hot times, high dam

It seems that the post I made yesterday is only showing up today, so be aware that there is a rather large post on Cairo that precedes this update from Aswan.

I'm sitting in a McDonald's not only because it's the only reliable source of free WiFi in Aswan, but also because it's the only reliable source of safe food. I arrived here in Aswan three days ago on the overnight train from Cairo. Lumbering off the train at 11:00, I was able to make it to my hostel with little incident. My room was large, dirty, and cheap, with no air conditioning and probably more than a few insects. But this is southern Egypt, and for the price, 14E£, I wasn't expecting the Ritz. However, when I got back to the hostel office there were two other Americans how were also looking for a room. I ended up switching my room so that I could share a (mostly) clean three bedroom space with (gasp!) air conditioning. Because the three of us were sharing the room, I was actually paying less, 12E£, per night than I had been, and with the added benefit of travel companions for Aswan, it's hard to complain about accommodations that convert to a two night cost of $4.

Spices on display at the souq (the market).

The three of us, Alissa, Devin, and myself, got acquainted in the room, relaxing in the air conditioning for a couple hours, before heading into town. We went through the market making a few small purchases, and constantly keeping our eyes open for peanut butter, which Alissa and Devin had been desperately hoping to find. I was with them, as peanut butter is quite the slice of Americana, not to be found outside the States with only a few notable exceptions. The peanut butter search was unsuccessful, though we did catch the sunset over the Nile, which was cool. The air quality of Aswan is incomparably better than Cairo, so walking around was nice. We headed back to the hostel when it got dark, making our way past women crowding the grocery stores and meat sellers in preparation for Ramadan. The holy month began the next day, and we were anxious to get to bed in order to wake up early. Our early rising had less to do with religious observance, and more to do with catching a police convoy heading south to Abu Simbel.

I wasn't really feeling the Nubian hat that was forced on to my head by an over anxious shopkeeper.

Sunset on the Nile.

The convoy left at 3:30 in the morning, so we were all up at 3:00 and after watching a bizarre American drama in the common room while waiting for the minibus, we were soon climbing on board. The convoy took a while to assemble, but eventually the long line of minibuses and their larger brothers were on the 4 hour road to Abu Simbel. Abu Simbel is the site of the Great Temple of Ramses II, which (even more than the Pyramids), was the thing I most wanted to see in Egypt. Pictures of the four (three and a half) massive figures carved into the side of a mountain have always impressed me, and actually visiting the site was incredible. The inside of the temple is almost as impressive as its iconic facade. I've only ever come across full rooms of carved and painted hieroglyphics at Boston's MFA, where two small rooms recreate a tomb from the Upper Kingdom. Here in the great temple, a massive space had been carved into the mountain, and the walls were filled with glyphs surrounding images of the Pharaohs and the gods. I found myself falling victim to the awe that these figures were intended to inspire, and I was satisfied to just look up at these colossi in wonder.

Outside the Great Temple of Ramses II.

Four great kings of Egypt sat facing the southern boarder of the kingdom as a warning to would-be invaders.

When we the time came to regroup at the minibus, I reluctantly headed out toward the parking lot, and got aboard. We retraced the four hour road back to Aswan, making our way through the barren desertscape on a surprisingly well-paved road. Our next stop was the Aswan High Dam. The High Dam, despite being a public works triumph, is not that impressive to look at. So Alissa, Devin, and I preferred not to be taken advantage of by the ticket agency, and together with the majority of our minibus opted out of the High Dam. We soon rejoined the rest of the group on the minibus and headed for the Temple of Isis. Located on an island that, until the construction of the High Dam, was subject to yearly flooding, the Temple of Isis is a fascinating complex of buildings that can be explored without much restriction. Getting there was, like everything else in Egypt, a big hassle, as one has to rent a large 20-person motor boat to reach the island. After waisting 30 minutes bartering with the "captains" we finally got to the island and had a chance to explore.

Approaching from the river.

The temple complex was nearly complete, not bad for a 3,000 year-old ruin.

Inside, many of the images and hieroglyphics were in relief, meaning that they had to be carved from the wall, rather than into it.

Columns in a state of near-perfect preservation.

We had nowhere near enough time to fully explore the site, which I saw as the perfect place for a small camping night on the Nile. Not since I was young, and exploring the unrestricted inner workings of the Battleship Massachusetts did I feel so able to authentically interact with a site. It was wicked cool. But we had to get back on the boat, and back to the minibus, which took us back into town and dropped us off by the train station. Alissa, Devin, and I got dinner at a "pizza" joint that served delicious Egyptian-style pizza for 20 E£ a pie. It was a tasty dinner, though I soon found that Tutankhamen had not released his grip, and I ended in the same McDonald's I now find myself patronizing eating a chicken ceasar salad. It was a really great day, and we all got to bed at a reasonable hour.

Today, now that I'm wrapping up my McMorning, we're hoping to make it out to Elphantine island, and I need to find a feluca to take me north to Luxor. The feluca, the classic large single-sailed boats of the Nile, could be a little tricky, and I'm not sure how it's going to work out. Ideally, I could get a boat for the full 2 night journey to to just before Luxor, but it's looking like Ramadan may make that kind of arrangement more difficult. Anyway, I'm setting out now to try my luck with the feluca captains. One way or another, my next update will be from Luxor.