5th June 2010 Had a lazy morning watching a Chinese movie with Katie interpreting, funniest thing ever. We are leaving the motel at 2pm for 2 nights on a felucca which is a traditional Egyptian sailboat of the type that has plied the Nile for centuries. Our first stop was to Kitcheners Island - this is a botanical garden and it was very pleasant to stroll between the trees after spending 3 days in the desert. The felucca was a unique and cultural expe...

4th June 2010 Up at 2.45am to visit Abu Simbel. We had a three hour bus trip in a police convoy for safety reasons. The first and last buses have armed police men on board for protection. There was a magnificent sun rise over the desert. We arrived at Abu Simbel and guarding the entrance to the temple, were 4 colossal statues of Ramses II sitting majestically staring out across the desert. The twin temples - Temple of Ramses and Temple of Queen Nefert...

2nd June 2010 Up at the crack of dawn for 12 hour drive through the desert and Oasis to the Nubian side of the Nile. Our first sighting of the Nile was the impressive Aswan Bridge. We stayed in a local Nubian house in the courtyard and had a Nubian traditional meal. The Nubians were to be our guides over the next few days. Under the stars again tonight. The Nubian women painted henna tattoos on our hands. 3rd June 2010 Our Nubian hosts take us on a ...