Monday
Today has been a long day but we have finally arrived at our good ship Stephanie! It’s a river boat and we are currently docked at Aswan on the Nile.
We had a leisurely breakfast before packing up and meeting in the hotel lobby at 9am. Our 12 noon flight meant we left for the hour trip to the airport almost immediately. Just after 10am we went through two lots of airport security and got our boarding passes. Boarding was due to start at 11:15am. We all went down to the gate and started to wait. 11:30 came and went.11:45 passed. 12 noon chimed. No one came with any news. We just sat and waited. In South Africa the flight boards would say a flight was delayed. Not in Cairo. You just have to wait. Eventually, someone arrived and opened the gates and we all filed through. Our Egypt Air flight was delayed by an hour and fifteen minutes. We also got in a very long queue on the tarmac. There were a few planes in front of us and by the time we got to the front, we had to wait for a plane to land. By then, there were four planes waiting to take off after us.
Our plane made some disturbing noises, but we arrived safely in Aswan. Taking off over Cairo and seeing the pyramids from the sky was quite something. Also seeing the vast desert where Moses spent forty years of his life was amazing.
After arriving in Aswan, we immediately went to the Harbour and headed along the Nile to an island where the Temple of Isis is located.
The structure was built in about 2500BC. When the Roman Empire came to power somewhere round 200 to 300 AD, they bought Christianity to Egypt. To show the Christian influence they put crosses around the temple.
Possibly one of the most remarkable facts about this particular temple is that it was not originally built where it is today. Overtime it was flooded by the Nile, so with the help of the World Heritage Organisation, from 1962 the entire structure was dismantled, numbered and reconstructed at this nearby island. It took two years.
We returned to the boat at sunset and a beautiful sunset over the Nile it was!
After getting back on the coach, we headed into Aswan to the Perfume Palace where a thirty minute explanation (aka sales pitch) was given on different scents and essential oils. Then the price was given. 25ml = $25. I am building a house. Best to save the money for that project.
By now it was dark and about 6:45pm. We headed for the river boats and checked into the one that we will be staying on for the next three nights. It looks like something out of an Agatha Christie novel. At just after 7-30pm we had a really delicious buffet dinner. While we have paid for all meals, the cruise does not include drinks, so after dinner we walked off the boat and went to find a supermarket. We walked down the riverside before bravely crossing the road, being sure to check traffic from the correct direction. We then found a chemist and bought some magnesium. 20 tablets for 15 Egyptian pounds – certainly cheaper than SA. A little further on we stopped a family and asked where we could buy water. The husband could speak English and directed us straight up a side road. We found ourselves in a buzzing market with dozens of shops and loads of people walking up and down the streets on what had become a balmy winter’s evening in Aswan. You could buy so many things – toys, artificial plants, carpets, fabric, suits, food AND water! Water was only 5EP for 1.5litres. We bought a couple of bottles for each room.
The vibe was fantastic and it was quite a fun experience.
Back to the boat for a look at the deck and then Mike and I came back for me to wrap up the day.
Psalm 7:17
I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
These are the days.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
Gym:
13180 steps today
Braces:
1 year 47 days