November 16
Our group boarded the Watania Sleeping Train from Cairo to Aswan around 8pm. After a 13 hour or so train ride from Cairo to Aswan, we arrived in Aswan having slept haltingly in the bumpy and noisy train.
Our first stop was the Aswan Dam. Two dams are built on the Nile in Aswan. The lower Aswan Dam was built around 1902. It was not seen as adequate for Egypt's water needs by the 1960s when the High Dam was built. The High Dam submerged thousands of ancient sites in Lake Nasser important in both Egyptian and Nubian Culture. The High Dam also did keep thousands of important Egyptian sites downstream from being flooded by the fluctuating level of the Nile. The recurring theme of the time in Aswan for me was amazement at the willingness of the Egyptian Government to destroy so much of their history for the High Dam.
Due to the importance of the Aswan Dam to Egypt and the devastating impact of a dam breech, a full 1/3 of the Egyptian Army is stationed in Aswan to protect the dam. Everywhere near the dam requires going through heavily armed checkpoints.
After the dam, we went a little downstream to Philae Temple. When the lower Aswan Dam was built, Philae Temple was inundated with water. In the 1960s a temporary dam was built around Philae Island to rescue the temple. The temple was moved, stone by stone, from Philae Island to Agilika Island. Philae Temple was a beautiful place of quiet and tranquility much needed after Cairo and the sleeping train.
After the trip to our hotel for the night, we freshened up and went for a swim in the hotel pool. Showers and a change of clothes were needed after the night on the train. Before heading to a Nubian restaurant for traditional Nubian food, we visited the Aswan market. The area is known for their spices. I found some amazing smelling cumin and watched one of our group haggle down the price to 10 Egyptian Pounds (about $1 US) for 150 grams. Haggling is not really my cup of tea, so I entertained myself watching her work. The sights and sounds were also very entertaining. Definitely can't find a market like this in Idaho.
The Nubian food was very similar to flood Addie and I regularly cook. Maybe I'm Nubian and never knew it.
A tiring, but amazing day.
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