Aswan and Abu Simbal

We had a 5:00 wakeup call --at 6:00 we were off to the airport. We had a 7:30 flight to Luxor/Aswan.business class.

We stopped for a view of the Aswan Dam before getting on another flight for Abu Simbal. Work on the dam began in January 1960 and was completed in the spring of 1971. The dam was built with financial and technolgical aid from the Soviet Union (after Western nations refused to help).

The flight to Abu Simbal was a nightmare with a stepping, pushing shoving Japanese tour group and no seat assignments…
We arrived in Abu Simbal at 12:30… and had to leave by 2:00

Abu Simbal…The Temples of Abu Simbel are located close to the southern border with the Sudan. The site consists of two, rock-cut Temples, which both date back to the reign of King Ramses II (1290-1223 BC). These temples suffered from the raising water of Lake Nasser while the Aswan Dam was being built. To save them the two Temples were cut in to pieces, and then they were reconstructed on a site that was higher and further inland to escape the rising water level. This operation began in June 1964 and was completed in September 1968.

The first Temple was built by King Ramses II. The façade has four seated colossi of the King; each one is about 60 feet tall and represents the King seated on his throne wearing the double crown, accompanied by 3 small figures of his wives, daughters and sons flanking his legs.

The Temple of Queen Nefertari was also built by Ramses II, dedicated to the Goddess Hathor and to his wife Queen Nefertari. Queen Nefertari was the principal, and the most beloved, wife of King Ramses II. It contains 6 standing colossi. Four of them represent Ramses II and the other two represent Queen Nefertari, each is accompanied by two smaller figures of their children.

Back to Aswan…onto the Sonesta Nile Sun Goddess - our home for the Nile Cruise. We were a bit cranky- twin beds and a dining room filled with French and Japanese tourists…. and aa sanitary landfill engineer from Georgia who talked at 100 decibels - we called him “double bourbon”…
We had beers with our new friend, Mahmood, at the bar.
Dinner was a buffet…. meat with sauce on rice….
We moved our beds together and crashed early.