Since my last post about the pyramids of Giza we took a 13 hour train down to the city of Aswan on the Nile River. Once there we met our local guide Mahmoud who took us to our hotel and got us settled in. After settling down we took a small tour bus to see the Aswan Dam and then to the larger High Dam. Interestingly the High Dam was paid for by the Russians during the Cold War (basically to curry favor and to get Egypt on the Russian side) and provides electricity from Aswan to Luxor to Cairo. The total cost of the dam was around $400 million dollars...not a bad present just to pick sides! The dams themselves were nothing great to see but we enjoyed the scenery along the beautiful Nile River.
After the dams our guide Mahmoud took us to the Philae Temple which is located on an island on the Nile. We took a boat up to the temple and just marveled at the beauty surrounding the island and the island itself. The temple and the islands were the burial site of the god Osiris in Egyptian and Nubian culture. What we liked most was the ancient architecture that made up the temple complex. From the monuments and obelisks to the ancient hieroglyphic inscriptions on the wall the Philae Temple was absolutely beautiful.
Once we got back to the hotel we relaxed, showered and rested up for a big event which was to take place. At midnight we were to board a bus and take a 3.5 hour drive into the desert to an island where we would go the a temple called Abu Simbel. This temple was constructed for the King Ramses II and was completed in 1224 BC. Now the special thing about this temple is that twice a year the when the sun sets, the sun goes directly into the temple and shines on the statues of Ramses II which are located in the very back inside the temple. The dates for this phenomenon are October 20 (which we were present for) and February 20. Apparently these dates are the King's birthday and his coronation day, respectively.
Needless to say we were all very excited to see this phenomenon and gladly took the long and grueling drive to the site. Once there our group hurried to get good seats, actually standing spots, while 5,000 other people did the same. It was very surreal to see all these people running towards the temple and squeezing together to get a good vantage point. People were pushing and shoving, we even saw a Japanese tourist throw a German tourist down because the German apparently cut the line! You dont want to get in front of those Asians while they take their pictures. As for us, we stayed away from crazy Asians and line cutting Germans and eventually enjoyed a beautiful sunrise over the majestic Nile. Unfortunately we couldn't go inside the temple during the actual sunrise but we were allowed inside after. The temple was decorated with statues, paintings on the ceilings and hieroglyphics on the walls. Truly something special to see. We stayed a little longer to enjoy the scenery and then headed back to Aswan.
(Interesting note- In 1959 the temple was dismantled and moved from its original spot to the current location about 300 km from Aswan. The reason for this was because the original site was starting to flood due to the construction of the Aswan Dam.)
After a long and arduous tek back we arrived in Aswan at about 1 pm. Talk about no rest for the weary, as soon as we got back our Aswan guide Mahmoud took us to the local pier on the Nile River for a boat ride. This may not seem very tiring but 7 hours in a very uncomfortable bus with zero sleep can wear you out, believe me! Now today was apparently Mahmoud's day off (keep in mind today is now Thursday Oct 23) and he wanted to spend it with us, just hanging out. I guess our friendliness, charm, and dashing good looks eventually paid off for us. We took our boat ride up the Nile towards the High Dam and eventually parked it in front of a beach area. It was a hot day, as it usually is in Egypt so a swim was definitely in order. Can you name any other people that have swam in the Nile? It was very refreshing for all of us. And it also worked up quite an appetite for the group.
Mahmoud knew we would all be hungry and apparently set up a very special dinner for us. The beach we were at was part of a Nubian village along the Nile. In this village they speak Arabic along with their Nubian language is not understood by most Egyptians. The village consisted of stone and brick houses and had straw ceilings. The ceilings covered maybe 80% of the house, the rest was uncovered to allow light inside. The floor was covered in sand, the painted over with pictures of crocodiles and the gods and in the corner was a cage for baby crocodiles. Apparently the Nubian people raise crocodiles as pets and when they get too big they throw them into the Nile, on the other side of the Dam thank god!
The owner of the house Asmaa made us a delicious feast and Chris, Colin, and I all had our Anthony Bourdain moment. Its not everyday you can visit a local village and eat authentic Nubian food. Thank you so much Mahmoud. It was truly delicious.
I have to say that this entire day, Thursday was one of the best days I have every had. We swam in the Nile River, ate amazing food at a local village and just saw another side of Egypt that people don't really see. Aswan is a little slice of paradise and I would tell anyone going to Egypt to make time to go there. You wont be disappointed. Our guide Mahmoud was truly a good friend. We took many pictures together and will miss him alot. It really helps to have a local who cares to show you around. Talk about Egyptian hospitality. Congratulations to him as well for getting married on Friday, the day after our boating adventure.
Well its 5:30 in the morning Egypt time and I have to make some phone calls. Today we are traveling into the desert to spend a night under the stars. I will be back tomorrow evening and will surely update you all on that experience. Thanks for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment