Boat ride on the Nile in Aswan. Nile River in Aswan near Elephantine Island - (named that because the rocks look like elephants) very quiet here compared to Cairo. Mosquito fogger in the hotel down the street - we walked through the same stuff after we got off the boat to return to our room. I mentioned something about holding my breath and Jan the TD said "We aren't mosquitoes"!!!! Probably had a point there - we are just going with the flow.
Saw the Aswan High Dam today completed in 1972 - lots of security there as if it burst if would wash nearly all of Egypt into the Mediterranean. We were allowed to take pictures but not use zoom - go figure! 451 people died building it.
We did hear about the plane crash in Amsterdam in case you are worried and not wanting to tell us. No more bomb blasts in Cairo.


We flew on Egyptair from Cairo to Aswan, it's not MSP! then took a bus, then the hotel shuttle boat to the island where the hotel is , then a boat ride and another Egyptair flight at 8am tomorrow to Abu Simbel, return flight after lunch, then the big day comes where we get on the Nile boat where we will spend the next 3 nights. It is unbelievably beautiful here in Aswan. We have gotten used to the hawkers and beggars everywhere and if you don't look at them they go away. Went to a horticultural garden today and the "park ranger" who also had a small handgun starting identifying plants, flowers and scented things for us and then asked for a "present" - asked if we had a million dollars - say American Number One, Egypt Number Twenty - we did slip him a few Egyptian pounds. They will follow you for a very long time if they think there is a chance of selling something.
Probably will not do email or blog tomorrow as we will be gone most of the day and to a "sound and light show" at a temple in the evening. Might try to put one more picture on.
Ross and Dee