Vignettes from a Lifetime of Travel

A is for Abu Simbel

In 1981 I visited Egypt for the first time.   Aswan was pretty much as far as anyone went by road.   At almost 300km further south,   Abu Simbel could be reached by river or by a flight which at the time was £90 if I remember correctly and way out of a backpacker’s league.

Roll on a mere 9 years to 1990 and I found myself back in Aswan.   They had constructed a road!!   It was now possible to get there and back in a (long!) day.   I remember the strip of grey stretching ahead of us through the desert.  There was one very new,  and pretty basic ‘stopover’ with toilets and snacks.   I don’t recall even meeting a car on the road.

At one stage a ripple of excitement spread though the bus … everyone made for the windows on one side (all tourists of course).   It was the first time any of us had seen a mirage…. I can still see it glimmering across the sand.

We’d a few hours at the temple before heading back on the evening bus.   Great stuff!

scan_20190216.png(April 9th,  1990!)

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8 thoughts on “Vignettes from a Lifetime of Travel

    1. Yes Mt. Sinai is definitely on my list too.

      As for the photos – they’re getting very nervous here at home – wondering what I’m going to produce next!!!

  1. We did it by boat in 1997 … the MS Eugenie. Called at several sites … and a special Sound & Light show had been arranged for us at Abu Simbel, which we viewed from the boat.

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