Southern Egypt

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When we finally made it to Aswan it was midday AND warm. Finally Egypt as it was supposed to be experienced. I believe it rains in Aswan about once a decade so I was feeling pretty good about the sunny day factor.

Day one in Aswan was mostly free time. We saw the Aswan High dam (looks like a dam, shockingly), and then the Temple of Isis at Phylae. This temple is located on an island in the middle of the Nile, so very picturesque. The most impressive thing about it though, was the fact that it was relocated by the Egyptian government. Block by block. It looks like its been there forever. Here's a government who protects its national treasures with fake xray machines, but can move a million ton temple and put it back together. Go figure.

Day two in Aswan was a doozy... 2:45 am wake up call. Thats right folks. We are going to go see Abu Simbel, a major temple which Rameses II built on the southern border (current day border too with the ever restless Sudan), right on the Nile to welcome all coming up the Nile to the great kingdom and power of the ruler of Egypt. We are heading to a little airport to board a plane at 4am to fly us to the site, because between Aswan and the theoretical (disputed) Sudanese border there are areas of 'civil' unrest. So our choices were to drive down with a police escort for 4 hours, with dubious ability to help us from mauraders should they try to get us, or take suspicious flight down, and risk sketchy pilot/aircraft. We chose 20 min flight with sketchy aircraft. So, we get to the plane and I realize I have not brought anything to identify myself. It turned out not to be a problem. I got a ticket with just my first name on it, so did Bryan, and we boarded the plane. Our tickets on the way back had no names on them. I'm telling you, the security here is razor sharp.

We land way way before dawn, like 4:45. Grumbling, thinking, crap its still dark out for like another hour and a half, its 40 degrees out, this really sucks. I'm freezing. Sulkily we follow our guide through 'check in' (some more fake xrays) and start walking towards the site in the pitch black. I had to eat my words.

The site was lit, and it was stunning, and because we were here before Allah himself was awake, we were the ONLY ones here. At one point I sat down in the middle of the temple of Abu Simbel (there are two big temples on site, the other dedicated to his favorite wife), BY MYSELF, and just listened to the quiet. It was also too damn cold outside to sit out there waiting for the sunrise. When the sunrise did happen though we got some fantastic shots. Again, will try and post when I can.

So utterly worth it. Back on plane, back to hotel by 9am. Asleep by 9:25. Awake again at 11:45, to depart on our felucca journey. Still exhausted.

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