A Journey Through Ancient Egypt

When one is drawn to visit ancient and sacred sites and avail themselves of the powerful energy there, it is in perfect alignment with their souls purpose.
Aswan is where one should begin a Journey Through Ancient Egypt. This is the home of my favorite temple, the re-constructed Philae Temple...a temple to ISIS, the Goddess of love. You arrive by motor launch to this small island, surrounded by a lake created by the British high dam. We see hieroglyphs for the first time. Their way of carving on stone the daily life, and the preparation for life in the hereafter gives one a clearer understanding of how they lived and died.
If you sit just inside the first courtyard you can still feel the energy that has survived the ages.
There are Nubian villages surrounding Aswan where people try to preserve the traditional way of life. Wonderful cotton scarves woven on open air looms is one of many sites you will see.
A stop in a funky cafe for lunch and some traditional music and dance...yes we danced. There is a wonderful museum depicting the life of the Nubians which has recently been created in Aswan.
We rise at 4am to make our way by bus to Abu Simbal, the majestic temple Rames II built for his beloved wife Nefertari. We all agree it was worth the early journey into the desert to see this work of art resting on the shore of the Aswan dam.
At sunset we board Faluccas, ancient Dow style boats still found here, Dubai, and in Zanzibar, that are used to sail the Nile. The islands, the bird life, and the wind in Aswan make it the best place for sailing.
Although the bazaar in Cairo is larger and more sophisticated, I prefer the Aswan street bazaar. Brightly coloured scarves blowing in the breeze, piles of spices, the aroma of incense and cooking food, the turbaned men smoking shishas (water pipes with honey flavored tobacco) and drinking strong black tea help create the colourful ambience.
The art of bargaining is taken very seriously in these markets. If you don't do it properly you will be taught. If you want the highest quality cotton in the world you can find it here in linens and traditional clothing.
At the end of the evening we are loaded down with more things than we ever intended to buy...but they were all such bargains. We can barely fit us and our purchases into the taxi.
Tomorrow morning it is camels into the desert to visit San Simian, a 5th century Coptic (christian) Monastery.