Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbal

The bus journey from Dahab was a little taxing. A "local" bus with cramped seats and minimal aircon for 17 hours. I thought it was going to be a case of take a valium and sleep but the person in the seat next to me put paid to that plan by continually drooping onto my shoulder when asleep and nudging me into wakefulness. Grr. Still, made it in the end and in the process it awakened many old memories from when I went travelling in Africa many years ago...

Beginning to understand why they look like that after the bus ride

First day in Luxor I had planned to spend the afternoon in Karnak, but I was still so woozey from the journey I thought this might not be such a good idea in the blazing hot sun so I settled instead for a quick stroll round Luxor Temple, which was terribly nice. Followed that with a couple of days of wondering around various tombs (Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, etc), temples (Karnak) and taking felucca rides on the Nile. All terribly civilised.

Very James Bond!

A three hour train journey took me down to Aswan, for more of the same. Temples, tombs and feluccas. Oh, and a nice early morning start to get down to Abu Simbal (did I say early morning? 2:45 AM wake up, more like the middle of the bleedin' night!).

Abu Simbal

Whilst in Aswan, sitting on a boat and watching the king fishers, in a moment of madness I started realising that the Sundaese border was only a few miles away and that a quick push could take down the Nile to Uganda in maybe three weeks. I could hop back to Cairo by plane from Kampala, pick my dive gear up and be back for Christmas. Fortunately there's only one ferry a week to Sudan (the only way I could go) and it's on the Monday, not giving me enough time to organise a visa. Maybe another time. Besides, still got plenty of diving to be done!