Day 4
Discover Egypt
We leave the hotel all still half asleep and head by mini bus to a meeting point. We arrive at the meeting point and it is a mass of buses and coaches all heading for the temple. The idea behind meeting up is that we will travel in convoy with a security escort, even though the risk of anything happen to someone in Egypt is very low. The journey takes around 3 hours and before long we find ourself walking down to the great temples. The site of these structures is unbelievable as they tower high into the hill side. This isn't the original site for the temples as they were cut into the cliff below us, but when the great dam was built it flooded the area so the these temples along with many more were moved and the thought of that in itself is just amazing. There are 2 temples here and both were built by Ramisis the second. After we have wandered around both temples we head back towards the bus, past many of the shops with and endless call from the traders to go in and look around. We board the bus and head back to Aswan. Once we get back it's time for a quick cold shower to bring us back to life and the off out again to visit the Nubian museum. But before we leave we goto a local take away for some Egyptian style sandwiches. After the museum we go back to the hotel and get a chance to chill for a few hours before some of us go to the Philae temple sound and light show. We are shuttled by bus to the dock and then taken by Motor launch across to Philae island. very much like Abu Simbel the island was going to be lost to the water when the dam was built. Not only did the move the temple the rebuilt the island exactly the same as the original before placing the temple back in place. The show was breathtaking as a narrator tells the tales of the temple and various lights illuminate the various parts of the temple. Once finished we head back to the town and have arranged to meet Tam in the Market. We sit outside a coffee shop drinking mint tea and chatting about the show. Then it's time to wander down through the market. We say good night to Tam and off we go. Greg and his family all have bits that they want to buy and it's not long before Greg finds his feet with the bartering. The only thing I buy is a Stella beer T-shirt which Greg buys one as well as he collects beer t shirts and shot glasses (I'm sure I know someone else that does that). We walk. Back to the hotel and turn in for the night. It will be nice not having to get up at sparrows fart in the morning and be able to have a bit of a lay in.