We'd been warned previously that the flight to Abu Simbel might require that we get a wake up call at 3am. Thankfully this wasn’t the case as the flight was scheduled for 10:30am. After breakfast, I was feeling quite off colour - feeling a build-up to exploding, possibly out of both sides. So I took it fairly easy. And when we got to Aswan airport & the flight was delayed by 30 mins, it gave me ample opportunity to pay a lengthy visit to the local facilities. Which I did & was even happy to pay 1EP to do.
After a good bowel cleansing, & drinking plenty of water, I felt quite a lot better & was ready to battle the 40 degree heat in Abu Simbel. (Not sure how people cope in the off-season where temperatures can get up to 50 degrees or more here). This was an optional trip on the tour & there were a couple of people who chose not to go. But I’d been told by friends that this was a must-see trip, so it was something I was determined to do.
The Air Memphis plane seemed to date back to the 1960s, its condition reflecting that assumption. There were only a few seats left when I boarded the aircraft - right up the back in a windowless window seat, located next to the engine at the back of the plane. One thing I was extremely relieved of was that my seatbelt worked, cause at the point I sat down, I wasn’t entirely sure I was going to survive the trip. The steward sat in a fold-up chair between the 2 toilets at the back of the plane. I’m sure I saw him praying during the 30-min flight. Cause we could see out the plane from the back row of seats, we thought we’d hit a really rough patch of turbulence when in fact we’d landed. Got there safely!
Showing posts with label Aswan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aswan. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
3 Square Meals a Day
If I was a bit hungry before the cruise, I certainly couldn’t go hungry once I was onboard. We were served three huge meals a day, with lunch & dinner following a theme each day (oriental, Egyptian). For breakfast you could even get an omelette cooked right in front of you. And with dessert on offer at both lunch & dinner, I found it impossible to resist at least a small selection of the offerings. I’m sure I’m gaining weight every day I’m on board - thank God it’s only a 3-night cruise!
Aswan Markets Adventure
On the way back from the Philae Temple, we were dropped off in front of the Aswan Markets for a stroll. We had 1½ hours before we had to be back for dinner at 8pm. I headed out with a group of people including Kirsten, Kym, Kristen, Sue, & Jess. Kym was told by many Egyptians that he was a very lucky man to have so many women. A small group of teenage girls stopped & I had a brief chat with them & they wanted a photo too - nice.
When we got to the main market section, a few people in the group jumped in for some early buys - I think the price they paid was still a tad too high. Not knowing exactly what it was I wanted, I did know that I had few warm weather clothes & was stifling hot wearing jeans/pants & closed shoes every day. So I figured if I could get some light cotton pants/shorts & a pair of sandals/thongs, I’d be happy.
I saw an turquoise coloured scarf that would suit Bec down to the ground, & so the bargaining began. He started at 250EP. I started at 15EP. We haggled back & forth - I was stubbornly refusing to budge. He got down to 60EP before I said I needed to go. I promised to return for further negotiation - he was a shrewd man.
We wandered slowly through the marketplace, eyes wide at the various stands selling lots of (mostly tourist) goods. I liked the cotton shirts that were available at many stands & so started bargaining for one. I got him from 160EP down to 20EP for a sale. He said, with his friends, that I must be Egyptian cause I bargain like an Egyptian woman - I took it as a compliment, even though I wasn’t offered any camels.
Towards the end of our market trip, I returned as promised to the scarf man for further negotiation. He started at 100EP & I reminded him that he’d been down to 60EP. Kirsten was with me as I haggled further. He came slowly down to 30EP, but I stood my ground at 20EP. Then he, unhappily, offered it for 25EP. I walked away. I didn’t know that a couple of other girls in the group bought scarves off him for 60EP until Kirsten told me at this point. Kirsten yelled at him that he was a bad man for ripping them off making them pay a higher amount. I went back & bought it for 25EP.
When we got to the main market section, a few people in the group jumped in for some early buys - I think the price they paid was still a tad too high. Not knowing exactly what it was I wanted, I did know that I had few warm weather clothes & was stifling hot wearing jeans/pants & closed shoes every day. So I figured if I could get some light cotton pants/shorts & a pair of sandals/thongs, I’d be happy.
I saw an turquoise coloured scarf that would suit Bec down to the ground, & so the bargaining began. He started at 250EP. I started at 15EP. We haggled back & forth - I was stubbornly refusing to budge. He got down to 60EP before I said I needed to go. I promised to return for further negotiation - he was a shrewd man.
We wandered slowly through the marketplace, eyes wide at the various stands selling lots of (mostly tourist) goods. I liked the cotton shirts that were available at many stands & so started bargaining for one. I got him from 160EP down to 20EP for a sale. He said, with his friends, that I must be Egyptian cause I bargain like an Egyptian woman - I took it as a compliment, even though I wasn’t offered any camels.
Towards the end of our market trip, I returned as promised to the scarf man for further negotiation. He started at 100EP & I reminded him that he’d been down to 60EP. Kirsten was with me as I haggled further. He came slowly down to 30EP, but I stood my ground at 20EP. Then he, unhappily, offered it for 25EP. I walked away. I didn’t know that a couple of other girls in the group bought scarves off him for 60EP until Kirsten told me at this point. Kirsten yelled at him that he was a bad man for ripping them off making them pay a higher amount. I went back & bought it for 25EP.
Philae Temple
After the extra exciting dam visit, we jumped back on the bus & rode out to the pick up point for the Philae Temple, a temple dedicated to the Goddess Isis. In the area where the small boats would take us across the lake, there were a few fairly aggressive sellers showing their goods. But we managed to get through there unscathed & boarded the boat ready for our mini journey. There was a teenage boy on the boat selling his wares at very reasonable prices & I bought 3 bracelets which I supposed could always be given as gifts here & there.
The temple itself had been moved from a lower island that kept on being flooded to a higher island that was protected from flooding. The relocation itself took 10 years, with the temple divided into blocks, numbered, then moved a piece at a time with painstaking effort.
The temple was exquisite, with little nooks & crannies that you could explore. And with the sun setting, it threw some beautiful colours on to the temple walls & surrounding lake & rocks.
The temple itself had been moved from a lower island that kept on being flooded to a higher island that was protected from flooding. The relocation itself took 10 years, with the temple divided into blocks, numbered, then moved a piece at a time with painstaking effort.
The temple was exquisite, with little nooks & crannies that you could explore. And with the sun setting, it threw some beautiful colours on to the temple walls & surrounding lake & rocks.
Zapped on Entry
Every tourist site, airport, ship, & train station requires that you go through a set of security measures. This often means not only having your bag sent through an x-ray machine, but also that you have to go through one of those detection frames you find at airports. I could never work out how they could tell if something was detected cause they often made the same noise for everyone. But, I guess, tourists have been killed over the years by radicals intent on destroying western devils, so if they are even able to keep out one or two weirdos a year, it’s well worth it.
Aswan High Dam
Our first stop was at the Aswan High Dam, (not-so) strictly controlled by the Egyptian military. If there was a dam that, if bombed & destroyed, could completely wipe out the whole country through flooding, I’d want it to be completed protected 24/7 with as much military gear as possible (ok, without going overboard). But ‘protection’ here was scant & didn’t really reflect the strategic importance of the dam.
The stop itself was hot & boring (37 degrees here today) & I wondered why it was included on the itinerary at all.
The stop itself was hot & boring (37 degrees here today) & I wondered why it was included on the itinerary at all.
9th Nov - On to the Cruiser!
Our train took eons to pull up at Aswan Station after travelling for over 900 kms to get there. Once there, we had to get off pretty quickly, so my bags were packed & ready to roll. What I loved about this trip, as compared with China, was that other people had the privilege of carrying my backpack - wonderful! We all jumped on a bus (getting pretty used to this) & were transported to the Nile Cruiser ship, La Terrasse - interesting name for an Egyptian ship. The cruiser was reputedly 5-star, but would probably match a 3-4 star elsewhere. Seemingly the star system here is self-rated, opening a world of possibilities for all ships & hotels to claim to be whatever they wish.
We’d been assigned a room, & even though I’d paid for a single supplement, I ended up sharing with Kirsten simply because the cruise had been overbooked. Our room was below the reception desk level, eyes equal to the water line. We were both itching for a shower & the day before had been busy & dirty & the train didn’t offer a chance to clean up properly.
We’d been assigned a room, & even though I’d paid for a single supplement, I ended up sharing with Kirsten simply because the cruise had been overbooked. Our room was below the reception desk level, eyes equal to the water line. We were both itching for a shower & the day before had been busy & dirty & the train didn’t offer a chance to clean up properly.
Overnight Train Trip - Cairo to Aswan
After waiting a full hour at the train station, we boarded the sleeper train at about 9pm. Lucky me again as I scored a cabin of my own which allowed me to really spread & & relax into my little space. While the seats weren’t the comfiest, the bed was actually quite nice. I said no to the complimentary dinner offered - couldn’t fit another thing in after the big I’d had beforehand. And by 10:30pm I was out like a light.
I woke up at about 8am after sleeping quite well, even though it was a rocky ride. On going for my morning toilet stop, I noted a whole lot of huge red spots on my face & right arm. There must have been something in the pillow I slept on - possibly bed bugs it was suggested. Yuk! But I did feel refreshed & ready to take on the day.
I happened to find a pearl, probably from an earring, in my cabin. Thinking it was of little value to me, I gave it to the steward who was very pleased. At breakfast my wheat-free diet was forever thrown to the wind here in Egypt. The meal consisted of a croissant, white bread, white bread roll, biscuit, jam, butter & a cup of tea. I ate only the croissant with jam & butter, followed by a cuppa tea.
I woke up at about 8am after sleeping quite well, even though it was a rocky ride. On going for my morning toilet stop, I noted a whole lot of huge red spots on my face & right arm. There must have been something in the pillow I slept on - possibly bed bugs it was suggested. Yuk! But I did feel refreshed & ready to take on the day.
I happened to find a pearl, probably from an earring, in my cabin. Thinking it was of little value to me, I gave it to the steward who was very pleased. At breakfast my wheat-free diet was forever thrown to the wind here in Egypt. The meal consisted of a croissant, white bread, white bread roll, biscuit, jam, butter & a cup of tea. I ate only the croissant with jam & butter, followed by a cuppa tea.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
