Page 135 - WDT Magazine Egypt

on the long straight ribbon of asphalt that stretched
from Aswan to Abu Simbel. Visitors, we learned from
our guide, could not travel this road in private cars.
They were required to use tour vehicles or arrive by
plane. We made only one stop in this desolate desert
– a 7-Eleven like outpost with a western bathroom
(and a fee-demanding attendant) and a stock of
sodas and snacks. It’s a favorite place to pause, to
snap photos of a watery mirage that shimmered in
the distance. If only we could dive in for a refreshing
swim.
After three hours of desert monotony, the town
of Abu Simbel was a welcome oasis of farms and
residential areas. It’s located only 25 miles from
Sudan, which is not on the State Department’s good-
to-travel list. And it was hot – 110 degrees F. hot – as
we made our way from a parking lot to the temple
complex via a concrete walkway with no shaded
respites from the sun. Finally, we glimpsed the lake
- the same one we viewed in Aswan – and then the
temples. We forgot the heat – for at least a minute
while we marveled at the pair of massive structures
rising out of the sand.

A welcome oasis friendly clerk on the
lonely desert highway that runs from
Aswan to Abu Simbel.

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