Aswan to Abu Simbel

  Abu Simbel, Egypt
Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Aswan to Abu Simbel
 
Dear Readers:
 
We depart the ship this morning and transfer to the airport for the short flight to Abu Simbel at the very bottom of Egypt (which is, ironically, called "Upper Egypt" because the Nile flows from South to North).

01 Lake Nassar from Air

There are sandstorms in Cairo, we are told, and the flights are delayed. Indeed, the air quality seems quite dusty today.
 
We follow massive Lake Nassar during the flight, and it is really astonishing in size and beauty. From the air the water is a calming blue-green, surrounded by the starkly contrasting desert hues. We check in at our hotel and eat lunch. The property is absolutely lovely, with a huge swimming pool overlooking Lake Nassar, but the service is slow at lunch and we are all fairly famished. Some grumbling, but mostly from stomachs!
 

03 View to Lake Nassar

02 Pool at Abu Simbel Hotel

We time our visit to the Temples at just before sunset to avoid the heat of the day and so that we can immediately afterward watch the sound and light show before returning to the hotel for dinner. The Temples are a testimony to the genius of the original craftsmen, but also to the modern-day engineers who rescued them, block by block, from the rising waters of Lake Nassar. A huge artificial dome has been erected behind them so that the Temples can appear to be placed into a cliff setting as they were previously positioned. You have to look carefully to see the marks left by carving the Temples into smaller blocks.
 

05 Group at Abu Simbel

06 Ramses II Statues

We gather outside for a group photograph and explanation by our guide, who is not allowed to do any guiding on the inside. Then we are free to explore the two Temples on our own. I am absolutely awed by the size of the gigantic statues of Ramses II that front the main temple. Gazing up and clicking away, I somehow miss the sign at the entrance that says "No Photos" inside the Temple. After I wander inside I turn off my flash and click away at some of the amazing relief carvings that still retain some of their original colors after thousands of years.
 

07 Forbidden Shot

08 Warrior King

A French woman gets in my face and says something I can't understand. It is something about a photo, and I think she wants to see how my camera could possibly take a picture in that dim light without a flash, so I courteously show her the results on my viewfinder. She says a lot more in French and in a louder voice. I shrug and apologize for not understanding her, then walk away. 
 
I continue to take photos until one of the staff members approaches me and tells me I cannot take any more. He wants to know where I am from, and we strike up a conversation. He asks if I am with a group, and I tell him I am with a group of men.

09 Abu Simbel Security Man

He wants to know where our wives are, and I tell him that none of us have wives and give him a knowing look. He gets it immediately, and asks if I have been to Aswan. I tell him we just came from Aswan. He wants to know if I have a boyfriend in Aswan, and when I answer in the negative he asks: "Why not?" Evidently, Aswan is the place to acquire a boyfriend if one is in the market.
 
I continue to wander through the Temple, and as I am leaving have one of my group take a photo of me with the man, who is waiting for me at the entrance. Even later that night, after the sound and light show, he is waiting for me as I leave the property. I shake his hand and tell him I hope to see him again on my next tour.
 

10 Temple of Hathor at Abu Simbel

The other Temple at Abu Simbel is the Temple of Hathor, which has six statues in front. Four of them are Ramses, and the other two represent his wife, Queen Nefertari. Smaller statues of princes and princesses flank them. There are more colorful scenes inside depicting the Queen on her royal barge, but I resist the urge to infringe upon the rules with more forbidden photos.
 

11 Hathor Temple at Night

The sound and light show at Abu Simbel is truly the most impressive of any I have ever seen anywhere in the world. James Earl Jones is the narrator, and he brings his usual intensity to the presentation. Who could doubt the power and supremacy of the King who could build such an edifice and position it to watch over any boats sailing into the Pharaoh's lands from the south? The show also demonstrates how the Temples were carved up and transported to higher ground. Well worth the overnight stay in this far-away outpost of civilization!

12 Ramses Temple at Night

 
Dinner is a buffet at the hotel. I don't have any idea how relaxed or private the Farewell Dinner will be in Cairo tomorrow night, so I opt to present awards and gifts to the clients here, as well as the tip to our guide. Everyone has a great time, and especially the group from South Africa at the table next to ours. They find the awards ceremony, and especially the "Cleopatra's Royal Asp" award, hugely entertaining.
 
The shopkeeper at the hotel gift shop has taken a shine to me, and insists that I come with him into town tonight. I leave the dinner, firmly attached to one of my clients, so that I have support in resisting his rather forward advances. With excuses about a very early flight, I hustle myself off to bed.
 
Big hugs,
Dan