SJEDS Travels to Egypt

Saturday, September 29, 2007

It is hard to believe that today started 21 hours ago for us with a wake-up call at 1:15 a.m. in our hotel. We were very anxious to get on a plane to fly after Jose and Omar, but it was not going to be that easy.

We were met by Waleed, our tour guide, to be taken to the Cairo airport at 2 A.M. in the morning. When we left the hotel, very tired and groggy, we were amazed to find the city alive and celebrating from the night before. The streets were filled with people full of energy and the cars continued to honk as much as they had during the daytime. We left the vibrant and buzzing city of Cairo behind us, as we approached the airport, eager to get to the plane for take-off.

Being first in line we assumed we would be first on the plane, but this was not to be our fate. There turned out to be some problem with our tickets. Waleed was arguing fiercely with the ticket agent on our behalf in Arabic. We asked him what the problem was, and he informed us there was a problem with Egypt Air’s computer system. Our luggage was taken off the belt and the agent started to attend to ALL the other travelers who came after us. Waleed continued to scurry around nervously, while disappearing and appearing several times from our view. We started to get nervous by the time when all passengers had already boarded the plane and it was only a few minutes before the schedule take off time. Miraculously the “problem” got solved and we were told to grab our bags and we had to make a mad run to the bus, which would take us across the dark and empty runway toward our plane. People were yelling at us in Arabic, motioning to run up the stairs into the plane. Other helpers threw our suitcases in the cargo hold and we disappeared into the plane, with the door closing behind us. As soon as our seat belts were buckled, the plane started to taxi for take-off.

What an eventful and exciting morning (and it was not even 4:30 am yet)! We had a short stop in Aswan and the plane took off once more to fly an additional half hour to Abu Simbel. Upon arrival in Abu Simbel all the other passengers of the plane were herded onto a bus that took us to a giant parking lot, where Mrs. Menger somehow managed to step into the only mud puddle in the entire Sahara desert.

We then walked along a brick curvy pathway along Lake Nasser, when suddenly around the corner we saw the amazing heads of two Ramses II statues towering above the hillside. As they came fully into view, the sight was startling and breathtaking at the same time. Four gigantic statues of Ramses II stood guarding the temple.

from Wikipedia

Abu Simbel (Arabic أبو سنبل or أبو سمبل) is an archaeological site comprising two massive rock temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 290 km southwest of Aswan. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Nubian Monuments”, which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan).

The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary to avoid being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan dam on the Nile River. Abu Simbel remains one of Egypt’s top tourist attractions.

We stood in awe, staring at the imposing statues, when suddenly we spied a bright pink, familiar note.

It was from Jose. We almost dared not read it, in fear of having missed him and Omar once again.

The note said:

Mrs. Tolisano and Mrs. Menger,

Once again we have missed you! I hope you are having as much fun as we are. Don’t worry we are very safe and are getting to do a lot of sight-seeing.

 

We are now on our way to board a Nile cruise boat. We will be on a boat called the Marquis. Tomorrow we will be going to a temple. I don’t know the name of it, but it was once in a different location and when the High Aswan Dam was built the temple area was flooded. Believe it or not the entire temple was moved to higher ground to save it from being lost forever under water. Early Christians at one point turned this temple into a chapel and held worship services. Come and meet us there. In the mean time enjoy the sites. They are amazing! Everything almost seems unreal!

Love,

Jose and Omar

Arghhhhhhh! Can you believe it? We missed Jose and Omar again! At least we know they are doing fine. Where in the world are they going? Here we are in the middle of Egypt and no way to do any research. We really need some help. If anyone reading this knows where they might be headed please reply to us and let us know so we can meet them.

Thanks,

Mrs. Tolisano and Mrs. Menger

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