Tuesday 1 April 2008

A few more pictures of Egypt

We rose at 3.00am to catch the bus to Abu Simbel near the border with Sudan. It's a 3.5 hour drive across the desert to the bottom end of Lake Nasser where the temple was relocated. We all went with a breakfast box and just like school children on a trip we'd eaten it by 4:00am One of the highlights though was to see the sun come up in the desert. The Temple of Rameses wife Neferati is next door to Rameses temple and smaller but also quieter and less humid. However there was still a queue to see inside, its about 7:00am and the temperature is around 37 degrees C already.
We took the opportunity before we left Egypt to have a ride in a hot air balloon over the Valley of the Kings. This photo was taken shortly after the sun rose and shows it shining on the tops of the mountain where the Valley of the Kings and Queens is hidden.
Below us was the Valley of the Queens and the tombs of Rameses III and Hatsheput. One of the things that was very visible from the air is the distinct line between the desert and the fertile Nile valley.
We visited Kitchener's Island and his botanical gardens. These are well maintained and the Egyptians are very proud of both Kitchener and his gardens. The 'Tourism and Antiquities Police' were very visible in the gardens and a group of small boys playing football on the paths got short shift from them. One of the gardens came running after me and gave me a handful of lemon smelling leaves and indicated I should rub them on my skin to avoid mosquito bites, they seemed to work. This is a view of the fellucas on the Nile from the gardens.
Not done much today except sleep, still under doctors orders and Keith is taking it serious and insisting I rest. Must admit I've not cough as much today, except when I tried to talk to my Mum who appears to be very well. I've been mulling over ideas for my arch swap and trying out some origami flowers not got the size right yet so I'll keep trying. Tomorrow I'll try and get some sewing done.

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