Day 2 - Abu Simbel and the never-ending car ride

Sunday, November 21, 2010

So day 2... although I do this on day 3 while sitting on a rooftop in Luxor enjoying a fabulous view of the lit Theban Necropolis and Luxor Temple. I'm playing catch-up.

Day 2 was an early start. I didn't actually go back to sleep, as my wake-up call was at 2:45-ish that morning, with a 3:15 pickup at the hotel. There were about 8 other travelers but the funny thing was that we all got picked up separately. I guess the hotel just acts as broker of sorts and does not organize their own tours, just with other agencies. I wish I could remember the name of the actual travel agency that they booked this with [reason to follow shortly].

Pick-up went pretty timely, and at 3:40 we were on our way, 12 people plus driver, packed in one of those mini buses that we all know and hate. And then we picked up a 13th, so the driver's assistant took the jump seat in between the driver and the last woman in got the coveted front seat. I was envious for two reasons: she had the front seat and she went right to sleep!!!!

I knew we were joining a convoy, but I didn't know what that really meant, until we joined the loads of other tour buses, cars and minivans at the marshaling point. It looked like a small army ready to wage war, with all sorts of vehicles arranged in no particular order. And then we were off, and it was like the start of a road rally. Our driver was pretty good out of the gate, and the three hour trek was on. A beautiful full moon out of the right hand side lighting a dark desert.... really cool. No sleep for me, so I stared out into the nothingness, seeing the shadows that represented the changing shapes of the desert. As dawn lightened the sky, I realized I was on the wrong side of the minibus to see the actual sunrise, which was a bummer because it was spectacular. When the road curved just right, I saw this magnificent perfect orange ball arise from the horizon as the hues of dawn cast their colors on the desert sands. Ok, sorry, waxing a little poetic and probably stole someone else's lines here, but it was cool, and this was only from a few glimpses of it out the driver's window. No I wasn't leaning over the driver, just angled correctly. I hope some of my pictures come out because I'd really like to have a better memory than just mental.

Abu Simbel - Ramses statues

Looking out over Lake Nasser

So our driver got us there pretty much on the dot at 7 AM and we were one of the first minibuses pulling in. Three hours and no stops. The moment we hit the ground and he gave us our meeting time of 8:45, it was another run to the ticket office, which was not that well sign posted, or I was too tired to see, and a race against which tour group hits the sights the earliest. The setting of Abu Simbel is stunning! The blue waters of Lake Nasser and the hills of the countryside surrounding it... magnificent. It was an amazing feat of engineering to build the temples in the first place, and another one to relocate them, and that was part of my motivation for making the trek. Worth the trip, but if I were to do it over, I think I would have preferred to spend the night there and gone up to see the sunrise over the tombs. We got there early enough and had some really good light, but I can almost see it without the crowds, and that would have been much better. The different chambers in the temple are neat, but the amount of time there does not allow for sufficient enjoyment of the lake views. 

Birds

Too soon, it was time to meet the minibus again, but which minibus was it? We had the license number, but our group was just waiting for it. Dude told us 8:45 and he showed up closer to 9:00; 15 minutes that I would have preferred AT the temples, not waiting in the sun, which was pretty hot already. Back into the tin can we went, for the much hotter ride back, but thankfully this time "AC" actually meant Air Conditioning, not conditioning by rolling down the window. 

I had signed up for the "short" tour, and had been pretty specific about my return time to Aswan with the hotel. On our way back, suddenly we were at the ticket booth of the Aswan dam... hmmm., I didn't remember signing up for this... Then the driver is collecting 20EGP and I ask him when I'm going to get dropped off. He says, well, you will get out here, and wait by the side of the road by the checkpoint, because everyone else is on the "long" tour, and that I will only be taken back when he drops the rest of the group at Philae.. I'm not proud to say that the ugly tourist in me came out because I hate having my time wasted when I have so little of it at a place to begin with, and when I had specifically asked the "right" questions to make sure it would not be. With no other choice, even after talking to his manager, who said I was wasting everyone's time by arguing, I waited not the ten minutes advertised, but closer to 30-40 while the group enjoyed their tour. I was a little pissed off but oh well, what was i going to do? Well, I guess what I"m doing now, which is saying that I was not happy with that part of the tour I had. I will find the name of the agency if I can and post it. I did talk to the management at Keylany and let them know that what they advertised is not exactly what I got. I know in the greater scheme of things, it's not a lot of time, but it's my time, and it's important to me, and that's not the story they told me when they took my money.

So, I finally got back to the hotel about an hour after we would have had we not made the detours. I still had to find transportation to Luxor, and I asked about options. I signed up for their minibus to Luxor via Kom Ombo and Edfu temples [more about that shortly] and then took a break.. it had been a long day already :)

My guide

Nubian Vilalge

Hunger pangs prompted me to head out in search of food and I found myself back at the Abu Ahmed food stand off the Corniche street. Yummy shawarma with fries, of which I couldn't finish my half sandwich, and I think it was for a non-standard price but whatever. Then I decided to try Elephantine Island again, as I couldn't summon the energy for Tomb of the Nobles. The ferry that lands you by the museum is a little bit of a walk, but at least the price was only double what the locals pay at 1EGP. Upon disembarkation, and with guidebook this time, I was wandering my way up to the museum when I came across Mr. Hamada [i think that's right] who introduced himself as the chief of the village and wondered if he could show me around. He walked me through some streets and the mosque and to Nubian House, and then it was time to pay for the tour, a stiff 75EGP... I didn't have too much cash on me at the time, as I was only going to the museum, and I hadn't realized that I was on a tour, just talking with the village elder, so my bad. Next time I will ask first. I left $10 lighter, and a little put off by my own gullibility. The streets I can wander on my own. 

Ruins

Do you see the elephant?

Anyhow, Aswan Museum next... except that it is closed, but for the same price of 30 EGP they will let you into the ruins and the Nilometer, etc. The site is quite extensive and the end of it has a great view overlooking the Nile and the other islands. Plus if you go down on your way to the Nilometer, you can actually see the "elephant" rocks the island is named for. Pretty good resemblance! I had a nice couple of hours wandering around the ruins. It doesn't take that long, but I was really enjoying the views and the quiet... only a handful of tourists around. Plus, feeling a little dehydrated so I just found some shade and hung out with my bottle for a little bit. I had been holding back just a bit on the car ride, if you know what i mean :)

View of the Nile

My goal was to round out the evening with a felucca ride but I ran out of steam again. Made it to the other bank and watched dusk fall across the Nile. Finished my shawarma sandwich while contemplating plans for the evening. A quick stop at my hotel, and then it was a fast walk through the souk to the train station. My friendly shop keepers all remembered my face from the day before, so twice the hassle! Yay! Noone in line on the sleeping train booth, and 15 minutes later, I was booked on a night train in a shared cabin from Luxor to Cairo. Yikes, only one full day in Luxor? I guess so... But then I'm supposed to arrive by 2:00pm, so no problem, I can do something that afternoon.... [more to follow on this as well!].

Another Nile sunset

Finally, I was done... quick stop at a book store because I can't resist them, and then it's to hotel and to bed, with an early wake-up call as I have to pack as well.  

Whew! Aswan was awesome and there is more to it than two days can possibly cover. I think someone was there for a week, and I can see enough to fill my time. I picked and chose my activities, wisely or not, but had a great time... 8:00 AM pickup for Luxor tomorrow, so a night was called.