I had intended to have more time to travel across North Africa before going to take Eric to Hawaii. With the shortened time frame I opted for a quick tour flying/Nile cruise tour to the south. It was much cheaper than I had expected. I started by flying to Abu Simbel which is very close to the Sudan border and the site of a major relocation project for a whole set of tombs and giant stone sculptures that had been carved out of a solid rock mountain. Because of the rising waters of the Aswan dam endangering the ancient site, countries from around the world pitched in to miraculously cut up the stone mountain and move it uphill a few hundred feet. The size and fragility of the tombs and sculptures made it a daunting project. I was impressed.
There is nothing to see in Abu Simbel other than the one site and the airline provides free direct transportation (5 minutes) to and from the site, allowing me to be back on the plane within two hours of arriving. I lucked out with the weather while I was there; it was only stifling hot—a few days before, it was depths-of-hell hot. As part of my package, I flew to Aswan to stay for a day before heading up the Nile to Luxor on a cruise ship. 
The hotel I picked, with the roof top pool, internet, and river view turned out to be different than it was depicted in the pictures. When my airport transfer guy led me walking down a filth ridden dirt street toward my chosen hotel, I almost made a joke about my hotel being in the rundown building we were passing. I am glad I didn’t because it looked better than my hotel. I wasn't too surprised considering the $8 USD/night rate. Nor was the lack of internet surprising. The room was not overly clean, but better than I had expected with a great 5th floor Nile view. The roof top pool was tiny and chilly.
I was only at the hotel for an hour before heading out to see the very huge yet particularly unimpressive looking Aswan dam. The hydroelectric power from the dam provides electricity for all of Egypt and if it burst, it would drown about 90 % of the country’s population on the way to the Mediterranean. Accordingly, they are very protective of it and have a fair sized military presence there.
After the dam, I was taken for a boat ride to the Phila Temple on an island on the Nile.
It was also moved to higher ground to save it from the dam’s higher waters. The temple was cool (not in temperature) and almost deserted. Wandering alone in the ancient silence and shadows of hieroglyph covered columns is an enchanting experience. The occasional vividness of some of the hieroglyphs stopped me in my tracks a few times. It is almost impossible to imagine the number of days that have passed since they were carved and painted.
The guide told the group of five in our boat to dip their hands in the Nile for good luck. I abstained since I had just read that morning about the bacteria in the river that would give tourists painful stomach cramping diarrhea for weeks. I work hard to stay healthy while traveling and if I have to pass up a little good luck, so be it. I was too slow to warn my eager boat mates who plunged their hands in the dark murky water and splashed their sunburned faces. Oops.
