Aswan, Abu Simbel, etc.

After a grueling 20 hour overnight train ride from Cairo to Aswan, we chilled out in town and went to bed early, in anticipation of our 3:00am wake-up call to catch a 4:00am mini-bus ride down to Abu Simbel.... 280 km away across the desert. The only way for tourists to get to Abu Simbel from Aswan is via armed police convoy.




Though departing for a sightseeing excursion at 4:00am is not my preferred way to travel, I did have the privilege of watching the sunrise over the desert. Quite spectacular.

One of the two great temples at Abu Simbel, commisioned and built by Ramses II in the 13th century B.C. to honour and immortalize himself and his wife Nefertari, who was the most beloved of his over a dozen wives. It is said that he conceived over 200 children with his various wives.

Some illegal photography of two striking statues inside the first temple at Abu Simbel. I got busted taking photographs inside the second temple and the guard forced me to delete the photos as he stood there. Luckily he did not see the ones I had taken earlier!

Standing above beautiful Lake Nasser. The lake was created as a result of the construction of the Aswan High Dam. It runs 350 km through Upper (Southern) Egypt and 150 km through northern Sudan.

The Greek-built temple of Philae, constructed between 380-280 B.C.