So it wasn’t much of a sleep in - up at 2.45am to jump on the motor boat that arrived and took us back to Aswan.

A quick stop at the hotel to get some gear if we needed (and to use the loo) then it was onto a coach with another Imaginative Travel group to join the armed police convoy to Abu Simbel.
The ride was three hours and after the tourist massacres in 1997 they don’t allow vehicles to travel down there alone.

We all pretty much just went back to sleep once the journey started.
At one point though a tyre of our bus blew - we all woke up 'shitting' ourselves thinking we were being attacked but luckily it was just the tyre.
It was a bit odd watching the three soldiers with machine guns stand around the driver while he changed the tyre though.

The Temple-------- Statues of Ramses II

Tanya and the statues (two photos)

The Temple--------- Statues

Now - Abu Simbel - and it's "another-words-can’t-explain-place"
It was so big!

"It would have been covered!!!"--- Lake Nasser (two photos)

It had been moved back and up by a UNESCO project before the Lake Nasser was formed by a dam - otherwise it would have been completely covered.

It was built by Ramses II.
He built a lot of stuff - he ruled Egypt for a very long time and we decided he must have felt he was pretty important and wanted everyone to know it!!

The two Temples

There are two temples at Abu Simbel - one for him and one for his wife.
They are both massive but of course his is bigger!

Ramses II ------ and Tanya with the statue (two photos)

Nefertari ------ and Tanya with the statue (two photos)

The statues at the front are huge.

Hieroglyphics outside the Temple (two photos)--- Inside the Temple

Hieroglyphics inside the Temple (three photos)--- Statues of Ramses II

--Inside the Temple--

And the hieroglyphics inside are amazing.
I could have stayed there all day - if it wasn’t so hot and there was a bit more shade!

We caught the bus back to Aswan after about two hours at Abu Simbel - we were back by about midday.

An interesting fact - Abu Simbel is only 40ks from the border of Sudan!

The Purple Floor Restaurant

We checked into our hotel room - Fiona was my roommate again and showered and went and had lunch.
Marc took us to the Purple Floor Restaurant in the bazaar.
It was great - tasty and cheap!
It cost me 17EP for a 2L bottle of water, a fresh mango juice, falafel, rice, salad, pita, tahini and vegetables.
That works out to £1.40 in English money and just AUD$3.50. - very cheap.

What happened to the hibiscus tea???

Then it was time to hit the bazaar.
I purchased a scarf, a top (kind of hippy style for my donkey ride in Luxor) and some hibiscus tea to bring back.
All of that came to about £5.

More people said to us "Welcome to Alaska!"
I wondered around a bit more with Richard and then we went back to the hotel.

(two photos) --Tanya smoking a sheesha!!!-- (two photos)

"Marc smoking three" and "Mark smoking two"

Marc was organising to take us out for dinner but we were all pretty full from lunch - we went along but didn’t eat.
The restaurant was called Aswan Moon and it was on the water on top of a boat.
We all ordered sheesha and tea - we split the sheeshas between two and I had two Hibiscus teas.
That came to EP8 or 70p.
So cheap!

"Look at me, Dad!!!"--------Has Tanya had enough???

I got a photo of me blowing smoke out my nose - Dad will be so proud!

I also asked Marc why they said to us "Welcome to Alaska"
He said that it was meant to be a bit of a joke because it is actually the hottest place in Egypt!

Tanya's ticket------- The Temple lit up

Light show and hieroglyphics (three photos)--- Hieroglyphics at the Temple

Then it was back to the hotel ready to jump on the bus to go to Philae Temple for the sound and light show.
The chaperone was great!! - it was all about the girls - we got our tickets first after he kissed each one and we were all helped onto the boats first.
The Temple is on an island and it looked lovely all lit up.
The show was a bit corny but I did enjoy it.
The hieroglyphics were once again amazing.

We went back to shore and back to the hotel and then crashed.
It was only 10.30pm but I had been up since 2.45am and spent six/seven hours on a bus!