Today included another very early morning. We were up, showered, packed and leaving the hotel by 4:30am-breakfast boxes in tow. This one had a few more options, including chips. Nice.
We had an almost 4 hour ride in our van to get to Abu Simbel Temples. It’s close to the Sudan border and not much was visible between Aswan and there.. mostly open desert for as far as the eye can see. Andrea got some fantastic pictures of the sunrise along the way.
We got to the temples just after 8am, including a pit stop for the bathroom and a coffee. At the pit stop we saw all the big tour buses coming in, so we rushed a little, to try and beat the crowd to the temples. This is a place I’ve been soooo looking forward to seeing with my own eyes, the magnitude of the statues-I didn’t want another 300 people to shuffle through with me.
When we got through the entry point, Osama saw the excitement on our faces and let us go without explaining first-so we could get our pretty pictures without all of the people, and then learn about it afterwards. I don’t think he minded being able to wait for us in the shade, and I was brought to tears by the beauty of it all. Some things just need to be taken in before they’re explained.
The first temple was built by King Ramsey II, and outside into the mountainside there were four statues of himself that were over 60 feet tall. They were incredible to witness in person and to walk between. Inside the temple were columns and statues all of Ramses, and the scenes etched into the walls were of his great battles. My favorite piece is the one with him on a chariot shooting an arrow (it looks like Sagittarius to me lol).
The second temple is also stunning. It was built by Ramses for his wife, Nefritari. Outside, there are 6 statues carved into the mountainside, all over 30 feet tall. Two on each side of the entrance are of the King and one on each side is is the Queen, but they’re all the same height, which wasn’t something typically done. Usually queens are made shorter than the kings. Inside was also gorgeous, with scenes including Ramses and Nefritari making offerings to the goddess Hathor. I’m not great with the details, but there was more of a softness to this temple compared to the battle scenes in the other. The beauty in the carvings was undeniable.
We enjoyed our time, walking around and taking it all in. When we made it back to Osama, he explained what we saw and answered our questions. We were extremely pleased to do this in the shade, because about half way through the temples, the tour buses descended upon us and it got HOT and way too crowded. He would have been shouting over entirely too many people. We got back in the van and took naps on our very long ride back to Aswan.
Exhausted, we made it back to Aswan. Osama surprised us with ice cream before getting us checked in on our Nile River cruise ship: Le Fayan. Y’all. It is GORGEOUS. It is so beautifully decorated and the rooms are spacious for being a cruise! I was thrilled! We got our room keys and then headed off to eat lunch on board. It was set up buffet style and the food was perfect.
With full bellies and free time, we explored the ship before giving in and taking naps. I know I accidentally conked out pretty quick. By the time we were all awake again, the sun had set and there wasn’t much to do but wait for it to be dinner time. We strolled the top deck, lounging for awhile taking in the city lights of Aswan.
When we went downstairs for dinner, we were told they weren’t quite ready for us yet, so we strolled back upstairs to the little shops on board. Mom found some earrings and Terri found a pretty dress. By the time we were finished shopping, it was dinner time! We chose our dinner order at lunchtime, since this meal wasn’t buffet style. I had a chicken Cesar salad, creamy mushroom soup, beef medallions with herb sauce, and a brownie with ice cream. It was all superb.
When we got back to the room, I didn’t even last 20 minutes before I was asleep. Mom said she was going to brush her teeth and that’s the last thing I recall before waking up this morning. I think it was a pretty good day!