86 Aswan

As we are still on the Oasis Overland trip, everything was taken care of when we arrived at Aswan. We were met by a driver, and our guide, Mahmoud, had accompanied us on the train. We were taken swiftly to the Nile where we hopped on a boat and were taken across to Elephantine Island. Now comfortably set up in the Abouda guest house set amidst whitewashed buildings with a beautiful view of Aswan from the roof top.
Monica had organised transport and a guide to Philae Temple, so, as I hadn’t been to this particular temple in close to 20 years, I decided to join her. It’s a short drive out of town, although the town has definitely grown out in that direction. Then hop on a boat for transfer to the island. That’s one of the things that makes Philae so special, set on a small island in the middle of the lake formed from the Aswan dam. Another fascinating thing about this temple is that it was flooded when they built the original dam, and a UNESCO effort actually transferred the whole thing to higher ground. Most of the buildings are Ptolemaic, which means they were built by the Greek rulers of Egypt around 250 BC. That means there was a greater chance of them surviving intact, but the downside is the hieroglyphics and images are quite poor compared to the real Egyptian temples.
A few hours there and we were ready to call it a day. Back in town I spent some time wandering though the souk. That was after I’d visited the chemist and got some antibiotics. The worst is over and I feel great, able to eat anything, but I know I should tread carefully until things have really settled down.
In the souk, I made the obligatory visit to a bakery. These guys are good at this. They see a tourist and call them over. Next minute you’re in the back taking videos. Of course, at the end of it, you’re going to be asked for backsheesh. I guess my only advantage is I know that will happen, so am mentally prepared for it. But I definitely wanted the video.
The market street runs for over two km parallel to the Nile. I’ve always liked this souk as it is more of a shopping street fit local people with a few souvenir shops here and there. Way less hassle. There’s always the beautiful aroma of fresh spices.
Back to Elephantine island on the public ferry. It’s just 10 Egyptian Pounds each way, about 20 cents, and the ferries run every ten minutes or so. That evening I joined Nick at King Jamaica restaurant. It was easy to find with the name written on boulders near the entrance. It cascades in beautiful blue terraces down to the waterfront and is quite the place to visit if you’re one of the Aswan crowd. We arrived around 7.00 and it was quite empty, but by the time we left at 8.30 it was packed, namely with locals who had caught ferries and feluccas across from the mainland. The place is run by a local man who happens to have lived in Australia for 35 years.
#oasisoverland #Egypt #Aswan #philaetemple

Видео 86 Aswan канала Paul Artus