Last night was our Egyptian party! Most of us donned our Egyptian galabaias/caftans for dinner. It was fun seeing all the colorful outfits - most of them purchased after some bargaining. After dinner there was a party in the lounge with dancing and games. The games were a dance floor version of musical chairs and spoons. We didn't party too long because we all had to get up vey early the next morning (today).
Today was busy and exciting. We had docked the night before in Aswan and our morning sightseeing took place here. After a very early breakfast, we traveled to see Aswan's High dam. Built from 1961-1971 it created Lake Nasser and controlled the annual flood so that the Egyptians could raise crops 3 times a year instead of just once.
Our next stop was the Temple of Philae, built to honor the goddess Isis. It is named for the island which it stands and was moved from it's original spot where it was cover by Lake Nasser after the high dan was built. The setting here was gorgeous with the lake, flowers and greenery and the rock surrounding formations.
Our final stop in the morning was to see the unfinished obelisk. It sits in a giant granite quarry with a crack running down the top portion. It was to have been the tallest obelisk at 41 meters high. Archeologists believe it was being built for Ramses II. It is important because it has helped them to figure out how the Egyptians carved them.
At 11:00 we started on our 3 hour drive to Abu Simbul. We were part of multi-bus and van convoy. We saw miles and miles of the Sahara desert. Sprinkled in were some pyramid-like rock formations, an area where engineers have run a channel from the Nile so there are some plants and flowers and a mirage.
The long drive was worth it to see the Great Temple of Ramses II majestically facing Lake Nasser. Like Philae Temple, if was doomed to be submerged under the lake until under thr leadership of UNESCO money was raised to dismantle and move it before the high dam was finished. The original was built into a cliff which was also replicated. We also saw the Temple of Queen Nefetari that Ramses built to honor his queen, though 4 of the statues at the entrance are of Ramses II and only 2 are of the Queen. Hmmm....
We had a good amount of time to see each temple before going back to Aswan with our convoy. It was a long, but very interesting day.
Tonight is our last night aboard our ship. We have another early morning departure as we catch our 6:40 am flight from Aswan to Cairo tomorrow. We will do some sightseeing in Cairo in the morning and then drive north to Alexandria for the final part of our tour.
No comments:
Post a Comment