Deciding to continue traveling south I headed out on a three hour train ride to Aswan. Once there Ahmed had arranged for a driver to pick me up and take me to my hotel. Once in the hotel I was pleasantly surprised to have a room with a view of the Nile and the busy street beside it. I was informed at the desk that the tour that was booked for me was to leave at 3:15am so my wake-up call (knock on the door that was more like pounding) would be at 2:45. It was now 4:00 in the afternoon, so what better thing to do than to go for a walk down the Nile and find a nice spot to have a beer and watch the river of life flow by.
Finding a great spot I sat over a beer for nearly two hours reading about the history and culture of Egypt. Sitting in this beautiful setting and reading about this wonderful country and the wonderful people in it made me appreciate it even more. As the sun began to go down I took a few pictures from where I had been sitting and then decided to go for a walk in the other direction and see what kind of views I could find.
The Nile is wider her in Aswan and flows a bit slower, creating the setting for one of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen. After the sun had gone down I went back to my room, did a little writing, and crawled into bed in the hopes that I would fall asleep early so I was not exhausted for the long day ahead of me. Right on time, 2:45am, there was a pounding on my door to let me know it was time to get up and get ready for day trip to Abu Simbel. Abu Simbel is just above the border with Sudan and due to some security issues in the past the only way to get there is by police convoy that departs twice a day. So leaving the hotel at 3:15 we rounded up other people from their hotels and then waited in line for the convoy to form so we could be on the road by 4:30 and reach our destination at 10:00. Every Egyptian I told that I was going to Abu Simbel had the same reaction… their eyes widened, their face lit up, and their smiles grew, followed by them saying beautiful, great, very good, nice, or something else along those lines. When I reached it I found out why. As you pull up the first thing you see, after having traveled hours over vast stretches of barren dessert, is the largest manmade lake in the world, Lake Nasser. The beauty and tranquility of the lake is second to none.
The lake covers an area of over 5250 square kilometers, is 510 kilometers long, and holds an average of 135 billion cubic meters of water! Walking along the edge of the lake you eventually come to a monument as grand in stature as the lake itself, the Temple of Ramses II. Carved out of the mountain are four (one collapsed) statues of the warrior king that stand an amazing thirty meters tall.
Once again the words to describe the enormity of this experience are not in my vocabulary. After wandering around the outside of the temple for some time I decided to enter.
Walking past the imposing statues and row of vultures that guard the entrance I moved into the temple structure and into the Colossi of Ramses which are a row of eight columns each fronted by yet another impressive statue of the king and surrounded by hieroglyphs of the many battles he had won. Further into the temple the Great Hypostyle Hall leads the way to the sanctuary where Ramses sits with three gods. Every year on the February 22nd and October 22nd, as the sun rises over Lake Nasser, the light shines perfectly through the entryway, past the Colossi of Ramses, passes the Hypostyle Hall, and illuminates the sanctuary, a spectacular sight I am sure.
Just to the north of the temple is a smaller temple, carved into another mountain, which is dedicated to Hathor and is home to statues of Ramses II, his wife Nefertari, and many of their children. This temple also has an impressive Hypostyle Hall that leads to a sanctuary for the goddess Hathor. After exploring this temple for twenty minutes or so I went out and sat in front of the temples taking in the magic that they have created in the over 3000 years they have stood watch over Lake Nasser and the Nubian south. From here we boarded our minibus and continued our journey to the island temple of Philae. Taking a boat to the island we were free to wander for about an hour. This great temple houses eight separate temples and churches and the main feature is the sanctuary for the god Isis.
Walking through the main courtyard leads to the entrance into the Hypostyle Hall which releases you into the inner temple of Isis. Once I had reached the inner temple I headed back out to explore the seven other temples and churches the grounds had to offer. Once again, nothing short of spectacular.
From there it was back onto the boat and eventually the minibus for the ride back to the hotel in Aswan.
Back in Aswan I returned to my favorite restaurant on the Nile to again enjoy another beer and relax as the sun gently played its colorful tricks on the lazy river before me. The barman here, same one as the day before had recognized me and began a friendly conversation, asking me where I was from, where I had been, and when I was leaving Aswan. When I informed him that I was back on the train at five he told me he wanted to show me the best spot in Aswan when he finished work at four. I agreed and at 3:45 we headed to Nubian Home.
Perched on the top of the hill at the far end of town I was treated to a magical view of the Nile both to the north and south and the soft, sand covered mountains to the west. Rahmdi, as he was called, also worked here in the evening and offered me the best seat in the house, a corner table on the edge of the terrace. After making sure I was comfortable and confirming that I approved of the view Rahmdi offered me a soft drink and asked if I would like some sheesha (apple scented water pipe). I told him I had yet to try the sheesha and would be delighted. He quickly returned carrying a polished silver hookah, lined with bright red embroidery, and a can of coca-cola. As I was sitting there, taking long deliberate pulls from the hookah, watching felluca boats lazily float down the Nile, and the sun slowly dip below the mountains a peacefulness and tranquility slowly came over me.
My connection with Egypt was evolving, much like that of budding relationship. It began with anticipation and a bit of fear while in Cairo, not knowing what to expect or how she might receive me, leading to the fun flirtation that kept me buzzing and interested in Luxor, and finally to this moment in Aswan. Sitting here, atop this cliff, with sweet scented sheesha filling the air around me, the sound of children singing and playing just below me, and the light dancing on the surface of the river, as shadows played among the mountains, that it happened, I had fallen in love. Much like spending time with a new found love interest, there never seems to be enough time. If you have one hour you want two. Two you want three, and so on. So was it with my time in Aswan, and more specifically Nubian Home. Politely interrupting my moment of bliss, Rahmdi approached and told me the car he had arranged to take me back to my hotel had arrived and I must go. Asking for him to bring the check so I could settle up before leaving, he said there was no check, that he was happy I enjoyed my time in Egypt and that it was his pleasure to show me his favorite spot in Aswan. So it was, with nothing more than a handshake, a thank you, and a new found friend, I was in a cab and on my way to the train station to return to Luxor. My night in Luxor was very relaxed. Picked up at the train station by a driver that Ahmed had arranged, I returned to Nefertiti Hotel. Greeted again with smiles from Ahmed and Aladdin, I dropped my bags and joined them on the patio for dinner. After dinner we enjoyed easy conversation till sometime around midnight, when my tiredness got the best of me, and I headed up to bed. With nothing to do the next day till late afternoon, when I was to fly to The Red Sea, I took advantage of the opportunity to sleep in. What a beautiful sleep it was.
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