Transportation Egyptian Style

 

Monday, January 21, 2019. 4:40 AM.  From the Lobby of the Movenpick Resort, Aswan , Elephantine Island

Dear Friends and Family especially, Ellie, Anna and Tyler,

Grandma Gets to Ride a Camel Today!!

I guess I could name this, trains, planes, boats, motor coaches and camels…by the end of today I will have used all these modes of transportation in two days!

Report on Sunday: Another very early morning as we had to be at the Luxor train station by 4:30.  This was only a short motor coach ride from our hotel.  We had to have our luggage out ready for pick up by 3:15 so that’s meant only 3.5 hours of sleep.  As I have said before, sleep is highly overrated when there is so much  to see and do.

Our three hour train ride to Aswan was in a sleeping car with 2 to each sleeping section.  However, I didn’t sleep. The train was not new, In fact I think it was the same one possibly used by Howard Carter in 1922. As you can see from the photos out the windows, window washing is not high on the list duties for the staff.  (I will never again complain about the dirty windows on Amtrak) In fact when I used the restroom I realized that the holding tank was nonexistent as the toilet opened directly to the tracks.. That must be the reason the sign said not to use the toilet at a station. (LOL)

Our three hour trip to Aswan was along the Nile.  Parts of this area you could see the lush green of farmland on the right side, then the other window was desert. Very few houses or train tracks are in the prime agricultural Nile Plain.

We visited the Nubian Museum. We are now in the area of the later Egyptian Dynasties. Many of the artifacts have recently been uncovered, as for 5 + years Egyptologists from around the world worked to save the artifacts that would have been covered by the Aswan Dam in Lake Nassar. We were at one such site last night. The sound and light show it the Philae Temple.  It flooded off and on after the smaller British Dam was constructed, but the Aswan Dam would have covered it just as it would have Abu Simbel and the Temple of Dendur (Now in NYC at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.)  The light and sound show was in English with music and lights telling the story of the temple from ancient times to its current site and location.  Very impressive.

Today I’ll see the third restored ancient wonder at Abu Simbel. In fact this is where I will ride by Camel .  As I understand it there will be a ride from the motor coach to the site parking lot then the ride to Abu Simbel by camel! I will let you know what this feels like. Photos outside are free but the extra 350 Egyptian Pounds is so worth it for inside photos. I hope you are enjoying the pictures.

So today we will fly in a smaller plane from here to Abu Simbel to visit one of the what should be called one of the 8th wonders of the world.  Especially because to preserve it, engineers raised it over 250 feet above the lake. It was carved out of bedrock during, the reign of Ramses II to honor him.   I am excited to see the wonderful colors and carvings that have lasted for over 3000 years.

Now about river travel.  Yesterday we took ride on the Nile in a vintage Felucca. This was the main way of travel before the introduction of the train and steam boat travel  in the latter part of the 1800’s. But this was not the end of our travel by the Nile.  It appears that Elephantine Island can only be accessed by a Water Taxi. Think the old boat rides at an amusement park not the bright yellow one on Manhattan. Three taxi rides yesterday and at least two more today and tomorrow.

Our trip back to the hotel from Abu Simbel will be by Motor coach, so we will be able to experience the lake and the desert area in the border area of Egypt.

A quick note on security here.  I’ve never so many police and security when I’ve traveled. We have had an armed police officer on our bus in Cairo at at each site and yesterday there were three highly armed police officers along with to military guards for our Felucca ride. In Cairo we had a police escort for all our trips inside the coach and following us by police car. There is airport type security and screening of bags before you enter any building, historical site or your hotel. Even with the news in Syria, I feel very safe and super protected.

Well I need to close for now and begin working on the photos to send.  This is a 4 step process. I am so exited to share.

Ellen (Grandma)