We opted for a domestic flight to get to Aswan. Once in Aswan we checked in to our hotel. Once our taxi turned off of the main road and onto the road to the hotel there was a big difference. Instead of pavement it was dirt and rubble on either side. There were unattended garbage fires and dogs everywhere. The hotel itself was nice, though, with many balconies overlooking the Nile and one of the islands. Across the Nile we could see a Nubian village, with bright blue buildings.

Our first morning was an early one with a 2:00am pick up for our tour to Abu Simbel. It was a 3 hour drive from Aswan, getting us to the bottom of Egypt near the border. Our group had breakfast at a small restaurant before getting to the temples we had come for. The temples in Abu Simbel were built for Pharaoh Ramses II. There are two, one large one dedicated to Ramses ll and the smaller one was for Queen Nefertari, said to be his favorite wife.

The two temples have been moved from their original location as the river water levels were getting too high and they were being covered due to a dam that was built nearby. Unesco helped move the temples piece by piece and re built them exactly as found up a few meters on the bank. These temples were very crowded, more so than the pyramids. Inside both temples were hieroglyphics, statues, and paintings. After enjoying the temples we drove back to Aswan, arriving at 1:00pm.

Our second full day in Aswan we made our way via tuk tuk to the market near the ferry port. We walked through the market looking at the various spices and dried fruits. At the harbor all the stairs to the ferries seemed to be blocked off. A man asked us if we wanted to go on his boat instead. He had an old sail boat that we used to get across to the West Bank.

We started by visiting the Dome of Abu Al-Hawa and the Tombs of the Nobles of Aswan. First we saw the tomb of Sirenput ll from the middle kingdom, 1971 – 1928 B.C. It was incredibly well perserved and we were the only ones there, which was a nice contrast to the day before with the crowds at Abu Simbel. It was a family tomb with baskets of the bones still remaining inside. There was a table made of rock with engravings used for sacrifices, and many paintings inside.

The second tomb was of Mwkho and Sabni, old kingdom 2345 B.C. This tomb was larger than the first and had many deep entrances to tombs inside. We could tell it was older as the paint was much more worn, barely visible, and the engravings were also faded. It was still very cool.

We walked around the rest of the ruins of the tombs and up to the top of the hill. At the top was the Dome of Abu Al-Hawa. From here there was an incredible view of the Nile and West Bank. We could also see the main city of Aswan. There were lots of local children who were so excited to practice their English with us. They could say hello, what’s your name, where are you from, and other classic basic sentences. They were so giddy to be talking with us and were adorable.

Back on the boat we sailed down the Nile slowly making our way to the Nubian Village we could see from our hotel balcony. Nick and I enjoyed a nice lunch of mixed grilled meats, hibiscus tea, and mango juice. After lunch we walked around the village taking in their famously colorful buildings. There were many people riding camels through the village. After that we started the sail back and got off the boat on the side of the Nile we stayed at. The guy who sailed us was of course trying to get us to pay him more money but it all worked out in the end. We found a tuk tuk to bring us back to the market near our hotel.