Aswan

Monday, Sept. 27
This was a busy day with little escape from the heat. We had docked in Aswan and in the morning went to the granite quarry where the ancient Egyptians came to get the granite needed for things like obelisks and sarcophagi. The huge unfinished obelisk was abandoned there when the stone cracked during the process of shaping it. It is so immense in size that it is hard to imagine how the workers planned to move it from the site. It was fascinating to walk among the rocks where workers had hewn granite thousands of years ago. The marks of their tools and the signs of objects cut and removed can be easily seen.

From here we did a short drive to view the High Dam. There are two dams, the old Aswan dam built in the 1900’s and the High Dam built in the ‘60s that created Lake Nasser. The creation of this dam has brought many changes to Egypt, its economy and its environment.

We made a stop at the perfumery and while we served mint tea and hibiscus juice, we learned about the pure essences that they produce. By the time we had finished the demonstration we were a sweet-smelling group, with our fingers and arms dabbed with peppermint, lotus, myrrh and other exotic fragrances.

Today we also took a motor boat ride to the island of Philae to see the lovely Temple of Isis that was moved to higher ground due to the rising of the water.

After lunch we had a short Felucca ride, which is the traditional sailing vessel used on the Nile. Not a lot of wind, so after a while we were towed by a motor boat. Our Nubian crew, entertained us with traditional music and after we as a group returned the favour (not quite as melodiously) the crew of the felucca revealed a display of handicraft for which we all happily bargained. The Nubian craft work seems of a better quality than a lot of the other tourist offerings that we find at every site we visit.

Some of us had opted for the excursion to a Nubian village which we did on board another motorboat with a specialist Nubian guide. Even though it was a pleasant outing, past the botanical garden, with many sightings of beautiful birds, we were drained of energy by the relentless sun. Even in the shade, it was oppressively hot. But we did have our first camel sightings and at the charming house where we were welcomed by Mohammed and his family, we were able to buy ice cold drinks (never did Coke taste so good to me!) as well as being served the traditional mint tea and hibiscus. The village and its houses were very pretty and decorated with designs inside and out. The Nubians have a long history, dating back to when the pharoahs ruled the land, but many of the villages were relocated here when the dam was built and their homes were flooded by the creation of Lake Nasser.