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EgyptAbusimbel |
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Time to go to the airport for our Air Egypt flight. 297 kilometers to the great temple of Abu Simbel. This temple was built by Ramses II, of the King of Egypt movie fame, over 3200 years ago to impress the Nubians with the power and glory of the Egyptian rule, it still does the same today. Our flight left on time but we had been enjoying ourselves talking with two professional photographers who had just driven from Jerusalem through Jordan and were doing a quick trip through Egypt. The flight includes bus transport from the small airport to the temple and there you purchase an expensive ticket that includes an entrance fee and a guide speaking your language of choice, our guide was excellent and clearly loved his job.
As soon as you walk around a nondescript hill there is the awesome temple entrance, a 420 meter high statues of Ramses II himself.
In the 1960's as the High Dam was being built and the water level in Lake Nasser began to rise Egyptian government began to realize that it would lose Abu Simbel to the depths. They were able to raise 36 million dollars from the United Nations and individual governments to relocate. Many ideas were submitted on how to engineer the relocation. Finally, it was decided to cut the temple into pieces--the mountain had to be cut away which would endanger the sandstone statues-steel supports were put inside. It took months to saw the huge temple apart and move the 3000 pieces to higher ground. Then it was reassembled with hollow concrete domes to support the artificial mountain...and there are two of these huge structures like next door neighbors. The temple of Hathor, is smaller and was dedicated to Ramses favorite wife Nefertari. The best parts of the tour were learning what some of the reliefs/hyrogliphics meant and the very end when you enter a small metal door into the artificial mountain. Standing outside you would never have guessed. Time is tight on the tour and we are forced to say good bye to this spectacular sight in the middle of the desert and get back to the airport. Abu Simbel was standing deserted again.
From the airport we go to Aswan's landmark hotel, Old Cataract. It is a grand place-old English feel with Egyptian accessories. We went for a quick bite to eat and the sunset on the Nile. Unfortunately, it was very expensive, not very good and we could have seen the sunset from our room. Closed the evening by visiting a floating restaurant for an early supper. Then took a boat back to our Club Med island and away from the business of the corniche. I did not want to tell another person where I was from, what my name was and no, I did not want a felucca ride!
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| This page last changed on 27-Apr-2006 23:38:39 EDT by 70.171.24.221. |
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