http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , Egypt , Upper Egypt en-us Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:48:27 +0000 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:48:27 +0000 Peace is certainly not upon me in Luxor. It would seem not all of Africa's top predators operate at night or the gloaming. The Egyptian streets are infested with voracious hyenalike touts and the Luxorian subspecies surely cannot be matched for base animal cunning capacity for deceit or infuriating insistence by any of its Egyptian or even worldwide counterparts. I am not exaggerating when http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Aswan/blog-458562.html So another night train to Aswan this one kinda sucked. Very beautiful town on the Nile. All lush in town and then bam nothing but sandChecked out the unfinished Obelisk. Was going to be huge but broke when they were cutting it out so it was abandoned. Took in Philae Island. The Temple was dedicated to Isis who found the heart of her slain brother Osiris on Philae Island. Now Philae Te http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Aswan/blog-458216.html Today we awoke heinously early in order to catch our 745 flight from Cairo to Luxor. In case you donrsquot know what heinously early is that is 545. In the morning. We left for the airport and arrived early enough to have to wait an hour and a half for the flight. In that time we had breakfast and chatted about our lives and invariably politics. The flight itself was fine the part of http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-457714.html I tried to get Kim's story into my blog on Kom Ombo but that didn't work So she gets her own blog.Here's Kim's storyWe were given our 1520 minutes free time after our guide finished his tour at the Temple of Kom Ombo. Mom went her own way and Rich and I wondered around for our allotted time. When we were done we headed to the meeting point. I sat on the side of a pillar next to Ahmet and http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Kom-Ombo/blog-453322.html What day is it I have no clue. Kim tells me this happened on Saturday. Our itinerary was changed or we missed an excursion or Irsquom confused and since I am now in London I have no idea what we did when But I do remember the things we saw so here goesThe River Nile sand on the west side lush vegetation on the right. Time to sit on the pool deck and get a bit of sun as we continue our http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Kom-Ombo/blog-452636.html Yesterday was so busy that I didnrsquot have time to write. So Irsquom trying to catch up this afternoon Sunday while we are jockeying for position at the only lock on the Nile between Aswan and Luxor.So yesterday. We had an opportunity to ldquosleep inrdquo which meant a choice. As breakfast was served between 700 and 800 a.m. and we didnrsquot have to meet our guide Ahmed until http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Kom-Ombo/blog-451791.html On Oct 7th we left Aswan floating up the Nile on a Felucca which is sort of like a small sail boat. We spent 2 days floating up the Nile just relaxing eating sleeping and having bon fires during the evening. The boats crew would sing and play drums and teach us to dance around the bon fire. The felucca ride was a very easy 2 days of travel. From the Nile we went to Luxor. My impression of http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-449712.html We had a smooth crossing between Sharm El Sheikh and Safaga. Not that it mattered we were both weary from the day's activities and the next day's excursion was to start around 6. At about 4 we took on a pilot and started maneuvering into the docks at Safaga. This is a major port for Australian wheat and alumina so you can imagine how romantic the surroundings are. Still it was a lovely sunris http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-447844.html Arrived into town at about 9.30am on the train didn't get much sleep last night mainly because egyptian train drivers don't know how to brake properly.Got a pickup from the station to a hotel just around the corner now I have a day to waste in Aswan. The tour organiser told me to go sleep so I went done the road to a large 'hasslefree' market saw far too may pasty white faces for my liking http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Aswan/blog-446611.html Day 6 and 7 Feluccas on the Nile and LuxorToday we began two days of sailing on a fairly traditional Felucca. The hull is of steel and a canopy covers of the boat. Felucca sailing is a great way to unwind. We all had 10 or 12 bottles of Stella Beer on ice and it was with great restraint that the lads held out until 1pm before lifting the first bottle. There is not a lot to do on a Felucca and http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-445265.html Day 6 and 7 AswanOn arrival at Aswan a coach was waiting to take us to the Orchida Hotel. About the best thing you could say about this hotel is that it is near the Souk and also handy to a Duty Free store.It turns out that yoursquore allowed to buy duty free on the presentation of a foreign passport and a valid visa within 48hours of arrival. Prices were quite good. I selected a 1L Grants Whi http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Aswan/blog-445260.html Up at the crack of dawn again today for a massive sightseeing venture to the Valley of Kings or the Valle des Rois as the French tourists say et al. From the outside the 63 tombs including King Tutrsquos look like little more than hobbit holes. However it is truly amazing to descend by means of a graduated ramp into the tomb and see the innumerable hieroglyphics and drawings ador http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Thebes/blog-440535.html Sorry for the delay in updates but I have been wandering for the last few days and havenrsquot been able to log in. After two heavenly days at the Dead Sea Amil and I parted ways at the airport in Amman actually at the Starbucks in the airport at Amman and I flew back to Cairo. Saturday night I took the socalled lsquoSleeping Trainrsquo from Cairo to Luxor. Like everything else in Egy http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-440420.html A Unique Combination...Today was the official wrap up day for our tour group as I was the only one going on to Jordan and the girls were all splitting up with some going to Hurghada on the Red Sea for some snorkling and diving and the rest heading back to Cairo to either head home or carry on their travels to other corners of the globe. So what better way to start our last day off than with a don http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-434955.html We set out at 5 am to get to Heathrow for our flight to Cairo Egypt so far so good. Em's bag did not arrive and she was unable to enjoy the swimming pool in the hotel as her bikini was in the bag with all other clothes and the camera. On the next day Em kitted out in Frankie's clothes we started with the famous Step pyramid and then proceeded to the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. All really i http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Aswan/blog-434818.html What A Way To Pass The TimeBoarding our Felucca at midday we settled in for a relaxing three day sail down the Nile covering about 120 kilometres. The felucca's are owned by Omar the Nubian Chief and run by the Nubian villagers. Omar decides which families need the support from our tourist dollars the most and organises them to lend a hand but the captain of each felucca remains the same. A si http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-434598.html Confusing Irsquoll ExplainhellipEgyptian History 101Egyptrsquos Pharaonic history dates over 3500 years and is split into three kingdoms Old Middle and New Kingdoms. During this time and even until today Egypt itself is separated into five regions. Upper Egypt where the Nile river flows from Lower Egypt including Cairo Alexandria and the Nile Delta The Western Desert from the Nile http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Aswan/blog-434076.html We left Aswan the night before and cruised to Kom Ombo. We enjoyed seeing the countryside when we woke with fishermen and farmers hard at work. Kom Ombo is 40 kilometers 28 miles north of Aswan and since earliest times has received visitors who have traveled through the Libyan and Arabian deserts from Sudan. The town of Kom Ombo was built on a high dune overlooking the Nile and gained importan http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Kom-Ombo/blog-431726.html After our visit to the Karnak Temple we took an amazing ride by horse and buggy through the local village and market. Our drivers were two twelve year old boys who liked to drive fast and wreckless. I repeatedly asked them to slow down so I could get better pictures but they replied Ferrari and laughed. I thought we would end up killing a few people before our ride ended We did not have http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-431719.html We got up early to head for the new dam and Lake Nasser. The old dam was built by Sir W. Wilcock on behalf of the British authorities in 1898. It was constructed from granite quarried in the Aswan area and the official opening took place in 1902. Mayer told us how the United States refused to help Egypt with money or construction of the dam in the 60's but Russia jumped at the chance. Of cour http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Aswan/blog-431423.html