Aswan

Continuing our Nile Cruise

Aswan Town

The Jewel in the Crown of Upper Egypt.

Sandra with a background of Bougainvilleas on the Garden Island

   The Motor Ship Queen Isis sailed into Aswan on a bright clear morning with a pure white egret hitching a ride on the aft handrail - a sign of good fortune.

    We docked at the Corniche and wasted no time going ashore to see what Aswan had to offer, and we were impressed straight away with how quiet and laid back the town was, compared to busy Luxor, and the bedlam of Cairo.

     An unexpected steam traction engine stood guarding the first street we went up looking for the Souk. Actually there are three Souk streets. The first being the Corniche itself, the second being some 3 streets in from the Corniche and running parallel to it, which was the local Souk, with very cheap food and jewellery, whilst the third Souk was the tourist one, which was some 5 streets in from the Corniche, running parallel to it, and alongside the railway station.

     The Corniche had good restaurants, the local Souk had some excellent fig jam and fresh bread, and the tourist Souk had a selection of souvenirs which were more the contemporary native African, than the usual "Chinese-Made" Ancient Egyptian souvenirs found in the more touristy towns, down river.

   Steam Traction Engine          Sandra and Wildcat         Father Xavier and Sandra

Basketsful of the very best dried Aswan Hibiscus Flowers and multi-coloured spices

    Sandra found a rather large African wild cat guarding a souvenir shop and then we found some top quality deep red Karkadi, dried Hibiscus flowers, which makes the traditional drink of Upper Egypt. We always bring a kilo or so back with us. Not only is it an excellent drink but we drink it every day a week or so before our next trip to Egypt because we find it can build up an immunity to Pharaoh's revenge, by introducing some friendly bugs into our stomachs.
    We had a memorable afternoon with Father Xavier, the Catholic Missionary to the Sudan, who was waiting in Aswan for permission to return to the Sudan. A fascinating man who spoke several languages and taught Islamic Studies. The stories he could tell, A modest man with a dangerous vocation and a courage way above the normal, but then again, he has a little help from his Friend.

Aswan Picture Show

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   No visit to Aswan is complete without seeing the Old Cataract Hotel, wherein Agatha Christie wrote her famous novel, "Death on the Nile". One could freely walk around the grounds of the hotel in 1989 but nowadays, because of the sheer number of visitors, one has to pay for the privilege.

   There are marvellous views of Elephantine Island to be had from the terrace of the Cataract Hotel, and also of the Oberoi Hotel, which we visited, but mistakenly, we took the native ferry, and ended up in the Nubian Village on the Island, and we became completely lost in its narrow blind alleyways. A local young girl took pity on us and showed us a hole in the security fence which surrounded the hotel. Security was not so important in those days.

Then we took a felucca sail boat to Garden Island, a wonderful botanical garden, lovingly cared for and a blaze of colourful flowers and trees.

The Landing Stage and Main Avenue, Hibiscus Flowers, Sandra and the Doum Palm Nut

So there I am, sitting down in the shade, minding my own, when this fellow traveller comes up to me waving this incredible shiny nut. "Here", he said, "Look what I found over there, you're the expert at finding things, let's see you find one of these then." So I go over there, and I search, and I search, and then five minutes later I came back with one nice big bright shiny nut.

   He was flabbergasted until I said, "I bought it off the same Park Keeper that you bought yours off, cost me two Egyptian." It was a Doum Palm Nut, but a very nice unusual souvenir of a magical island which I still have, despite finding them for sale in the local market in Aswan, a common Egyptian culinary food.

   All too soon we were on the ferry boat heading back to the Queen Isis, a nice shower, dinner and the best Nubian band in all of Nubia as the floor show.

We're all off to yet another party

Tomorrow we head out and about around Aswan, Camel Riding on the West Bank, the Unfinished Obelisk, the Great Dam and the Island of Philae.

Click on King Tut for Out and About around Aswan