Day 5: Setting Sail

Another day, another early wake up call. 3am awake, 330 in the lobby 3:45 in line for the caravan to Abu Simbel, the temple built by Ramesses II. There is one caravan a day thanks to terrorism, you miss it, you miss your chance at seeing Abu Simbel. In 1997, 4 tourists aka terrorists entered a famous Egyptain temple and murdered 60 tourists....now Egypt is covered in check points. Understandably, there are cautious about letting people in. Only one road leads to Abu Simbel, a road that runs straight through the desert. Because of its location, it is hard to bring food and water to gaurds frequently, making check points impossible along this road. In keeping with safety, daily caravans of buses, taxis, and tours run, flanked with police escorts to the temple.


I didn't know Abu Simbel by name, but I did recognize it upon first glance of the four huge statues that line the entrance to the temple built in the image of the Pharaoh. Cameras and tour guides are not allowed in any temple or tomb so our Egyptologist stopped to give us a lesson outside. Abu Simbel is two temples, one large one for the Pharaoh and a smaller for his favorite wife, Queen Nefertari, originally carved in the side of a mountain. Over time sand hid the beautiful temples making discovery of the structures wait until the 19th century. By the 1950s, the rising waters of Nile threatened the temples, after a international donation campaign, archetects and archealogists from around the world came together with a plan. A plan to cut apart the momument and statues, inside and out, piece by piece and place it back together in a man-made mountain further away from the water. Today, cut marks are invisible making the move almost as amazing at the temples themselves. The great temple is an ode to the ego of the Pharaoh both inside and out, throughout which Ramesses depicts himself as a god among gods, warrior with godlike strength, and as a savior of godlike proportions to his people. In the deep back of the temple stand 4 more statues, 3 of gods and 1 of Ramsesses himself. Two days a year (possible birthday and coronation of the Pharaoh) the sun shines into the back sanctuary shedding light on 3 out of the 4 gods (the 4th is left in darkness because he is a god of the underworld). The move and re-structuring of the temple made it difficult to re-create the sanctuary lighting. Yet, today the light still shins two days a year, only one day off from the original.

The smaller temple, Temple of Hathor, is dedicated to the Pharaohs favorite wife(he had a whole haraam and fathered an estimated 100 kids), Queen Nefertari. The smaller temple sits about 100 meters to the left of the great temple. It is flanked with 3 statues of the Queen, 3 statues of the Pharaoh, and 12 children at their feet.

The walls of each are covered with stories of battles, gods, and the reign of the leader. I am constantly amazing at how intricate heiroglyphics are.

Upon returning to Aswan, we board our floating hotels....felucca boats! There is no cabin, no bathroom, I repeat NO BATHROOM, just a flat cushioned area where we will spend the next two days sleeping and eating. The crew hopped up and down the boat, raising sales, swaying rutters, and flying what else but a Bob Marley flag. For hours we floating down the Nile, for once the breeze is comforting and cool. People barely speak, taking advantage of the quiet time to read, write, tan, and sleep. It is the most peaceful hours I have had in a long time, I can almost imagine living my whole life on a felucca boat.

The wind started to become too strong, for fear of flipping the felucca, we docked along the sand, making the perfect time to swim (i know its a little questionable but its hot as balls...) and start drinking all the beer we had delivered by boat. The heat or the need to pee pushed everyone in the water. We are split among 3 boats and its funny how quickly you will become open with strangers when there is no space, no toilets, and no showers...just the Nile and booze.

We spent the night drinking every last drop of booze, dancing on the decks, swimming, and attempting Dirty Dancing lift moves in the Nile. Nothing could have possibly ruined the night...