In the morning, we went to the Aswan airport to fly south (approx. 300 kms) to see the temple of Ramses The Second at Abu Simbel. The airport is part airport and part airforce base, so the security was very tight. Driving in, we saw many bunkers that held fighter jets. After a delay, we boarded the plane (Egypt Air) and taxied down a runway to get to another. On the way, I noticed a piece of burnt fuselage from a plane lying on the edge of the runway. Not what I wanted to see. The flight took about 25 minutes. With about 10 minutes left in the flight, the plane lurched violently to the left. Everyone just thought it was just turbulence, but were startled just the same. We approached Abu Simbel and flew across part of Lake Nasser. It's a very beautiful sight from the air. Lots of high, almost mountain-like dunes surrounding the shore.
South end of Lake Nasser (approximately 10,000 feet)
When we got close to the ground, the pilot was having trouble keeping the plane steady. (this was the only time I have been nervous on an airplane) We hit the runway very hard and fast. After getting off the plane, there was a fire brigade waiting for us. Not what I wanted to see. A few days after arriving at home, I asked the father of a friend about this. He flies for a commercial airline and he said that lurch during the flight was probably because one of the engines had failed. Not what I wanted to hear. If that had happened during the landing, I think that there was a good chance we could have crashed.
So after that ordeal, we took a short bus ride to the temple. (I had a feeling that this was going to be one of the highlights of the trip for me....and I wasn't disappointed.) The temple of Ramses The Second is incredible. Pictures do not do it justice. The statues here are absolutely enormous!!
(To see some great shots of this temple, click on the photo below.)
Temple of Ramses The Second, built during his reign in the 19th dynasty (1298-1235 bc)
After that amazing experience, we went back to the ship to cruise the rest of the day.
(to see photos of the Nile from the ship, click on the photo below)
Just before dusk we arrived at Kom Ombo, where the temples dedicated to the gods Haroeris (one of the many personifications of the Sun-Horus) and Sobek (one of the creator gods who represents chaos and upheaval). These temples were built by the Ptolemies who ruled toward the end of the Egyptian civilization (from 311 to around 44 bc when the Romans took control, and then the ancient Egyptian way of life died out . They reconstructed the temples originally built by Amenophis The First and Thutmosis The Third nearly a thousand years earlier.
(to see photos of these temples, click on the photo below)
After leaving Kom Ombo, we sailed to Edfu where we docked for the night. Later that night we had a party and everyone had to dress up in Arab clothes. This was pretty fun and everyone looked great.
Sorry the pictures are in black and white. I forgot to change back to normal film after trying to take detailed pictures of hieroglyphs earlier in the day. I hope to get color ones in the near future from someone else that was on the trip. That's me on the left.
The Contiki group.....minus Samantha, who was sick. She was one of the only casualties on the trip. I expected more, but we were all pretty careful of what we ate and drank.
