Abu Simbel – Like the Alhumbra – A MUST SEE!

I’m quickly stealing some WIFI time – it’s 5:00 AM here in Egypt on Feb 7th – and I want to get one more blog done before we lose WIFI for several days.

I’ll do my best.

As instructed, we get up at 1:00 AM, put our packed luggage outside our door by 1:30 AM, and gather in the lobby. The Kempinski has prepared packed breakfast for us – and is serving coffee and tea. I can’t drink coffee at 1:30 in the morning – so settle for hot water.

We are begining to recognize our fellow travellers – and they are a very well traveled group of folks! Several have done multiple trips with Odyssey – one couple has doen at least 15 trips – others are more in the 5 or 6 range. Their reasons for choosing Odyseey – much like mine -are the variety of the trips and the high level of service and accomadation. But don’t let that fool you – it’s also the top level guides that determine (as per our fellow traveleers) the enjoyment of the trip – and I must say Hussain has definitely impressed me.

Anyway – we need to get to the airport. It uurns out that just having a reservation doesn’t guarentee you a seat on a specific flight. You have to show up at the airport and check-in. And there are hurtles to cross on the way to that goal.

For once in my traveling career – I’m delighted hand over all responsibilty to someone else. Just listening to him explain all the steps we must accomplish just to check-in daunts me.

I must say that at 2:00 AM, Cairo is a slightly different place. There are still lots of folks walking and driving around – the number of motor bikes is incredible – I think they might match the number of cars. But you don’t see any bicycles – interesting, eh? But the heat in summer probably makes any kind of manual labor challenging – bike riding included!

There are often folks sitting on sidewalks with their legs in the street. Hussain simply says they are stupid – and it is a rather dangerous position given the number of cars roaring past, but I suspect it’s a lack of seating. If you sit on the sidewalk curb, your legs are more comfortable than if you try to squat against a building – and you are probably less likely to be asked to leave. Clearly Hussain doesn’t want to discuss this – but since I often want to sit down rather than stand – I definitely notice the lack of ‘sitting’ options. There are some – just not a lot.

There are also a lot of police presence. And they are clearly ‘working’. We spot at least 10 different large groups of police cars/vans stopping cars and pedestrians, and pass numerous police standing and keeping watch behind steel vertical barriers. They are armed, and alert. And I don’t dare try to snap a picture.

Just as we are leaving the hotel, a police transport van pulls in – and discharges a large group of uniformed soliders – armed with rifles or AK-47s. They quickly disappear into the alley behind the Kempinski.

I think I mentioned earlier that we often have a ‘security’ guard with us on the bus. This morning is no different – we wait till he joins us, and then we head out to the airport.

I’m proably way too nosey for my own good – but I can’t help but see how many shops are still ‘open’, and how many men are wandering the streets in small groups. You would not see this in downtown Montreal.

I think to myself – we are so blessed.

We go thru 2 levels of security as we near the airport, then the bus parks and we all climb out. Porters take the suitcases (I check – yup ours are still in the pile), and we start thru the levels of security to get into the airport.

First we put all our carried on items thru a scanner, walk thru what looks like a metal detector – but are individually patted down afterwards. I’m guessing that the detector is not working. The pat down – done by a young woman in my case – and a man for Victor – is quite complete. Both of my legs, my arms, my chest, and my back are patted down. I have to remove my hat (it goes thru the scanner), and of course all electronics. All we bring with us for the pat-down are our tickets and our passports.

Once thru that – we move into the airport proper – and line up for another check – this one is a passport verification. Then we get to the domestic check-in line, and are quickly processed. The airline attendant offers to check Victor’s carry-on (for free) and we agree. I keep mine with me – I’ve already been told that 4 of our fellow travelers have no luggage – I’m not letting my clothes for the next 4 months out of my hands!

We wait while Hussain tries to figure out where the missing luggage is today – it was misplaced on the trips here – one set in Vienna, one in Instanbul. I think they locate the luggage from Vienna – but the suitcases mis-directed in Instanbul are still missing. I hope they show up. We are getting on a ship at our destination – and not having your suitcases – sheesh.

Anyway – we follow Hussain thru another two lines of security – one is another full pat down, one is a shoe-less version.

Finally we are at our gate. I eat some of the breakfast packed for us by the Kempinski (yum) – and we have hurried up to wait. Apparently we are on the 2nd flight out to Ashwan this morning – but since it’s still very dark – I’m not worried.

Plane loads up – we do the quick 1.25 hr trip to Ashwan to land in a completely different world.

First off – Ashwan is a lot warmer than Cairo and I’m over-dressed. And there are a lot less people and a lot more military.

We board our waiting bus – no security to leave the airport so that’s fast – and the porters again handle the luggage. We watch carefully to be sure our suitcases are all accounted for – and notice that now red stickers have been added with the numbers 508. Wonder why?

It is a 4 hour trip to Abu Simbel – and we are driving thru the Sahari Desert. There will be just one bathroom stop at the half-way mark – so I drink my water very slowly. I also finish all the food packed for us by the Kempinski – and it’s barely 8:00 AM. At least the sun is up.

Unlike the Gobi Desert – which was white and soft sand – the Sahari – at least here is flat and more red-ish. There are also surprising large patches of green.

Military duty is required of all men in Egypt. Men with less education serve 3 years, men with high school education serve 2, and those with University degrees serve 1 year. That makes for a lot of Miliary – and finding things for them to do is a challenge. So 20 years ago – the government decided that the Military should create farms in the desert and grow important food crops like wheat and alfalfa. And that having the Military build factories in the desert would be a good idea as well. The isssue is that factories built and run by the military don’t have to follow the same rules as factories built by private interests – and thus have much lower costs. Apparently 75% of the current production is now being done by these factories. The farms have been less successful – adding only 5% to the amount of food grown. Since they are located in the desert – the amount of water drawn from Lake Nassar to keep these farms green (and they are very green) is huge.

Eventually we get to our bathroom break – which everyone agrees is very unique. Part huge area of toilets – Part small snack bar – Part local coffee and Hooka shop – it’s our first look at how ‘real’ Egyptians travel. Lots of photos are taken!

I’m begining to feel the negative effects of getting up at 1:00 AM and having to travel and find 2 seats in the bus that are un-occupied. I curl up and nap – and wake up to find a completely silent bus! Everyone has gotten out – leaving me behind! The doors are all locked closed – and I have a moment of panic. But then I spot our bus driver and bang on the window. He opens the door and points to where the group is gathering in preperation to go into Abu Simbel. Whew, I didn’t miss anything – and I grabbed about an hour and a half nap. Works for me.

We walk with our whispers into the Temple area. Hussain hands out our tickets, we pass the gates, and continue down a beautiful manicured walkway with flowering bushes and some trees towards two large mounds. When we round the mounds with Lake Nassar behind us – we come face to face with Abu Simbel.

Stunning. Glorious. Amazing. Once in a life time. Incredible.

I simply am in shock. This is Ramses II Temple – created here 4000 years ago to celebrate his first victory over the Hittites at age 25 and completed only a few years before his death at age 97.

No wonder UNESCO saved this wonder of the ancient world from the waters of Lake Nasser.

It was originally located about 200 yards away – the top of the temple ending about 60 yards below the current level of the water. It was cut into large squares, GPS scanned – and reassembled here – still oriented towards the sun so that the face of Ramses II in the inner most chamber is illuminated only twice a year – on his birthday, and on the anniversary of his becoming king.

But it’s not just the outside that’s glorious – inside are some of the most magnificant examples of heirogliphic art I’ve ever ever seen.

I always thought of heirogliphics are flat and rather stilted – but here – in situ – with the shadows and natural lighting (and lots of help by artifical lighting as well) – they literally come alive. It’s hard to describe exactly how magnificantly beautiful these paintings are – but it’s easy to say – you must come and see them for yourself.

One of our fellow travelers – who has come to Egypt several times – told us that this was his first time making the trip to Abu Simbel – normally he stops at Luxor – but he should have made coming here a priority. It is truly unique and different and wonderful.

We then go into the smaller – but still insanely beautiful temple to Ramses II primary wife (he had over 100 kids – so there were lots of woman to choose from) Nefertari. I’m even more stunned by these images. The dresses seem to swirl around the legs – and there is no question that she is serving the gods (and Ramses II).

I would easily stay longer – and I’m sorry that Hussien isn’t allowed inside with us to describe what we are seeing – but there are rules.

I did some research – and if you look up Abu Simbel there are video’s on the internet. I’m going to be watching them – I suggest you do to!

We gather again, brave our way past the vendors desperate to sell us something – one man bargained himself from $40 for a blouse down to $6 – while our fellow traveler ignored him – and reboard the bus.

This time we are taking a very short drive down to a boat launch where we will take a 25 passenger skiff to our ship. The Omar El Khayam will be our home for the next few days as we cruise around Lake Nasser admiring the Nubian momuments saved from its waters in 1960-1965.

Our check-in is seamless – 508 is our room number – and we get to finally eat lunch and nap.

Today’s evening activity is a sound and light show at Abu Simbel so we gather at 6:30 to make the short trip by boat back to the bus parking area – and from there go back to the park. We get seats and relax watching the sunset and the sky go dark.

The sound and light show is a good effort. The music is very dramatic and coordinates with the story line and the projected videos. I enjoy it – but I’m really looking forward to dinner.

At the end, we walk back to the bus and then to the skiff and then to the ship. I’m convinced that we are making a big circle – so I decide to verify my thinking the next day when we sail on toward Ashwan. But for tonight – I love dinner – Veal Chops are yummy and I see cooked carrots! Vegtables – I’m so excited I actually get seconds.

We enjoy an animated conversation with some of our new friends – Tom, Sherie, Pam, Susan and Andrea – then it’s back to our room. They tell us that WIFI is going to stop as soon as the ship sails – so I grab my chance to quickly do at least one blog – and when I start seeing double – I head off for bed. Tomorrow is a long needed ‘quiet’ day – we sail at 6:15 and do a pass by to see sunrise on Abu Simbel at 6:30. Then at 10:30 we’ll pass by the remains of an historically famous – but currently in ruins – fort called Kasr Ibrim. I’m totally looking forward to a quiet day. I feel a bit like I’ve been go go going for ever!

Signing off to head off to bed – The Soup Lady