into for expensive drinks, we returned to the boat for the next leg. Unfortunately the lovely fresh winds were too strong accoring to the Tourist Police, so after an hour's worth of sunbaking we had to row back to the eastern shore. If you come here in February (a windy month, ride the feluccas in the afternoon!)



Oh well, we'll make our own fun we thought, so off we headed in the direction of the Unfinished Obelisk. En route we checked out the nice old Cataract Hotel and the huge orthodox Christian church, but it was the cemetary that was most interesting. Basically just a barren wasteland that you bury the dead in, but the decrepit domed prayer structures were particularly interesting. Even more so was the prone body in one of the graves we passed by, although he moved in the end so was only testing his final resting place out!



After all that we eventually got to the Unfinished Obelisk - a 42 metre long beast of a pyramidal obelisk (much like the ones you find still standing in Rome) which sits amongst a large quarry area which is interesting to walk around. The obelisk would have been the largest ever made had not the lovely pink granite it was being shaped from developed a fracture that led to its doom. I suspect this catastrophe also led to an unpleasant end for the masons working on it - the boss would not have been pleased with the destruction ofhis prized, massive phallic symbol. Some of the quick graffiti carvings around the site are also worth looking out for.



After a long day it was time to head back to the riverside and have a beer while the sun went down. Walking the streets there was always things to see and people to say hello to. Images of president Mubarak, looked down benignly (and a little goofily) on parts of the domain. In general it is a nice place to get around, especially on the waterfront if you can withstand the carriage, taxi and felucca drivers.



What more can I say?

Next entry -> Mega statues at Abu Simbel

Old Arabian Proverb

"Everything that happens once can never happen again - but everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time."