Day 1 [really] - Aswan and Insomnia

[Note, this was written at 1;30 AM, but due to some internet difficulties, I couldn't quite get it posted]...

Ok, so I'm going to gush.... but as it's 1:30 AM local time, and I'm still up after sleeping for only a couple of hours earlier, and my Abu Simbel wake-up call in an hour away.... I still am loving everything about this trip!

The Keylany Hotel turned out to be a good choice for me. For one thing, I've been taking full advantage of the free wifi [except when this page won't let me log on]. My room is on the main floor, and with just the fan I hear the horns tooting outside, but once I turn the AC on, the street noise is not an issue. Love the rooftop terrace. The seats are really uncomfortable, but the ambience is nice in the evening. Breakfast is a little on the sparse side, but love the coffee.

Unfinished Obelisk

Day 1 of my adventures was a little busy - the cab driver who dropped me off had talked me into hiring him again for the day. As I really dislike organized tours, and my footprint guide has some pretty detailed info on the sites, I decided to take him up on it. We started at 7:30 with the unfinished obelisk. I'm an engineer so the granite quarry in the middle of the city part was interesting.

Facade - Philae Temple

Next - Philae. Loved the temple and it's setting, but wish I'd gotten here earlier. Too many crowds and it was hot. Yes, it's a dry heat, but at 93... still hot! I could have done without the bargaining for the motorboat - why is it called felucca? I thought those were the boats with sails, no engines.  I saw a French couple who was also trying to do the same thing, so we teamed up and ended up with a decent deal for 90 minutes on the island. I think an hour may have been a little rushed, but 90 minutes worked out ok. My first encounter with ancient Egypt and I was pretty excited.

Soviet Friendship Monument

Aswan High Dam

On to the Aswan high dam, the turbines and the Soviet friendship monument. One thing that struck me here was that they were watering the green lawn, and that the lotus monument is actually surrounded by a pool of water - generally anyway. The pool was emptied and being cleaned. And I didn't see anyone stopping me from taking pictures, even at the turbines. Hmmm.... The imagery at the monument, with the hands, the village, the books, and the water, is pretty cool. Plus, as I found out, if you stand in the center, and take your picture bent over, you end up with the "crown" around your head. Yes, I am easily amused.

Kalabsha Temple

By now it's about noon, and the sun is pretty hot, but we carry on. Kalabsha was next on the itinerary, and was my favorite by far, because I had the island to myself for most of my visit. The one lonely motorboat driver and more bargaining for the ride over, almost double what the guidebook says, but there was noone else to negotiate with. The temple's location is stunning, with these never-ending views of the hills and lake Nasser. Wish I hadn't forgotten my polarizer in my other backpack, so I have quite a few blown out photos as I couldn't stop down enough for the bright sunshine, but it was great having the place to myself with noone else around.

Yes I'm holding a croc!

And finally, we drove to the Nubian village on the outskirts of town. Tea and a tip later, I ended up holding a 5-year old croc and getting my picture taken. Ick. And I didn't care that they were kept in this locked up cage. Of course, not a fan of having a croc running around the house either. We'll move on. Wandered through town but the temples had tapped all my cash, so I couldn't really take advantage, and felt a little weird shopping my the cab driver with me. Saw several "caravans" of tourists riding their camels from Aswan come through. It was pretty neat to watch them come in from the "desert" path.

Nile Sunset

One last stop - to rectify my stupidity at forgetting the right adapter to plug in my computer - and the cabbie dropped me back at the hotel for a little break. I rounded out the day by taking the ferry to Elephantine Island, realizing that I didn't have a guide book or map with me, and after some aimless wandering and doubling back because I kept running into dead ends - to the endless, but kind-hearted amusement of the local women, several of whom offered to help me find the right direction - I took the ferry back to the sit-down restaurant that is KFC.

Aswan Souk - spice vendor

Had a blast walking around the souk. I made a very small dent in my gift list, and found myself a hat. The guy kept insisting that it was 100% Egyptian cotton, but once I pointed out the "made in china" tag, it was pretty funny to watch him try to recover. that's when I really got in the spirit of things. I look like I could be from India, and calls of "India" and "Namaste" pretty much followed me around. Every now and again I'd throw out a "shukrun" and that would really throw people off, as my tan from the day's hatless activities could also have me passing for a darker Egyptian. I haven't felt weirded out because I'm a solo female, at least not too much. Following my gut's working for me so far. And it's been fun, especially letting people spin their own stories around me. "Where are you from, India" is answered with a a "sure, why not". And the people are very friendly once you get over the feeling that you're being taken for a ride. And the food is great. I can't wait for the adventures that tomorrow... I mean later today... will unfold.

Sorry about rambling on for sooooo long... Hopefully insomnia or jetlag won't strike two days in a row, so you'll be spared tomorrow night!