October 20

Travel Day

Abu Simbel ~ Aswan ~ Cairo

I urge you to follow the link to the website as some amazing images and a video are taking you through Abu Simbel for a private walk through.

https://www.nkerba.com/egypt/october-20

I am back in Canada, determined to continue documenting the last days in Egypt. They were indeed exceptional in what we saw and did.

I was overwhelmed by the combination of essential and time-sensitive issues to deal with upon our return - a retirement announcement, a calendar to assemble, a good friend’s funeral and a cottage shutdown. Add to those a jet lag to overcome. That, and the World Series, with an unfortunate ending, as the Toronto Jays were two outs away from making an entire country jubilant, only to have a heartbreaking ending. They ended up going into extra innings only to lose to the heavily favoured Los Angeles Dodgers. They really did not deserve that outcome, but “Them’s the breaks”. Interestingly, while this loss stings, many people genuinely felt for the Blue Jays and took pride in their accomplishments rather than being devastated by the loss.

So that you know, these emails do not include all the pictures from the galleries. You’ll need to follow the links to the blog on the nkerba.com site to see the full galleries.

Another bonus is that I am also using Monique’s blog. My strength is in the images; the words take longer to put together.

The final image count for the 21-day trip came in at 18,000, which might suggest that I was glued to the camera's back. A friend said to me that when I take so many images, I am not seeing the world and enjoying the experience as much because I am seeing it through a lens. I agree to some degree.

However, on another level, a much higher level in my mind, I am seeing and not just looking. As the person behind the lens, I am looking for light and texture. I am observing small against large, and I am seeing minutiae that others might completely overlook. I wake up to the sun on many occasions, simply because I have my camera and want to experience being truly in the moment.

Bill Green, one of my best friends, often shakes his head, commenting on how we are in the same boat and how I see things that he overlooks.

The biggest reason I take pictures is something my mom told me almost forty years ago, it was a throw-in sentence that genuinely captures the essence of why I am glued to the camera. I am blessed to put myself in places and at times that others can’t. When I am there, I capture and freeze special moments - the real kick I get is sharing those special moments with others who couldn’t be there.

When there is a picture to be had everywhere you look

When a photographer is in a special zone, he (ME) sees a picture worthy of taking, it could be something as simple as a teacup or a complex composition. I am fond of saying, “Everywhere I looked was a picture that needed to be taken.” I have been in one of those zones over the past five years, and especially in the last month. I am so grateful for that blessing; it has been amazing.

17 hours at Abu Simbel

It does not matter how much reading or TV viewing of ancient Egypt I have done; nothing could have prepared me emotionally or intellectually for this entire trip.

I was overwhelmed every single day. Whether it was a burial chamber, a temple or a Pyramid, each one had a rich history. Each was a magnificent testament to the ruler of the day - sometimes the work carried over from one Pharaoh to the next, as seen in the burial chamber called KV9, which started being used for Ramses V. He died before completion, and Ramses VI piggybacked onto the fun. At least he acknowledged his father and did not make it his own.

I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating, as much as I loved and was extremely proud of the fact that this was the work of our ancestors and ancestors’ ancestors. I am viewing all this through the two lenses I currently have - as an adult and now a senior who has lived a rich life and can appreciate what I am seeing. The second lens is that of the camera lens, one that has had fifty-five years of practice. This has indeed been as rich a palette with which to paint a picture as anything this photographer has had the opportunity to capture and share.

As rich as all of the paintings on the walls, the bricks and stones look and feel, it is the people I have met on the way who made me richer for having met them. It wasn’t just the working folks who needed to be nice as part of their jobs. It was the business owners and executives we had dealt with who greeted me with the following words: “Your presence has brightened Egypt, or Egypt is richer for having you come back.” Once again, I am touched by the kind words as I write this day into our history.

Farewell, Kato Dool, and hello

New Abu Simbel Hotel

We left Kato Dool and headed to Aswan, but not before I got my morning one-and-a-half-hour shoot in before the rest of my world woke up.

Donna and I have a holiday sleep routine - she needs it. I, on the other hand, would go 24/7. Of course, I can’t anymore. Gone are the days when I would stay up until two or three in the morning, then get up at six. Now, we go to sleep early, as we don’t need the nightlife with its loud atmosphere and accompanying drinks. On the other end of that candle, I generally wake the sun up and help it usher in a brand new day. The world seems more at peace, and the sound of the birds chirping, as well as everything coming alive with the rising sun. Each day is a fresh start. People starting their daily routine don’t need the same pomp and circumstance as those at the end of their day.

Whenever I travel, I make it a point to see at least one sunset and one sunrise. If the place is truly special, it's likely to be two or three.

Farewell, Kato Dool, and hello

New Abu Simbel Hotel

Saying goodbye to the owners and staff at Cato Dool was a bittersweet moment. It was like saying goodbye to distant relatives. We had only stayed for two nights, and did so much.

Meet Islam, the Mural Painter at the refuling spot.

The trip from Aswan to Abu Simbel was relatively uneventful. We stopped for a few minutes to Marvel at the Aswan High Dam and the first view of Lake Nasser, the largest man-made lake in the world. I can see how challenging that would have been for any of the temples about to be submerged.

As I understand it, 24 temples were raised or moved, with the most significant and complex move being the relocation of Abu Simbel.

The trip was three hours long, and we needed a rest stop on the route. There, I met a young man named Islam. He is a painter and was in the last days of painting a mural. Of course, I had to talk to him and take his picture; what a delightful young man. On our return trip to Aswan airport, he saw me and came by to show off the finished work. Once again, it was ike meeting an old friend.

https://www.instagram.com/ouka01_?utm_source=qr&igsh=MTNjMThnbDBzcWlqMw==

17 Hours at New Abu Simbel Hotel and Monument

The not-so-crowded temple of Abu Simbel, thank you, Monique.

Seventeen was way too short a time to spend here. It could have been way worse if it hadn’t been for Monique’s brilliant idea. The standard tour departs at 4:00 AM from Aswan. It’s about a four-hour drive with a pit stop midway, arriving at the temple between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. You would then have an hour-and-a-half tour, after which you would return to Aswan on the same day. This would be unacceptable and exhausting for us.

Monique came up with the idea that we should drive to Aswan the day before, take a leisurely drive there, stay overnight, and arrive at the temple much earlier than the big busloads of tourists.

What actually happened was an experience beyond fantastic. We stayed at the hotel called New Abu Simbel, where I met yet another brother from another mother, Mohamed. The minute we walked in, his welcome said it all. “Hi, I am Mohamed, owner of the hotel, but for you, it’s welcome to your second home!”

What followed was a sunset boat cruise for three, a fabulous fish dinner, the Abu Simbel sound and light show in Chinese. An overnight stay, followed by an early visit to the temple, which we almost had to ourselves. We ended the day by driving to Aswan before the crowds and then took a flight to Cairo. Thank you, Mohamed, for arranging all that.

BIG THANK YOU to Monique for the trip modification!

Abu Mahmood, the Mint Tea maker

From the Desk of Monique MacDonald

Once in a while, I get a bright idea. Boy, were we glad this one happened months ago while we were planning our trip to visit this site. When I found out that we would have to leave Aswan around 4 am (meaning we would have to get up earlier to prepare and eat), and then the drive would be 3 hours there, and another 3 hours to get back to Aswan to catch a flight to Cairo, well... I imagined how much pain my body would be in and how cranky I'd get. So, we decided to spend the night in Abu Simbel instead. What a fantastic decision that was.

We stayed at a new Nubian-themed hotel (1 year old). The staff couldn't bend backward enough for us. They met us with cold juices, gave us welcome gifts, had fresh fruit in our rooms, and offered us tours (at a ridiculously cheap price!)

A private 1.5-hour boat tour of Lake Nasser to view Abu Simbel from the water was immediately booked for Naguib, Chris, and me. Donna and Larry opted to rest and stay out of the hot 35°+ sun.

What a fun and worthwhile motorboat tour that was. Including the part where we had to walk a tiny gangplank onto one boat and then climb out of it onto our own boat to get underway (and back). I tell you, I am not as nimble as I used to be. Still made it without making a splash😁

Lake Nasser is the world's largest man-made lake. It's a large reservoir built in southern Egypt and northern Sudan, created when the Aswan High Dam was constructed. Construction of the High Dam began in 1960 under Egypt's second president, Gamal Abdel Nasser. It took over 10 years to finish. President Anwar Sadat inaugurated the lake and dam in 1971. This dam was built to replace the Aswan's older Low Dam, built in 1902. The High Dam and Lake were constructed to provide Egypt with a larger source of water to support its agricultural production and generate electricity. Let's say it's massive!

The sun was setting, a warm breeze was whispering over the lake and on our faces. We saw a variety of waterfowl, people fishing on its banks, ferries transporting semis from Egypt to Sudan and back, and last but not least, the impressive Abu Simbel temple. I honestly can't get enough of sailing and boating in Egypt. It is simply blissful.

A remarkable trivia fact Naguib pointed out to us: we had crossed the Tropic of Cancer! 

Upon our return, we were received by a gentleman in a galabeya stoking a small wood fire on the sand in front of the hotel. They were making us tea. We sat around the fire on rugs and chairs, sipping "Nubian" tea. It was rich and smoky. What an unexpected experience!

After a dinner of fresh Tilapia, which was plucked right out of the lake that morning, we went to watch the light and sound show. These monuments, lit up at night, are stunning. 

The next morning, we woke up early to head back to Aswan and catch a flight back to Cairo. Our trip was coming to an end, with 3 days left before our return to Canada.

All good things must come to an end.