Click on link for Abu Simbel Temple Pictures, Egypt
The day started with a 3:30am wakeup call followed by a 3:41am call to cancel the 4am convoy to Abu Simbel due to bad weather (a sand storm). We were to go back to bed and make sure we ate by 10am, meet at 10:30am to take the 11am convoy. We were part of 50 – 70 busses and vans traveling 3 hours through the dessert with police escort at the beginning, middle and end of the convoy. It was for protection incase of breakdown or thieves as there is nothing between Aswan and Abu Simbel, Egypt. There was the odd check point but no houses, service stations or people, just sand. Abu Simbel is 50 kms from the Sudan boarder.
Abu Simbel is two temples in the dessert. They were built in 1300 BC. The king made one for himself and another for his wife or wives. I think it was for his one special wife, but not sure. He had 85 wives and 155 children. The temples were very cool with amazing carvings and details. Each detail is of significance. The way the arms are crossed, royalty and it was made when they were dead. The stance, what's in their hands the headpieces every little thing has some special meaning.
Again this was another project that was moved from one area to another from 1964 – 1968 it was dismantled and moved at a cost of $40 million. It was moved because of this damn and the Nasser Lake. I don't know why they just didn't divert the water again, who knows.
We have been having excellent Egyptian food. I wouldn't normally choose where we eat or the food, but it has been fantastic. It is great to have the guide. For example the other day we entered one restaurant and at the entrance was raw meat strung all over the place and I am sure I heard a saw cutting bones while we were eating. But it is great food. We had a mixed barbeque of meats that day.
Off for a day on the Felucca, a wind powered boat that we will cruise 45km down the Nile in and sleep on tonight.
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