Categories
Photographs Travel

Aswan, High Dam and Philae Island

We spent a night in Aswan on the boat and another at a hotel.

We used part of that day to summon a doctor for the doctor. Kaddee’s cold and cough were sounding worse and worse. The doctor spent an awful long time listening to her lungs and pronounced that she did not have pneumonia yet. She did have a rather high fever. High enough that he made her take a cold shower, which really made her very unhappy.

He gave her an injection of anti-biotics, prescribed more anti-biotics, a fever reducer and a decongestant.

He recommended bed rest, avoid drafts and cold.

So what did we do? We went off to the High Dam and the Island of Philae!

But first a minor rant about our hotel as reminder to us and a warning to any that may read this and use it as info for planning a trip.

We stayed at the Marhaba Palace hotel in Aswan. What a joke.

It was recommended by Lonely Planet, but either somebody from the hotel paid off Lonely Planet, or the hotel has faded HARD and FAST since the last issue of the guide.

It is ok. It is a typical mid-level Egyptian hotel. It looks like it used to be nice, but there has been zero maintenance done on it for what appears to be a couple of years. Walls need paint, the cable for the satellite TV was a bare wire, the bathroom flooded, the restaurant food was abysmal, the roof top terrace was filthy etc. The service was, at best, indolent.

All in all, this is mostly typical for Egyptian mid-level hotels. But the write up in Lonely Planet built up our expectations. It was disappointing to say the least.

But anyway..

We took a quick trip to the High Dam which is interesting in a major engineering kind of way. But not much to look at, really. The authorities get a little nervous with photo takers at the dam. Zoom lens and video cameras are not allowed. So I didn’t really take any good photos of it.

We then went of to the Island of Philae.

Strolling through the grounds, we noticed that he moon was almost full.

Philae-IMG_7173.jpg

We were excited about this, because it meant a full moon at Abu Simbel in a few days time.

We roamed around the temple, and I took a few photos. Kaddee was tired but determined to see as much as possible before collapsing in exhaustion.

Philae-IMG_7187.jpg

Philae-IMG_7168.jpg

Philae-IMG_7193.jpg

Philae-IMG_7210.jpg

We left the temple as the sun started to set. Our time in Aswan draws to a close.

Categories
Photographs Travel

Kom Ombo to Aswan

While we slept, the boat chugged up river towards Kom Ombo. It arrived some time during the night and moored somewhere nearby. Early in the morning, it sailed to Kom Ombo itself.

We were there shortly after sunrise. The light was nice, the air was cold and the crowds were sparse. Perfect.

komombo600x370.jpg

It is in pretty good shape.

Sunlight peaking in through columns and such made for some neat highlights

lightedfigure480x338.jpg

From there is was a short sail to Aswan harbor. The cruise boats are stacked up 3 and 4 deep in places. Not a particularly pleasant sight, really. But luckily there are other things to keep ones eyes occupied.

The tombs of the nobles is across the river on the west bank

nobles.jpg

And there are always the pretty boats

boats.jpg

and the not so pretty boats

oldboat.jpg

Next up, the high dam and Philae