We had an early start this morning in order to see the Abu Simbel temples before dry heat took hold of southern Egypt. Magnolia and I had our alarms set for 3:45 am because our group left the hotel at 4:15 am. We boarded a large touristy bus with A/C and reclining chairs. Most of us slept through the 3 hour drive south to the Abu Simbel temples. The temples were constructed by order of the Egyptian king Ramses II. He hoped to demonstrate his power at the newly established southern border. The second, smaller temple was dedicated to his favorite wife. When the second dam in Aswan was constructed, rising water levels of the Nile threatened these temples. In the 1960s, various countries teamed up to relocate the temples so that they now reside on a nearby site, high enough in altitude to avoid the water.
After our visit to the temples, we drove 3 hours back to Aswan. I devoured the last half of a book called the Alice Network. Super interesting, highly recommend. We stopped at a co-op for essential oils. Along with perfumes and lotions, they also offered oils with medicinal purposes. As a pre-med student, I was highly suspicious. Our tour guide provided us with deliocious sandwiches for lunch. We had pita filled with french fries and smashed falafel. Yum.
We had some downtime in our hotel which I spent reading until Dagny continuously prank called my hotel room and forced me to play Rook. Our tour group went out for dinner at a restaurant along the Nile and we celebrated a couple on our tour who are celebrating their honeymoon. I’m looking forward to sailing on the Nile tomorrow!
Adelaide
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