by Ruth Hay
* * *
Anna wrote diligently while they waited in Aswan airport for the plane to Abu Simbel. Alina found an English language guide book while browsing through the shops and with the aid of her strong reading glasses she read the section on Abu Simbel.
* * *
Two huge temples face Africa on the edge of Egypt’s territory.
They warn the enemies of Pharaoh Ramses the Great that he is watching and in charge of his kingdom from this point onward.
Four colossal figures of a seated Ramses flank the entrance to the first temple.
He wears the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Those who enter see eight more figures of Ramses as Osiris while the walls display his war victories and his conquered peoples.
In the inner sanctuary Ramses is seated with the gods Ptah, Amun and Re-Herakhte.
The message is clear: Ramses the Great is a powerful ruler and a conqueror who is equal to the gods themselves.
The second temple is dedicated to Ramses beloved first wife, Nefertari.
She is shown with the goddess Hathor the symbol of mother, wife and wet-nurse.
In devoting a temple to his wife, Ramses demonstrated his high regard for her.
Twice each year the rays of the rising sun enter the first temple and strike each figure in turn in the inner sanctuary. Such an event must have caused fear and awe in the hearts of observers, as it does today.
The amazing fact that both temples were saved from the waters of the lake in the 1960s can be proved by entering a door between the temples that leads to the artificial mound, built to replicate the original sandstone cliff, now 200 feet below the lake.
This international project took four years to complete. The original temples were sawn into 40-ton sections and reassembled.
The blessing of Ra, the sun god, still falls on Ramses’ statue in the inner sanctuary because the alignment of the temples was precise in every detail.
* * *
Alina nudged Anna when she got to the end of the section in the guide book.
“Look, Anna! Did you know all this about Abu Simbel? It sounds like an amazing place and we get to see it twice today! I can’t wait to get settled on our cruise ship. We won’t have to pack or unpack all the time we are sailing on Lake Nasser. Won’t that be great?”
Anna’s head was still in Philae as she caught up with her writing. She had no time to respond to Alina. Elaine was calling them to board the plane. Picking up her pen and notebook she stowed them away carefully. Without the notes there would be slim chance of remembering all the events of this amazing trip. The Samba group’s Susan and Maria would be expecting all the relevant details when they returned to Canada.
She smiled to see and hear Alina’s childlike excitement. “We’ll be there very soon,” she promised her friend.
Their first sight of Abu Simbel came even earlier than anticipated. The small plane dipped around the site before landing at the airport and Alina was ready with the camera to capture it.
“Look! There’s nothing else for miles around but I can see the line of hills where the rising sun must peek through. This is going to be a real trek into the wild, Anna.”
“You could be right, my fellow adventurer, but there is one sight I was especially glad to see. Our cruise ship is already docked right in front of the temples.”
Another bus ride dropped them off a short walk from the temples of Abu Simbel. They approached from the side and saw first the carved sandstone heads of Ramses staring out at the lake. A few more steps up over rough ground and they were standing right in front of the temple. Mohammed began to explain the history of the site but since both Anna and Alina had read about this, they snuck off by merging with another group nearby then casually wandered off to the right to view the smaller Hathor Temple.
“So, Hathor must be important since this is the second time we’ve seen her,” commented Alina.
“I guess you are right! There are not so many female deities in Egypt. This temple links two females together; Hathor and Nefertari, which is unusual, according to what I have read.”
“But Hathor and Isis were shown together at Philae,” Alina insisted.
“Ah! But Nefertari was human, and Isis was a goddess, so this one wins in the unusual stakes. Ramses was working to get his wife into the afterlife with him, as god and goddess together. That’s the message of this temple, I think.” Anna smiled and continued. “I feel we will be seeing lots more smiting of enemies than we see of these graceful figures making offerings. I wonder what Nefertari’s own tomb is like? They say it’s the finest in all Egypt.”
“Well, I say it’s nice to see that some men appreciate their wives!”
They walked around, admiring the pink sandstone columns and the sculpture of the cow emerging through the rockface. They commented on how important cows and cattle must have been in ancient times and studied the carvings in relative silence as most tourists seemed to be in the larger temple.
“I think I saw the door that leads into the artificial dome,” whispered Alina, in case others might not know about it. “Do you want to go inside?”
“No, I don’t think so. It might spoil the atmosphere for me. Go ahead, and I’ll look for a spot for picture taking. I want a shot of our cruise ship before we board.”
Anna found a dusty trail leading around the temple buttress and upward. She followed it for a few minutes and discovered the extra height afforded her a great view of the ship, the lake and even the temple facades. She noticed for the first time tiny figures between, and beside, the feet and legs of the statues. Definitely lesser mortals, she deduced. Probably some of Ramses one hundred children.
She decided to settle on a rock for a minute or two and keep an eye out for Alina and for the VJV party heading to the ship.
Definitely hotter here she calculated, taking a sip of water from her bottle and adjusting her hat to shade her face. The lake looks cool. Wish I could dive right in from here.
She craned her neck and spotted a blue square on the upper deck of their ship. A pool! Further investigation revealed small balconies on the accommodation levels. That should be pleasant for us, she thought. Immediately, she wanted to be on board sailing away and breathing the cooler air but that would not happen until much later. Making a mental note to write about the length of the days when touring and the need for physical and mental stamina on extended trips, she made her way carefully down the track and re-joined the group.
The arrival at the ship was prefaced by a slide down a sandy slope then onto a plank, at the top of which, two stalwart sailors reached out to grab the arms of each passenger. Clearly, no formal docking area was allowed to spoil the natural surroundings of Abu Simbel but the approach was difficult for some of the group.
Elaine was waiting inside to assign cabins but first, cool wet cloths were handed out and drinks of pomegranate juice were circulated by smiling crew members in white and blue uniforms.
Everyone was glad to get out of the sun and refresh themselves.
Delicious smells wafted from the nearby dining room on the main deck. Elaine informed them lunch was ready so they should quickly collect their cabin keys and check that the correct luggage was installed there.
Alina led the way to the upper deck cabins and soon found number 102 named ‘Panorama’.
As soon as the door was opened, both women exclaimed at the room size and fitments before them. Spacious, and well supplied with necessities, it was a welcome sight, but the French doors opening onto the balcony were where they both headed. A few moments seated on the chairs there, were needed to restore their energy. When the gong sounded for lunch, they quickly changed their dusty shoes and retraced their steps to the main deck to sample their first meal of the cruise.
The afternoon was free of events to allow everyone to get oriented and to unpack. It would be another late night as they were scheduled to have a private visit to the temples after dark.
Anna and Alina unpa
cked and washed through some light clothing which they could hang to dry in the bathroom on an extendable cord over the shower.
Alina swept back the drapes on the wall behind the twin beds and exclaimed so loudly that Anna rushed out of the bathroom to see what had happened. Huge windows were revealed that looked out over the prow of the ship.
“What a view!” Anna gasped in amazement.
“I’ll say!” added Alina. “I think we have a lot to thank your brother for, Anna. We have had extraordinary accommodations on this trip so far and I don’t think we paid for these privileges.”
“I can see why the suite is named Panorama. Philip has really gone out of his way for us.
I must repay him in some way for this.”
“Worry about that later, Anna! We need to change and nab those sun beds on the upper deck under the canopy. I need a nap before tonight’s extravaganza.”
“Good thinking! Let’s hurry! At least we have a head start since we are on the top cabin level.”
Both women slept through nearby conversations and the splashing of one brave traveller who declared the water in the plunge pool was freezing. Anna heard these disturbances vaguely but could not summon the energy to wake up fully. Alina was oblivious to everything and snored delicately throughout.
They were awakened at 4:00pm by the clinking of cups and saucers. Afternoon tea was served on deck in china cups accompanied by thick slices of pound cake or almond biscuits. They had already discovered the milk in Egypt was not to their taste so both elected to have slices of lemon in their tea which turned out to be very refreshing indeed.
“This is the life for me!” declared Alina, settling back in her sun bed with cup and plate in hand. “I can’t wait for the cruise to begin.”
“The ship departs from here around midnight according to the schedule,” added Anna. “We should be out on Lake Nasser when we wake in the morning.”
“Wonderful!”
Alina’s fervent expression drew smiles from the group within earshot. Looking around, Anna thought everyone shared Alina’s opinion. She saw only contented faces as they sipped tea and chatted to their neighbours about the ship.
I hope there will be tea every day at this time, she speculated. A very civilized custom.
Elaine appeared for dinner at 7:00pm wearing a long dress and jewellery and carrying a patterned shawl. Anna and Alina took the hint and returned to their cabin after the three course meal to scour their limited wardrobes for appropriately elegant clothing for the evening’s event. Alina had spied some long dresses in the little shop on board and read the sign on the door stating the hours of opening. She determined to buy some lightweight, fun dresses for the cruise as soon as the shop was available to them.
They each found a wrap or sweater for the evening’s cooler air and were glad they did not have to fear mosquito bites in this winter season.
Anticipation ran high when the passengers were lined up to disembark at 8:30pm. The Abu Simbel site was in darkness and ship’s staff led them up the steep rocky slope with the aid of flashlights pointed at their feet.
Tables had been set up facing the main temple while the passengers were in the ship’s dining room and glasses of a sparkling wine were poured by flashlight while everyone stood waiting for directions.
As they lifted glasses in a toast to the start of the Nubian cruise, out of the darkness came the unexpected throbbing sounds of the opening strains of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
At the appropriate musical crescendo, lights sprang into existence and lit up the Ramses facade.
Spontaneous applause met this magnificent effect.
Anna and Alina were amazed to see lights illuminating the inner sanctum’s four figures almost as if they had arrived on one of the two dates when the sun performed this task for visitors.
“Did you see the sky before the lights came on?” whispered Alina. “It was like black velvet sprinkled all over with diamonds. I have never seen so many stars at one time.”
“I was too busy watching my feet to notice, Alina, but I have figured out why the drapes were closed in the dining room. It must have taken hours to set up this surprise for us.
Isn’t it a wonderful experience?”
Alina nodded in agreement. They moved forward with the other passengers and entered the temple while restful Chopin and Debussy Nocturnes played softly. The electric lights at the foot of the interior walls cast bright light and shade upward showing the carvings in relief.
“These are much clearer than during the day by dim light,” Anna observed.
As they wandered around looking at corners and small rooms which were hidden before, they overheard snippets of conversation in quiet, urgent tones as learned voices discussed the interpretation of the hieroglyphs, revealing that some of their fellow passengers were more than tourists. Two of the women began a heated argument on the merits of the two temples. One preferred the smaller temple and stated forcibly that Ramses’ patriarchal presence, even when honouring Nefertari, must suggest his fear of the ancient matriarchal societies.
Anna and Alina exchanged looks with raised eyebrows at this, and moved on to more peaceful areas of the temple.
An hour went by. Some passengers drifted back to the ship and Anna encouraged Alina to join them. The ship was now outlined in white lights making their return much safer.
As they prepared for bed, the ship shuddered into life and backed away from Abu Simbel.
“What will we see in the morning?” wondered Alina, but there was no reply from her roommate. Anna was fast asleep.
Alina lay looking into the darkened room trying to capture every nuance of the last few hours.
“Whatever should come in the future,” she murmured, “I been privileged to have seen wonders, and I will hold them in my mind’s eye forever.”
Chapter Seventeen
Apologies, Susan. I know you haven’t heard from us since we left Scotland. Difficult to get e mail access from remote locations. We’ve been out of touch while cruising on Lake Nasser (think long, winding valley, rather than round lake).
The parts of Nubia we saw were quite primitive. Alina insisted we were like early explorers visiting sites few have ever seen. We rarely saw another vessel. We wandered around Kasr Ibrim which is still being excavated and where there were valuable artifacts just lying on the surface. We were warned not to touch any, unfortunately. I could imagine how good some of the carved stones would look on your bookcase shelves!
Oh, we actually saw a monitor lizard on one of our excursions. It was lying on the red sand right by the water. Dead, of course, but it was thrilling to see one up close. Near there we found petroglyph images of African animals still visible on stones estimated to be over 9,000 years old!
This whole trip just underscores how young our western civilizations are.
Don’t worry. We are taking pictures constantly. Thank heaven we brought extra memory disks for both cameras.
I am sending this e mail from our hotel in Aswan. We are here overnight before joining another cruise, on the Nile this time. Alina has gone by bus to see the granite quarries where the unfinished obelisk is. I am happily resting here. The trip is only half over but it is much more tiring than I expected. Stimulating as well, of course.
By the way, please tell Jake we had a strange encounter in Nubia, which is now part of modern Sudan. We were asked by a Sudanese waiter on ship if we knew of a Mr. Glen Pearson in London, Ontario. Apparently he is famous here as the Canadian who founded an aid program, visited often to help release child soldiers and even adopted Sudanese children. We were very proud to say Glen was a former Member of Parliament for London and, with his wife Jane Roy, directed the London Food Bank. The young man was surprised to learn people in Canada needed food banks. I didn’t go into that issue. As Jake has volunteered there he will be interested and can pass on the information to Glen.
In a few days we will join Philip in Luxor. There are two massive temple complexes there as well as the
Valleys of the Kings and Queens where the ancient tombs lie awaiting us.
They say Egypt is very quiet for this time of year due to the unsettled conditions in the north.
We are quite safe here and all the natives we have seen are super polite, helpful and kind.
I’ll e mail you from our hotel in Luxor when we get there.
Love to all.
Hope your December weather is not too nasty.
PS We have had superb treatment and accommodations everywhere we go. Must be that Canadian connection!
Anna.
* * *
The 5:00am call from the minaret of the mosque alerted the faithful to prayer and wakened Anna and Alina from a sound sleep in their room in The Old Cataract.
“Ugh, I had forgotten about that,” Alina complained as she stuffed a pillow over her head and tried to go back to her slumbers. “We never heard those in Nubia. No tall prayer towers where we were, I guess.”
Anna groaned and figured she might as well get a head’s start on packing. The cases were due outside their door for pick up by 7:00am and she felt in need of a good, Old Cataract-style breakfast before embarking on their new ship at the main docks in Aswan.
She washed quickly and moved around the room assembling her belongings and throwing them into her case. No need to be too tidy, she thought. It’s all coming out again in a few hours.
When she was finished, she looked over at the other bed where Alina was sleeping. Anna removed the pillow from her face and closed the French doors so no further noise would disturb her.
She placed her labelled case outside the door with a note attached saying, ‘One more to come’, then made her way down to the main level where a buffet breakfast was already set out in the 1902 dining room. Anna had asked what the number meant and was informed it was the date of the first, smaller Aswan dam and the period when the hotel was built.
She wanted to take some photographs in the hotel grounds where their trip had really begun, but first it was sheer bliss to have a peaceful corner table to herself without the need to make polite conversation. Another early riser approached her table and Anna looked downward hoping the young man did not intend to ask to share her corner. He walked past and chose a spot some distance away.