Scenes from Days 6-10

Here are a bunch of pictures from the last few days of visiting the heart of antiquities country from Aswan to Luxor.  I will add more captions and explanations as time allows, but the internet here in Hurghada isn't free, so my time is limited.  

On the Aswan High Dam--Nasser's grand gesture, not unlike Ramses II depicting himself as a god.  Here the state has tamed the river god, and now offers itself the electricity of Ra and waters of Honum.

 At the Phyllae Temple, where the temp in the sun had to be 120.  Everyone was kind of wilting.

The Phyllae Temple courtyard in Aswan.  From around 250 B.C.  Rebuilt on this spot after having been submerged by the reservoir created by the first Aswan Dam.

A Coptic cross and shrine carved into the Ptolomeic temple walls.

 The pylons at Phyllae.

The unfinished obelisk in Aswan.  Amazing to contemplate how they made these things.

 The family shrine in the home of the Nubian host we had in Gebelsheisha, near Aswan.

 A reed hut with Egyptian flag, near the Nile

The town center in Gabalsheisha, the Nubian community that hosted us for a day.

Saudi, our Nubian host.  An energetic man, with very few teeth.  At age 34 he was getting married this year.  He (and most Nubians) smoked a form of marijuana fairly steadily.

 The abandoned Nubian village. The result of the first, British-built dam at Aswan, competed around 1900.  It was a sad, eerie place to visit.

Dinner in Saudi's uncle's house.  We learned that his uncle is also his brother-in-law.  

Fardosa in one of the abandoned homes

Some Nubians kids, and a father's gentle hand.

Some new friends, having talked about religion and the impact of the dam and relocation on their lives.

Our dinner at the Nubian home.  They specialize in these clay pot dishes called tagen.

The sandstorm blotting out the sun.  It came in very quickly.

Swimming in the spot where the Phyllae Temple used to be, with the relocated temple in the background.

Four statues of Ramses II, at Abu Simbel.  We were glad to see he didn't suffer from self-esteem issues.

Ramses and Horus

Japanese tourists, fitting a stereotype (I'm sure I was fitting one too).