BACK IN CAIRO - WHEW!!!

I believe I mentioned yesterday that it was getting a bit murky in Aswan.  Yes, indeed, but murky implies fog.  This turned out to be a full scale sand storm. (see photo)  We actually were covered in dust - orange clouds of dust.  We had gone on a tour of the upper Aswan dam (not terribly interesting), a Ptolomeic (sp ?) temple, and an incomplete obelisk (was supposed to be the largest ever carved and it cracked when 60% done.)

In the afternoon we were supposed to go on a Falucca ride (the Egyptian sail boats) and we had planned to take a tour of a Nubian village.  By the time lunch was over, it was obvious - we couldn't go anywhere.  We tried to get from Aswan to Cairo this morning (the sky was pretty clear this morning), but the planes were filled.  Our flight was supposed to leave at 2:30.  By then, it was getting murky again.  Oh oh.  We were stuck on the boat for several hours watching the place get dusted over again.  Our flight miraculously left only a half hour late.  I was a bit concerned about dust in the engines - but hey, who'd know more about dust storms than the Egyptians?!  When we got to Cairo no one seemed to be there to meet us.  It turned out, they hadn't expected anyone to make it out of upper Egypt at all.  Some of our tour group from the boat had gone further south to Abu Simbal (where they took the statues and buildings that were going to get drowned from the Aswan dam.  Those that went got stuck there.  It really doesn't have much of a place to stay.  We'll tell you about the family that went there another time.  Suffice it to say - we're in great shape - albeit a bit dusty.  Tomorrow to Alexandria!

Hey - after 4 days of $10 a half hour - our internet access is free here!!

Til our next posting -  by the way - notice the increasing yellow in the sky from the stop at Aswan to the obelisk - followed, of course, by the boat photo!