Our destination was Abu Simbel, a large maze like temple built for Rameses II. Next to his temple is the temple he built for his queen Nefatiri. We were woken up at 6-45am at the gates. Apparently we were one of other first few buses to arrive there. The site opens at 6am. According to Rafik at that point there would be about 400 people there. Within the next 20 minutes it would jump to 3000. So we jump off the bus and walk quickly and in military fashion to the gates to get through before everyone else. Our plan worked. There were only a few other groups around and the temples were mostly empty.
The outside of the temple were these incredible giant statues,the inside was covered in carvings. There were decorated grain storage rooms off shooting from the main chamber. In one of these rooms was possible one of the most intriguing sites Ive seen so far. This room is unfinished because Ramses died while the temple was in construction. The wall had the same large, repeated images Ramses giving grain to Horus for the most part. Three quarters down the wall the engraving stops. Instead the picture is drawn out in charcoal or paint. We were told that first the picture was drawn, then was carved. This drawing, the section they painted but never got to carve, feels more alive than any of the old sites Ive seen here. It feels as though it could have been painted yesterday. The lines are in perfect condition, not chipped or faded in any way. It was really beautiful.
3 hours back. I sleep for most it, waking up at 12 back at the boat for lunch. Every lunch on the boat is a buffet which different veg dishes,plus 2 meat dishes. One of those dishes today was liver. I ate it, no one else seemed to want to touch it. A few squirmed when they found out what it was.
After lunch we had free time. Mel, Emily, Eeno, some other girls and I went to check out the Aswan markets. We all went to a jewelery shop that engraved personalised cartouches. The cartouche is a hieroglyphic name inside an oval shape that historically represented the name of a pharoh or god. The necklaces are silver and I got a thin silver chain to put mine on. While we waiting for the engraving we checked out the markets. The shop keepers there are quite intrusive. Some even grabbed you by the arm. Surfice to say, they are not getting our bussiness. Instead, we went to get groceries at the little stall of a nice old man someone had gone to previously. He wasnt pushing and didnt try to sell us anything. Plus his water was really cheap (2.5 LE for 1.5L, about 50cents). I much preferred giving my business to him.
I went up to the pool deck on the boat to have a dip. The pool is small and mostly shallow, but more than big enough for a cooling off. I sat with the girls, drinking large bottles of egyptian stella in the pool. Then we sun tanned until the sun disappeared behind the palms that frame the river. I think Im even starting to get a tan, which is very exciting.
Desert tonight was all sorts of exotic pastries and sweets. The best was the slice of baklava, as well as the small honey pastries. There were even these sticky honey balls that tastes like sticky honey chicken if someone forgot to add the chicken.
After dinner a few of us went to the top deck. We lay on the deck chairs and watched the stars. The dust and smog hides most of the sky, but the stars that peek through are blinding bright. The wind was just the right temperature to keep us warm but not make us hot. All we could hear was the river.
It was at about this point I checked my camera. It had been acting up all afternoon, but now would not turn on or off properly. It had been months and months since I had dropped it, so I couldnt work out why it was dying now. I thought many the heat was getting to it. By the end of the night it wouldnt turn on at all. It had a good two year run.
I was the last person left lying there as everyone else had retreated to bed after such an early start. I went inside to the lounge to find the other topdeckers chatted on long round couches beside a cheesy 80s dance floor. Russell, Rianna, Emily (all English) and I got some cards and went out to the pool deck to play. Russell taught Emily and I an Israeli game called Yanef. I lost, but it was a lot of fun. We were interrupted intermittently by the French tour group. They were all drunk and dressed in belly dancing outfits. We were shanghaied into their conga line, but worked our way free. They outlasted all of us youngsters, as we headed in at around 12.
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