Leaving the chaos of Cairo behind allowed our shoulders to drop. We looked forward to arriving in Aswan two days before our Nile cruise to Luxor for a bit of recovery time.
Our tour organizer suggested a few hotels in Aswan, and we chose the City Max on the river. It was a solid three-star hotel geared towards the river cruise trade. We kept our expectations in check, but it turned out to be a very pleasant stay.
Our room was on the 11th floor, and it was large and nicely decorated, and the bed was very comfortable. But the best part was the panoramic view of the river and all the cruise boat activity just below us. It was dark when we arrived, but the boats were lit up, as were the buildings and distant monuments, and lots of locals and tourists alike were strolling the Malecon.
It was after 9:00 pm, and we were hungry. We were told the restaurant was still open, so we headed to the top floor, where we found a large, empty dining room already prepped for the morning breakfast buffet. There wasn’t a soul in sight. Certainly, there were no other diners, and apparently, there was no staff, so we headed for the elevator.
But just as we pushed the down button an elderly waiter in a dapper white jacket and black bow tie materialized. Oh! “Hello. Can we have still have dinner?” He pondered the question. “Do you have a reservation?” Really? I stifled a laugh. “No, but could we possibly have a window table?” “Certainly, Madam, right this way.”
The menu was extensive, and it was hard to fathom there was anyone in the kitchen ready to whip together any of the dozens of choices. So we decided Spaghetti Bolegnese and a large bottle of water would be easy on the kitchen and could do no harm. As it turned out - it was delicious! Seriously, one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in a long time. Our waiter was such an elegant gentleman, and he served us with the dignity and level of service you’d find in a five-star restaurant. In a land of undeserving, tip-hungry touts, it was a pleasure to leave this man a generous gratuity.
The next morning, we opened the curtains and observed several cruise boats pushing away while others waited to raft up three boats wide to either end or begin their cruises. Most of the ships were loading up with supplies, which took Herculean human effort. Porters ran up and down the planks like ants, burdened with heavy loads of linens, produce, and box after heavy box of bottled water and cases of booze. Most of it piled onto wooden pallets strapped to their backs or balanced on their heads!
We decided to spend the morning in the marketplace, although why we chose to face another phalanx of pashmina pushers and trinket sellers, I’m not sure. It was a more subdued atmosphere than Cairo; at first, it was an enjoyable stroll. I even struck up an interesting conversation with a jewelry merchant about life in Egypt. He had some lovely things - all handmade right there in Aswan by superior craftswomen. Hmm. I tried on two different bracelets, and all the while, my new friend told me his prices would not “Break my heart.” I asked the price for two small bracelets and was assured, for myself only, just $60 US Dollars. I was expecting $20 as a place to start the bargaining! So I had to break his heart and say no thank you. Quickly, the price dropped to $40.Then $20. But at that point, I’d lost interest, and as we walked away, I think I heard him say, “Lady! Wait! Three for $10.” Hmm. Made in Egypt?
The marketplace wasn’t overly crowded so ulike Cairo it was easy to shop and chat with vendors … but soon the heat was on.
Our upcoming tour included a visit to both a Nubian Village and the recently constructed High Dam on the Nile - both close to Aswan. We decided to visit the local museum that featured artifacts from the area, the history of the Nubian Tribe, and an extensive exhibit on the building of the dam. The two dams, one built in 1934 and its replacement in 1970, created a huge reservoir called Lake Nasser. Water flows down river were improved and ended natural flooding, but many Nubian villages were doomed, and the population was moved into new housing. Also, two major monuments were meticulously dismantled stone-by-stone and rebuilt on higher ground.
A diorama of Nubian life at the Aswan Museum
Late in the day we went for a walk along the riverside and met a gentleman about Michael’s age named Tu Tu. We had a congenial conversation, and, surprise, it turned out Tu Tu owned a traditional sailboat called a Felucca, and would we like to join him for a sunset cruise? We signed on and met him at the dock at 7:00. Our goal was to sail around Elephantine Island in the center of the river and end up at the beautiful new Movenpick Resort for dinner.
When we met, there was some “confusion” around which boat was available and whether we could actually sail since there wasn’t much wind. Perhaps we would like to take a motorboat instead for just a bit more money? Here we go again. In the end, we insisted on the original boat for the original price. Although, in the end, Tu Tu was not our skipper.
It was still nice to get out on the water, but we eventually had to be towed to the resort dock (he was right about the wind), and there was a moment when we thought we might not be allowed to take the hotel’s courtesy ferry boat from the island to the mainland since we weren’t hotel guests!
Also, after our very nice dinner, the bill was incorrect - as in an overcharge for my meal and a glass of wine added that we didn’t order. As I said in my last blog, Egypt is “Buyer Beware” territory.
On the appointed departure date for our river cruise, a driver arrived at the hotel to take us to our boat. We’d watched many vessels in all sorts of conditions, from luxurious Viking Cruise types to blackened, lumbering hulks, come and go, and since we had no idea what our boat would be like, we were a little nervous.
And, honestly, Michael was just happy we had a driver, a boat, and a guide! He’d been more anxious about this leg of travel planning than he’d let on because we’d paid a substantial deposit, and there was a chance it was all a scam.
The top picture is not our boat - but a sister vessel, so very similar. Our boat was comfortable, the food plentiful and the scenery interestng all along the way. Many people told us a cruise on the Nile was the highlight of their trip, and we could see why.
Not to worry. The good ship M.S.Nile Marquis wasn’t fancy from the outside, but it was lovely on the inside, and with only 110 passengers, it didn’t feel crowded. And, once again, our Egypt Gift Tours guardian angel, Heba Haggag, came through. She booked us a very nice suite with a sitting room and a small outside deck on the bow of the ship at no extra charge. It was a lovely surprise that made the journey very pleasant.
Our guide for the next four days and three nights was a seasoned veteran named Ahmed. He was nice enough, but a definite taskmaster who expected his charges to be on time, follow his instructions, not dally, and listen carefully so he didn’t have to repeat himself. Not far off from the instructions for a fifth-grade field trip.
He would lead a group of six travelers, including ourselves, two lovely young women from Montreal, and a French couple in their 50s who booked an English tour by accident. They did not speak English - but had a good attitude and a sack full of guidebooks. Fortunately for them, Anibel, one of the French Canadians, was a former translator and kindly shared Ahmed’s instructions and site descriptions as we went.
Our guide, Ahmed, with his trusty new translator, Anabel. She was a great foil to his gruff nature and they were fun to be with!
Of course, there were way too many facts on pharaohs, battles, power struggles, gods, temples and soooo many dates for her to keep straight, it was almost impossible. But she did her best. I am not sure how they would have coped without her.
On the first day of the four-day, three-night cruise, we remained in Aswan. Passengers would be arriving all during the day, but some of us had morning activities like a visit to a Nubian Village and the High Dam, and an afternoon excursion to the impressive Philae Temple, one of the monuments that was moved stone-by-precious-stone to higher ground before the second dam was built.
The leisurely half-hour boat ride up (down?) the Nile to the Nubian Village was a highlight. We passed waving rushes where Egrets waited patiently for lunch, thick groves of palm trees, stretches of rocky beach, and a few homesteads where farmers tilled their fields with oxen. And we were entertained by young boys who paddled furiously alongside, shouting out greetings - but mostly hoping for some coins.
The Nubian village itself was more of a re-creation of what life was like before the dam. The houses and small shops were colorful and photogenic, but the few residents living there stayed out of the 110° heat. We visited a typical home and learned more about their ancient culture. Two interesting facts - every household keeps a pet alligator or two in a tank for good luck. You are welcome to hold them for a photo op if you’d like. And every night, the last person to go to bed sweeps the sand floor until it is completely smooth so that the first person out of bed can check for snake and scorpion tracks!
Our next stop was the High Dam. Not much to see other than the vastness of Lake Nassar so we didn’t stay long. We returned to the boat for lunch and a chance to settle in before an hour's drive to visit Philae Temple.
We arrived at a crowded boat launch and climbed aboard a colorful shuttle that took us to Agilkia Island, where the temple had been relocated. This was the first temple we set eyes on, and it was impressive! And even though it was scorching hot, we couldn’t stop gaping at the towering walls and massive carvings. I also saw my first actual hieroglyphics, and I was hooked! I couldn’t get enough of those little story-telling images.
Portions of the temple were often submerged due to the natural flooding of the Nile each year, but in 1934, the first-ever dam was built across the river, and the structure sat partially underwater for almost 30 years. In 1960, a higher dam was slated to be built, and the temple would have become submerged entirely. UNESCO joined Egypt in the almost unimaginable task of digging the temple out of the murky water and relocating it on a manmade island about 500 meters from its original location. UNESCO called it "the greatest archaeological rescue campaign of all time.”
The Philae Temple was built by the last dynasty of ancient Egypt, the Ptolemaic. It is dedicated to Isis, the goddess of healing, birth, and magic, her husband Osiris, and their son Horus. The temple is one of the last places where ancient Egyptian religion survived after Christianity swept the shores in 550 AD.
On our way back to the boat Michael and I asked to be dropped at the Duty Free shop in town to buy some wine. This would have to be smuggled onboard, but worth it since minuscule glasses of marginal Egyptian wine were expensive. So why not have your own bottles of the same marginal wine safely stowed in your cabin?
After dinner, we headed straight to bed because we would be meeting our travel mates in the lobby of the boat for a 4:00 am departure to visit Abul Simbel, one of the “must-see” temples in all of Egypt. The next morning, we climbed into an oversized van for the six-hour drive.
The landscape was varied. Mostly desert - but then broad swaths of green fields benefiting from the regular irrigation made possible by the dam. When we reached our destination, we wondered why this temple was so far away from whatever the center of the universe was at the time. We soon learned this massive structure carved into a mountainside was to intimidate any marauders from the south. “Be ye warned - This is the mighty house of Ramses II. Turn back or die!
The Abu Simbel temple was indeed a magnificent site. And it, too, was reconstructed statue-by-statue and stone -by-stone to save it from the flooding caused by the High Dam. Even the mountain face was meticulously reproduced. The size of these things was mind-boggling; an ear on the ground had toppled from one of the five gargantuan statues of Ramses II, and it reached well above my knee.
Almost as distracting as the carvings and statues were the dozens of young women who were dressed in Egyptian finery or flowing, flower-covered dresses being photographed for Instagram posterity. They were everywhere and very determined. I felt for the sweating young men whose task it was to “get the shot.”
Looking back on our trip, we really didn’t stop to think about the heat. Late September was when we needed to be in Egypt if we were going to visit all five countries on our itinerary, so we just booked our two weeks and moved on with travel planning. But the heat did become a factor.
The heat and the line kept us from the Queen's temple at Abu Simbel - but even though this looks crowded, most of the sites were manageable because we traveled during the shoulder season.
We didn’t stand in the long queue to get into the Queen’s temple at Abu Simbel, and there were some other stops on the trip where we couldn’t fathom living under such a blazing sun. Whether in Egypt or Palm Springs!
The boat set sail, and we fell in line behind other behemoths making their way downriver like a herd of elephants. The scenery was beautiful, and we toasted our good fortune with a glass of our clandestine wine and a Scrabble game. We were feeling much better about our decision to visit Egypt. For now.
Next up: Temples on the Nile, a hot air balloon ride, luxury in Luxor, and final days in Alexandria.
Thanks for following along,
Debbie and Michael Campbell
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