BLOWING IN THE WIND

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DAY 24

We have morning departure for the sail down the Nile (which is actually traveling north). We board the Felucca which is different from the previous one as this is one large flat padded deck with pillows around for all. We will be eating, sleeping and relaxing as the nobles of long ago did. We leisurely sail crisscrossing the Nile to catch the wind, there is no motor on this sailboat, so we have to use the wind. We have to go beneath the large suspension bridge and our captain and the first mate struggles to get the mast down and lower the main sail and only do so in the last few seconds of passing under the bridge. The mast on the boat is so tall that it would have been broken off if not set parallel to the water. Not much of a sailor so don't know the real terms. Regardless one of those heart pounding moments.

There conditions are basic, the food is cook on a camp stove and toilets are behind a bush on the shore.
We stop for lunch and the food is excellent and its time to rest because the winds usually come for 2 hours and it is better to wait them out, plus it is the hottest time of the day. Of course Angie is once again in the water first then others come out and enjoy the coolness of the Nile.

We notice that our 2 hour break has turned into 3,4 hours and then we set sail but the wind has never stopped. Our crew is struggling too maintain the sails and steady the boat. they get to shore after a short time and it is decided that we will spend the night here about 2/3 rd's of the planned trip. The weather has turned nasty and a huge sand storm besieges us for the next 10 hours. The storm is unprecedented, it is 300km is size and the winds do not let up. Never has our captain nor our guide ever experienced such a strong and sustained sand storm.. SO we've experienced a thunderstorm in the Sahara and a sand storm on the Nile. We find out later that the Aswan airport had been closed. We are lucky that we had already been to Abu Simbel.

The felucca rocked all night long and the wind and sand covered us our backpacks but it was a very fine sand and it did not sting like the sands of the Sahara. When we showered we had to scrub to get the sand off us us, and the water ran brown. This was not the trip we expected but still exciting to be part of a major storm and survive to tell about it. One felucca had capsized with passengers and there was one next to us struggling to get his sail down and needed to get help from locals. One great adventure after another.

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Photos

Aswan New Suspension Bridge
Our crew has to work fast and furious to lower the mast and main sail to get under this and only did so in the few seconds--Whew!!

ALWAYS CARRY PROTECTION!!
Francine has her motion sickness wristband with her for just these moments

FLOATING FELUCCA
The calm before the storm

EGYPTIAN IDOL
CAN'T SING OR DANCE BUT HAS GREAT PERSONALITY-OUR TOUR GUIDE AHMED

FRANGIE FROLICS
Just hanging around taking in the sun.

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES
It's coming!!!

THE STORM HITS WITH A FURY
A sand storm on the Nile River.

THE STORM RAGES ON
ADVICE GIVEN: WHEN GOING TO THE WC(TOILET) DON'T STAND UNDER A TALL TREE, OR IT MAY FALL ON YOU.

DIM SUN
The sun has been dimmed by the sand storm.

Comments

[KEVIN]

IT APPEARS YOUR MOTHER'S DAY WAS A REAL "BLAST" ANGIE. FROLICKING FRANGIE LOOKS LIKE A POLE DANCER; LIVING VICARIOUSLY OR IS THAT UP AND COMING ON YOUR ITINERARY? WHERE DID YOU STAY DURING THE STORM: IN A TENT? LOOKS LIKE LOTS OF FUN THERE! THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PICTURES AND NARRATIVE!