Abu Simbel

I'm not going to lie. I was not on board with the 2:30am wake-up call. None of us were. I think the varying early wake-ups are the reason I've been so worn out on this trip.

We met in the lobby. I guzzled coffee.

For the bazillionth time, Magdolin assured us it was necessary to get up this early. Most tourists pile onto tour buses and link up for a convoy across the desert that takes three hours or so. Then, they all jostle amongst themselves to cram into Ramses II's and his wife Nefertary's famous temples. Then they get back on the buses and convoy back to Aswan.

We were getting up early, sure, but we'd be there by 4:30am and virtually alone at the temple when it opened at 5am. We grumbled, but off we went.

The temples at Abu Simbel are marvels of ancient and modern engineering. Ramses II built them as far south as he could to project his might. His temple was dug into the sandstone cliffs in such a way that the sun perfectly lined up and shone all the way through its central corridor to the sanctuary on his birthday and coronation day. Think about *that*.

When Lake Nasser was forming, the Egyptian government managed to disassemble the temple, build an artificial concrete mountain to house it sixty meters higher above the shores of the lake, and then reassemble it in such a way that the sun still struck the sanctuary on two days, though each day was one day later than originally because of the different elevation. Remarkable.

As we entered the park, I was actually much more interested in the sky. Abu Simbel is as close to true nowhere as most will ever get. Sure, there were lights around the park, but there have been few times I have been able to see the night sky and stars so clearly. I am eternally grateful whenever I can experience that.

Magdolin was 100% correct. It was SO worth it. As the fingers of dawn crept over the lake, we were given free reign of the temple. "No photos!" said the posted signs and the old man at the entrance. I turned off my flash and took pictures. Sorry.

We left as the hordes arrived. Back in Aswan, I decided against joining the group for shopping and visits to a church and mosque. I caught up on sleep for the rest of the day. I read, wrote and got into scotch before I met up with some of the others for dinner out on the patio at the hotel restaurant. Ordinarily, I don't eat supper, but I had a grotesquely large cheeseburger, which negated the rest I'd accomplished during the day by causing me to toss and turn with meat sweats the rest of the night.