CHAPTER 6. EGYPT CONT.

With an early afternoon return to the hotel, there is time for a nap and to pack for a morning flight to Aswan. First there is a dinner cruise on the Nile in the Pharaoh. It is late, with food about 9:45 and entertainment afterwards. A five piece orchestra plays and belly dancers perform. Some Egyptian guests get up and dance too, similar to Greek dancing. The cruise is interesting, with large picture windows giving views across the Nile to the city. It is over at 12, then back thru well lighted streets, with some open shops, to the hotel. We have two hours sleep before our wake up call at 3:00 A.M. for early flights to Aswan and Abu Simbel.

The statues and temples at Abu Simbel are truly outstanding. With a beautiful sunny day, blue skies, and blue waters of Lake Nasser it is unforgettable. An excellent job had been done in relocating the temples up from the bank of the Nile before being covered by the rising water of Lake Nasser behind the Aswan Dam. Having reread the fine article in National Geographic Magazine on the relocation, we look for evidence of the cuts required, but can’t see any.

Back to the airport at 10:30 A.M. we fly to Aswan and board the Nile Dream for our cruise to Luxor. We skip the faluka sail in the afternoon and rest instead. The next morning there’s a bus trip to a granite quarry, and the Aswan high dam, before a boat ride to Philae Island. Here again very large structures had been relocated from the low Aswan dam lake, a major project. They are very picturesque temples!