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62 ENTRIES (chronological ordered)

 
 

Monday February 21st, 2005

Africa > Egypt > Aswan

Backstreet in Aswan

Category: Egypt, 2005
Backstreet in Aswan - Just when we where about to surf the internet the power disappeared which[...]
Just when we where about to surf the internet the power disappeared which happens a couple of times every day. Their electrical network is not the best. We are now standing here and waiting for the power to return. And why not take a photograph of an 'Aswanian' backstreet?
Tags » alleys
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Monday February 21st, 2005

Africa > Egypt > Aswan

Greek-orthodox church in Aswan

Category: Egypt, 2005
Greek-orthodox church in Aswan - Big, white and situated in southern Aswan.
Big, white and situated in southern Aswan.
Tags » churches
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Monday February 21st, 2005

Africa > Egypt > Aswan

Collage of instruments

Category: Egypt, 2005
Collage of instruments - Instruments are fun. These are some of the instruments I found in different[...]
Instruments are fun. These are some of the instruments I found in different shops in Aswan.

Aswan is a pretty good place for shopping. Good prices and good assortment. Much better than Hurghada.

Up to the left: These are the two instruments I bought. One tabla drum and one rababa
Up to the right: Rababa
Down to the left: Tabla
Down to the right: I don't know what these are called
Tags » instrument
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Monday February 21st, 2005

Africa > Egypt > Aswan

Nubian museum in Aswan

Category: Egypt, 2005
Nubian museum in Aswan - One of the statues that has been transported to the nubian museum in Aswan[...]
One of the statues that has been transported to the nubian museum in Aswan from different temple sites.
Tags » museums, statues
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Tuesday February 22nd, 2005

Africa > Egypt > Aswan

(travel diary) Aswan. The nearby islands. Felucca ride

Category: Egypt, 2005
We didn't go to Abu Simbel early this morning. All buses were full. We walked around in Aswan and asked travel agents but this special day everything was full. Maybe it was good.. because I guess that the temple area was packed with tens of thousands of people and we would have seen the sun on TV-screens.
Instead, we booked our Abu Simbel-tour for tomorrow and today we booked a felucca-ride around the Aswan area.

Yep, today we went on a felucca ride (a small typical egyptian sailboat). The captain on our litte boat called himself "the Boss". He was heavily influenced by Bob Marley and sang "Alouette, smoking cigarette".
We checked out the islands in the area. First stop was Kitcheners Island. It's a small island which was transformed into a garden by an englishman some long time ago. A person interested in plants and butterflies would have loved it here.
Then, we continued to Elephantine Island. A bigger island with colorful nubian houses and a small museum.
After this we had planned to visit Tombs of the Nobles but time ran faster than our felucca so we had to skip that one. After this we floated around on the Nile in the sunset.

In the evening Tobias and I bought one Rababa each (string instrument with three strings). I also bought a tabla drum and Tobbe got an oud (guitar-style instrument).
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Tuesday February 22nd, 2005

Africa > Egypt > Aswan

Sunset sailing on the Nile

Category: Egypt, 2005
Sunset sailing on the Nile - On the Nile. This was the ending of our check-all-the-islands-in-Aswan-day.[...]
On the Nile. This was the ending of our check-all-the-islands-in-Aswan-day.
Tags » rivers, sunsets, the Nile
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Wednesday February 23rd, 2005

Africa > Egypt > Aswan

(travel diary) Aswan. Daytrip to Abu Simbel, Philaeh and Unfinished obelisk

Category: Egypt, 2005
Today it was time for Abu Simbel!
The hotel staff woke us up about three in the morning. After a small breakfast, we drove off in a small micro bus. We were 12 persons sitting in this micro bus (collected from three different hotels). Two swedes (Tobias and I), three self-destructive girls from Germany, a family from Poland and two girls and two guys from Korea.
After a speedy, sweaty, hot, 44 miles long journey we were finally in Abu Simbel.
The area was full of tourists. The entry fee to the temples was 61 pounds (adults with no student card).
The Abu Simbel temple was impressive. I like temples partly built into mountains :). I was also impressed by the work my grandfather's company did when they saved these temples from the water masses in the sixties.

After about two hours in Abu Simbel we continued to the Philae-temple. A pretty nice temple situated on an island. This is also a temple that has been saved from the rising water masses. The temple was bigger than I had thought.

After Philae we continued to the "unfinished obelisk". A 42m tall stone. A crack in the granite stopped the work and the workers left it there on the ground. In comparison to Abu Simbel this wasn't that exciting.

After this we drove back to our hotel.

Heading for Cairo. 17:45 we stood at the Aswan train station and entered the 18:15 wagon-lit train to Cairo. We sat on the train for about one hour before it departed... We ate a nice dinner and in the club-wagon we had a jam-session with the train staff and some children.
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Wednesday February 23rd, 2005

Africa > Egypt > Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel. Great temple of Ramses II

Category: Egypt, 2005
Abu Simbel. Great temple of Ramses II - Four 20 metres high sitting statues of Ramses II. The temple was built[...]
Four 20 metres high sitting statues of Ramses II.

The temple was built between 1274 and 1244 BC.
Tags » temple
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Wednesday February 23rd, 2005

Africa > Egypt > Abu Simbel

The innermost chamber of Abu Simbel

Category: Egypt, 2005
The innermost chamber of Abu Simbel - Twice every year, February 22nd and October 22nd , the first rays of the[...]
Twice every year, February 22nd and October 22nd , the first rays of the sun shines in though the temple entrance, through the hall and into the innermost sacred room where they illuminate the gods Ra-Harakhty, Ramses II and Amun. Ptah to the left is never illuminated.

Before the temple was moved from the rising water of the Nile this phenomenon happened one day earlier.
Tags » tempel
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Wednesday February 23rd, 2005

Africa > Egypt > Philae/Agilkia island

Temple of Isis

Category: Egypt, 2005
Temple of Isis - Since the beginning of the 20th century the temple was burried underwater[...]
Since the beginning of the 20th century the temple was burried underwater 6 months every year until Unesco 1972 started to move the temple from the Philae island to the nearby island Agilkia. The rescue work was finnished 1980.
Tags » temple
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