Eternal Nile Day 9
Eternal Nile
DAY 9 - Sunday, December 5, 2004 - Flight to Abu Simbel Tour & Visit Temples of Ramses II & Nefertari, Flight Back to Aswan, Lunch a Nubian Restaurant, Papyrus Factory, Spice Market
Our wake-up call was at 3:15 - the middle of the night - but it did not seem too bad. We knew we were headed for a great adventure. Today we flew to see Abu Simbel, 133 miles to the south of Aswan, but a really short flight.
We had a little breakfast at the full buffet but it was still pretty early to eat. We met our group in the front lobby at 4:45 for the short ferry ride to the mainland. The bus met us to take us to the airport, just 9 KM over the old dam road.
We were the first group into the airport so our guides got our boarding passes while we waited in this new, very clean, airport. The flight is a tourist transit, so we were scattered all about the plane.
The tour guide from the German group had told his people it was open seating even though they had specific seat assignments, so many of them crowded ahead and sat where they wished, only to have to move several times before they were told by the crew of Egypt Air that they had to sit where they were assigned. Interesting and very humorous.
This delayed boarding but we did manage to take off at 6:30. The flight itself was 30 minutes long for the crew to serve juice before we landed.
Lake Nasser here is huge and only a small indication of the devastation of the flooding that took place when the High Dam was built in Aswan. All of the surrounding areas are desert, with no indication of agriculture.
The airport is very modern as is everything here in Abu Simbel. We took an Egypt Air bus to the ruins and we began to explore the massive temples honoring Pharaoh Ramses II and Nefertari, his queen.
In the 1960s, with the construction of the Aswan High Dam, it appeared that the temples of Abu Simbel were doomed to vanish beneath the rising waters of Lake Nasser. The decision was made to save them, beginning an engineering project reminiscent of the pyramids themselves.
First, movable dam walls were built around the temples to shelter them from floodwater during the rescue project. Then the facades were covered with sand to add a layer of protection to the fragile sandstone. Guided by bas-relief maps within the temples themselves, and following intricate plans crafted by a team of international specialists, the entire complex was cut into 1,036 blocks, weighing eleven tons each.
Block by block, thanks to the labor of 25,000 workers over three years, Abu Simbel was moved 200 feet up the cliffs from which it had been carved and safely re-established above the new water level. All of this was done between 1964 and 1971 and was funded ($40 Million)by many nations and organized by UNESCO.
We saw this ancient wonder, with its huge guardian statues seemingly emerging from a cliff, and elaborate depictions of famous battles on the inner walls of Ramses' Temple.
It has been said that this famed king was something of a narcissist—we saw ample evidence of that here in the sheer number of objects depicting him, including a mammoth statue in which his head appears to support the weight of the entire temple.
We spent several hours there at the site with all of the time on our own. At 9:20 everyone had returned to the visitor's center and our bus took us on a short trip back to the airport. We went through security again and then again - some of our members seem to be setting off the alarms today.
After another brief 30 minutes in the air, we landed and as we had no luggage our longest stop was for the washrooms. At 11:30 our Aswan bus driver was right at the gate to pick us up.
Our bus drive took us through the winding streets into the top of a steep hill to the Nubian House Restaurant for lunch. It is only 11:30 and seemed early to eat but it has already been 8 hours since we began our morning!
The restaurant is surrounded by an old style Nubian home where each room has an individual function - separate kitchen, bedrooms, sitting room, and a pigeon room - all surrounding a sunny/sandy courtyard.
We had a traditional style lunch and watched the baker make the round coarse bread. The view from our tables was spectacular as one could see the Nile River and 1st Cataract, the city of Aswan and the surrounding desert.
After lunch we admired a litter of 7 cute puppies napping in the sun. Several people were tired and wanted to go back to the hotel but most of the group attended a paper making lesson at the Nefertari Papyrus Institute.
We watched a young man demonstrate the time consuming process of making paper using the papyrus reed. There were several of the group who were asked to participate in the demonstration. Then we were given an opportunity to shop as we knew this was original, authentic papyrus paper and not banana leaves as one may find on the streets.
We were then on our way home and we asked to be dropped off at the internet to send the notes from yesterday to everyone. After using the computers we walked back to the boat, took it across and took some time to relax and work on our notes and pictures.
Gennie took some time to wash some socks and other small items and they were dry within two hours after she put them on our deck! It is so dry here. We also took the opportunity to go to the top of the tower and do some photography of the city.
We got there just at sunset - 4:30 and it was spectacular. Reds, oranges, yellows, etc. I will try to send a picture from there tomorrow.
At 6:30 we were off again to explore Aswan's famous and bustling spice market. We left the hotel with instructions to purchase 20 LE ($3.00)of consumable goods. We took the shuttle boat, walked on the main street and then walked into the market street. One little shop after another. Great fun and they did not hassle us too much.
We walked to see what was available and then were set on our own. We had seen a baker, knife sharpener, hair cutters, shoe repair, and many others. The shops had a types of spices but others sold knick-knacks, cotton goods, and other things. Some were willing to pose for pictures. What is so nice is that once I show an individual's picture, his friends want one also.
In Gennie's group was Sylvia, C. Edward, Jeff, Gennie and I. I was the photographer. They used up their money well and purchased Nubian peanuts, packaged cookies, crackers, six mandarin oranges. Gennie really does a great job. I am worthless in bargaining.
Once we were done we went to a local café and shared some of these items with other groups, watched the locals and they watched and laughed at us and then walked home. Nice outing for the early evening.
Dinner was supposed to be on our own this evening, but because we did not eat last night, Shahinaz arranged for our dinner vouchers to be transferred to tonight. She is really one of the most accommodating OAT guides we have ever had, and we have had great ones in the past. We returned to our room at 9:30 and finished the day's work.
Accommodations: Aswan Movenpick Hotel - - - Meals: B, L
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