Egypt 10 - edited with photos
Feb 10, 2009 9:48:16 GMT
Post by bazfaz on Feb 10, 2009 9:48:16 GMT
You can fly to Abu Simbel from Cairo, Luxor or Aswan (about as expensive as our flight from London). You can take an organised tour from Aswan (but these leave at 4 a.m. and go in a convoy and return to Aswan after a 2 hour stop at the temple along with several hundred other people). We took the 8 a.m. public bus which got us to Abu after a three and a half hour journey. In theory only 4 foreigners are allowed on the bus but nobody checks. We went to the Ramses hotel which is not in the guide books: new, nice architecture, lovely palmed courtyard and spacious bedroom. It was 90 Egyptian pounds (after bargaining). The man insisted this was the Egyptian price and showed us his receipt book. We don't speak Arabic but we can read Arabic numerals and that was the price people paid.
Ramses hotel courtyard at abu Simbel
Our splendid bedroom at the Ramses Hotel
I'll get off my chest my gripe about Abu straight off. It is a rip-off town. Visitors only come here once so there is no incentive for locals to try to be fair. Aswan is 280 kilometres away with nothing but desert in between. There are only 2 buses a day so you are trapped. You have to bargain for absolutely everything and if you don't establish the price first then you are suckered. We discovered this to our cost when we went for something to eat: falafel, tea and a bottle of water. The man said when I went to pay that it was 40 EP. To most of you this will mean nothing but onlyMark will know how outrageous that is.
People say that Egypt is a cheap country but that is not so compared with Asia. Thailand, which we know best, offers cheaper prices and infintely better food. Apologists say that the locals are por and foreigners are rich in comparison and so we should simply pay inflated prices. But the fact is that no rich Egyptian would be ripped off like that. The locals do it to us because they think we are ignorant and they can get away with it.
End of rant.
In nomal high seasons Abu gets up to 3000 visitors a day. I cannot imagine what pleasure there is in being part of such a crowd trying to look at the temples. A local guide told us that because of the world economic downturn the numbers are down to between 500 and 1000. Even that would be too much. But nearly everyone comes in the convoy so we waited until 10.30 when nearly everyone had gone. Half an hour later we had the place nearly to ourselves except for snoozing security guards.
Look - no tourists
The temples are magificent. All right, they are the vision of a megalomanic, but it boggles the mind to think of carving these statues - and excavating the huge galleries into the hillside. The second extraordinary thing is that the statues were moved and the temples and sanctuary were recreated to save them from the rising waters when the aswan dam was built and there is no trace of it. Afterwards we went to the Visitors' Centre to see photos of how it was done. These huge staues were sawn into pieces and put back together and you cannot see the joins.
It was wonderful and we are glad we came.
We also had a wander round the town which has some attractive Nubian houses and spend some time spotting birds. We found a nice rooftop restaurant and enjoyed fish from the lake one night and grilled chicken the next.
Lake nasser at Abu Simbel
Bird watching
Dowar Bakar restaurant, Abu Simbel
We had some difficulty leaving. Upper Egypt Bus company has no office in Abu. People made vague gestures about where we should go. Eventually two people sai dto come at 9 p.m. to book for the early morning bus. So we were taken by a kind man at 9 p.m. to where someone was sitting at a cafe table - only to be told the 6 a.m. bus was full. We got tickets for the 1 p.m. bus.
So we had yesterday morning to fill. We wandered about and then spied the Seti, Abu's 5 star hotel. Getting past the man at the gate was easy. But we were coldly eyed but the many security people beyond. Eventually we got in on the grounds we were coming for coffee. I would find the Seti infuriating because of the piped music played too loudly but it looks nice.
Seti Hotel grounds at Abu Simbel
Seti Hotel courtyard
We had coffee - the best I have had, also the most expenisve. When I called for the bill I discovered that the cost was more than doubled by a Minimum charge. The waiter was hopeless, just muttering about "system hotel". The man at the front desk was equally hopeless. Eventually the manager came out of his office. I told him the hotel could have a minimum charge of whatever it liked - but not if it was not shown on the price list or by a sign. I was absolutely determind on this and so it was removed.
We were glad to see Abu Simbel town receding into the disance.
But wait... As we were boarding the bus the tourist policeman said to us; "Big bus no good." And he was right. There was a pit stop after 100 kms and the driver was pouring water into the radiator. After another 100 kms the bus pulled off the road and we all got out (except Mrs Faz who didn't want to know the bad news). At the back of the bus the radiator was steaming (there was no radiator cap). There was also black gunge on the road (a very long time since an oil change). Where is onlyMark when you need him? At least the driver had the wit not to put more water in until the radiator had cooled. He seemed to put in about 10 litres. Off we went. We made another 50 kms and pulled over again by a building where the driver got more water. I tell you, when we got to Aswan at sunset we were really relieved. But I bet that bus is making the journey out to Abu even as I write this.
We are staying at the Hathor Hotel again - they made sure a room was available as they promised. Everybody welcomed us back as valued customers. We went to the Emy restaurant last night and could even get a beer with our meal (no booze available in Abu except at the Seti).
The only bad thing is the wind that is blowing in off the desert. There is so much dust in the air that the far bank of the Nile is invisible.
Ramses hotel courtyard at abu Simbel
Our splendid bedroom at the Ramses Hotel
I'll get off my chest my gripe about Abu straight off. It is a rip-off town. Visitors only come here once so there is no incentive for locals to try to be fair. Aswan is 280 kilometres away with nothing but desert in between. There are only 2 buses a day so you are trapped. You have to bargain for absolutely everything and if you don't establish the price first then you are suckered. We discovered this to our cost when we went for something to eat: falafel, tea and a bottle of water. The man said when I went to pay that it was 40 EP. To most of you this will mean nothing but onlyMark will know how outrageous that is.
People say that Egypt is a cheap country but that is not so compared with Asia. Thailand, which we know best, offers cheaper prices and infintely better food. Apologists say that the locals are por and foreigners are rich in comparison and so we should simply pay inflated prices. But the fact is that no rich Egyptian would be ripped off like that. The locals do it to us because they think we are ignorant and they can get away with it.
End of rant.
In nomal high seasons Abu gets up to 3000 visitors a day. I cannot imagine what pleasure there is in being part of such a crowd trying to look at the temples. A local guide told us that because of the world economic downturn the numbers are down to between 500 and 1000. Even that would be too much. But nearly everyone comes in the convoy so we waited until 10.30 when nearly everyone had gone. Half an hour later we had the place nearly to ourselves except for snoozing security guards.
Look - no tourists
The temples are magificent. All right, they are the vision of a megalomanic, but it boggles the mind to think of carving these statues - and excavating the huge galleries into the hillside. The second extraordinary thing is that the statues were moved and the temples and sanctuary were recreated to save them from the rising waters when the aswan dam was built and there is no trace of it. Afterwards we went to the Visitors' Centre to see photos of how it was done. These huge staues were sawn into pieces and put back together and you cannot see the joins.
It was wonderful and we are glad we came.
We also had a wander round the town which has some attractive Nubian houses and spend some time spotting birds. We found a nice rooftop restaurant and enjoyed fish from the lake one night and grilled chicken the next.
Lake nasser at Abu Simbel
Bird watching
Dowar Bakar restaurant, Abu Simbel
We had some difficulty leaving. Upper Egypt Bus company has no office in Abu. People made vague gestures about where we should go. Eventually two people sai dto come at 9 p.m. to book for the early morning bus. So we were taken by a kind man at 9 p.m. to where someone was sitting at a cafe table - only to be told the 6 a.m. bus was full. We got tickets for the 1 p.m. bus.
So we had yesterday morning to fill. We wandered about and then spied the Seti, Abu's 5 star hotel. Getting past the man at the gate was easy. But we were coldly eyed but the many security people beyond. Eventually we got in on the grounds we were coming for coffee. I would find the Seti infuriating because of the piped music played too loudly but it looks nice.
Seti Hotel grounds at Abu Simbel
Seti Hotel courtyard
We had coffee - the best I have had, also the most expenisve. When I called for the bill I discovered that the cost was more than doubled by a Minimum charge. The waiter was hopeless, just muttering about "system hotel". The man at the front desk was equally hopeless. Eventually the manager came out of his office. I told him the hotel could have a minimum charge of whatever it liked - but not if it was not shown on the price list or by a sign. I was absolutely determind on this and so it was removed.
We were glad to see Abu Simbel town receding into the disance.
But wait... As we were boarding the bus the tourist policeman said to us; "Big bus no good." And he was right. There was a pit stop after 100 kms and the driver was pouring water into the radiator. After another 100 kms the bus pulled off the road and we all got out (except Mrs Faz who didn't want to know the bad news). At the back of the bus the radiator was steaming (there was no radiator cap). There was also black gunge on the road (a very long time since an oil change). Where is onlyMark when you need him? At least the driver had the wit not to put more water in until the radiator had cooled. He seemed to put in about 10 litres. Off we went. We made another 50 kms and pulled over again by a building where the driver got more water. I tell you, when we got to Aswan at sunset we were really relieved. But I bet that bus is making the journey out to Abu even as I write this.
We are staying at the Hathor Hotel again - they made sure a room was available as they promised. Everybody welcomed us back as valued customers. We went to the Emy restaurant last night and could even get a beer with our meal (no booze available in Abu except at the Seti).
The only bad thing is the wind that is blowing in off the desert. There is so much dust in the air that the far bank of the Nile is invisible.
