8 November

Now today really was THE day.
I had set my alarm for 0215 and got up, packed, showered and had my bag out by 0300 and was quickly up to have a cup of tea before leaving. We were nearly all at the bus by 0325 and we left at 0335 (after separating the bags which were to stay) for our epic journey – across the road to the airline terminal, which we reached, after problems with parking because so many buses arrived at once, at 0345.
Here we were off, got our bags and our breakfast boxes (including a bottle of water?) and formed a queue to go through the screening procedures before getting into the airport. Now the fun (?) started.
There were only two gates open. It looked like there were about three or four planes leaving at once, which meant nearly a thousand people were trying to get through. We duly took up our places, only to have another tour group push in front because their plane left at 0515 (not taking into account that ours left at 0445). We melded into that group to try to get through quickly and so I arrived, at the head of our group, to put my bags through (okay), to set off the metal detector (okay) but then when I was queried about my ticket, and could only reply that our tour guide had them all (for the whole group), I was told to re-enter and got asked the same again. I replied the same again, and after the fifth time I was getting dangerously close to landing one on the chin of this armed guard who wasn’t able to call out to someone only two metres away. Fortunately, just as I was getting ready, Hashem came over and tried to explain, but seemed to be getting the same response. After a few minutes, and the other tour guide becoming embroiled as well, I was allowed to go through and was followed by the others (who made comments such as, “I’m glad it was you and not me”, Why didn’t we get our tickets before” and so on). Now we were given our tickets and our bags were taken and we were told to go through to the boarding gate. At this stage, exasperated with the previous events, running late and just plain mad, I led Lin and Sue through the detectors to Gate 12 very quickly. The only problem was we left from Gate 11, so it was a quick about face and back through Gate 11 and onto a bus and onto the aircraft about five minutes before it was due to leave. At this stage, a group from another tour were around us and looked on in amazement was we proceeded to take our water and other liquids out and start on them. Their comment: “We were told to discard our water before the detectors – how did you get through?” Also, the boarding passes were issued for a few names but for multiple seats. I ended up with two Egyptians who were upgraded to First Class just before we left (at just after 0500), so had the row to myself.
We took off. Normally that’s where I would end, but about half-way through the runway run, the whole plane slewed to the side and everyone looked at each other and eyes were raised and fingers were crossed. We made it – otherwise this couldn’t have been written.
Bob then made comment that after getting his suitcase and having everything, he decided to only take a small bag with him for the Nile cruise, and then lost a corkscrew and other things because they were picked up in the detectors (not in hold luggage, as he didn’t have any).
The flight to Aswan was made in relative calm and the sun rose not long before we crossed the High Dam, circled over Lake Nasser and then came in for a landing. We were just about to think the pilot was getting better when, immediately after our wheels touched, the plane slewed right and left before repeating the procedure as the engines reversed thrust and we all held our breath again. We made it (heaven knows how because I don’t) and, after landing, got into a bus to travel about one hundred metres to the terminal. Here we got and claimed our luggage – or in some cases what was left of it, as for a few, there was damage. For one couple, the handle had been torn off. A porter loaded it into the bus and we were off – to see the High Dam.
This was a great piece of engineering, built by Egyptians under the supervision of Russians after a deal with the West fell through. It stores a lot of water and generates a lot of power, but I can’t help wondering at what cost. There now is no annual flooding, so no deposit of silt (with its long-term effects on the fertility of the Nile valley) downstream, yet all that silt now must be left in the dam, lessening the storage each year. Also, the Nubians displaced are now souvenir sellers, which does not lend this graceful group of people a great stature in the eyes of visitors.
We then headed off to take a boat to Phillae, where we saw temples which had been moved from the original island to their new location. Boats taking tourists formed veritable flotillas and the souvenir sellers came on the boats, not to waste a moment when sales could be made.
On the island we got a tour of the temples and the story of the flooding of the original site and tours undertaken by boat around columns which we were able to walk around. The site was magnificent, and when we had a (short) time to walk around and look, full of ambience. Again, too soon, we had to board the boat and return to the bus.
At this point, we headed off to the quarry, where an unfinished obelisk of well over a thousand tonnes was all that remained of many obelisks and other items which had been created here and then floated down the Nile (to Luxor, Cairo and other places, and eventually to many places through out the world). We had to leave here by 1100 to be in convey to go to Abu Simbel, so those who were not going (and instead going straight to the ship) departed to travel by a minibus while we gathered together (once everyone finally arrived).
The convoy was a police vehicle, police aboard buses with tourists, taxis and private cars and finally another police vehicle at the end. We headed out and into the desert, today travelling at a more sedate 100 kilometres per hour.
The desert was more like a real sandy desert, but with settlements, oases and canals, it looks like the area may soon be settled and under agriculture. We passed the early-morning convoy returning after about an hour or so. There were many places which were isolated and occasional police check points and we finally arrived at Abu Simbel for a needed toilet stop and our tour of the temples.
We walked around to a view of the lake and a mound, and were told to keep our eyes on the path and the lake. Then, at once, we were all told to look to the left and see the temple – and a magnificent sight it was, all the more because it had been moved to there. Once again we couldn’t take photos inside, so that will have to be left to later to explain, or to see through commercial views. It was truly a testament to what can be done by sheer manpower, as its size is large even today. Next to it is a smaller temple, but only in size, not in impact. As was now the norm, the just under two hours we had was not sufficient to do them justice, but we had to leave to accompany the convey back to Aswan.
Darkness fell during our return journey and it was after 1900 by the time we returned to Aswan and the ship. Just before dinner, I ran into two Americans, Chris and Sheila, who I had seen in the airport. They were doing an independent tour of Egypt, joining different groups to see different features, but had not seen Abu Simbel. We talked about touring and then separated for dinner.
Not long after dinner I went off to my cabin and to bed.