3rd May Aswan.

We had a problem tonight: the last of our Egyptian wine was finished last night, three days to go before we hit a dry country, Sudan, and the only remaining bottle of red was for the minister of a parish in Uganda who has ties with Joan’s church in Bellingen. It was bought in the Holy Land of Jordan.
Reasons for opening it:
1/ The rough roads between here & Uganda might turn it into vinegar
2/ It might be corked
3/ the minister might be a teetotaller
4/ We are overweight, every little lessening helps
5/ The Sudanese Customs might confiscate it
Reasons for keeping it.
1/ The minister would appreciate it
2/ It might be able to be used as sacred wine (not sure of the requirements for that)
The former won out. It helped a pleasant meal at Adam’s Home, a desert camp 150 metres from the Nile. We ate while feluccas and cruise boats made their way along the river. When the sun had lost some its intensity we wandered down to the Nile and spent a half hour relaxing at the water’s edge watching and listening to the many birds playing in amongst the papyrus reeds.
The Nile down here at Aswan is idyllic. Clear water, palm trees on the edge, the feluccas slowly catching the wind. Not so many tourists help as well. We visited the Nubian Museum this morning. Excellent displays of the Nubian culture and life style and a wonderful photographic wing showing the effort to preserve the Nubian history that was to be destroyed by the rising waters of Lake Nasser and the Aswan Dam in the early 60s. Abu Simbel is the most famous with the effort to raise these massive statues above the final dam level but may other sites were to be covered as well. Scores of archaeologists worked on the project from all over the world. A massive undertaking.
The convoy from Luxor went without a hitch this morning but on arriving realized that today was Friday, the Muslim holiday and the office of the Nile River Transportation Coy was closed. We will have to catch Mr Salah tomorrow.
3r May
The staff in the Nile River Transportation Office were as helpful as all the blogs and web sites said. Mr Salah and Mr Eezah went out of the way to help us. Mr Eezah accompanied us to the courthouse to make sure we hadn’t had any accidents or convictions against us while in the country, then off to the Traffic Police to hand in our Egyptian number plates and licence. Pity as I would have enjoyed giving an Australian cop my Egyptian licence if they happened to pull us up.
Tomorrow we catch the ferry. Not sure when it leaves, last week it didn’t leave until midnight, we have to report at 9.30am. It appears the van goes on a slower boat and we will have to spend a night at Wadi Halfa waiting for it. Raider and Ellen the Norwegian couple are happy to travel together until we reach Dongola, from where the road is asphalt to Khartoum. We are pleased as I feel a little unprepared for what may eventuate. They have a Landcruiser with all the bells and whistles; winches, sand mats, raised suspension, the works. They are a nice couple about our age and intend leaving their vehicle in South Africa then flying back later to look around the national parks of Southern Africa.
This will be the last blog until perhaps Dongola but more than likely Khartoum. It will be an interesting drive but at least the weather is holding, still fairly cool.
Take care
Gar & Joan