Beautiful Aswan

What a surprise it was to arrive in Aswan and find ourselves in the midst of a very modern urban setting enhanced by the lovely surrounding Nile River environment. All pastel, blue and green, Aswan spreads along a curving sweep of the Nile and up into the surrounding desert hills. At dusk tall fulucca sails fill the river, ferrying folks to the botanical garden on Kichner Island or merely sailing along admiring the setting sun. Because the city came into its own only with the construction of the High Dam fourty or fifty years ago, much of the architecture is strikingly contemporary and beautifully executed.

We all were dutifully impressed, especially after we, too, "abandoned ship" and sailed to the botanical garden aboard our own fulucca right at sunset! One can easily understand how the city became the favorite Winter residence for any number of European visitors over the years: a beautiful place in an beautiful setting with consistently beautiful weather -- what's not to like?

Tonight's our last night aboard the Royal Orchid -- and it will be a short one, at that. We have a 3:45 a.m. wake up call tomorrow morning and leave for Abu Simbel by bus at 5:00 a.m. so as to begin our visit there before the heat of the sun becomes unbearable.