Aswan, Egypt

After surviving and actually sleeping quite a bit on the fourteen hour night train, we arrived in the city of Aswan. We spent the middle part of the day relaxing before hitting a few local sights. We first visited the mighty High Dam of Egypt. This project was a massive success for the Egyptian government and put an end to years and years of flooding.

We then shuttled to a dock filled with hundreds of water taxis, fighting through the gauntlet of persistent sales people offering water and Egyptian cotton t-shirts. We boarded our boat and the young captain shuttled us to Agilika Island, home to Philae Temple. The temple dates back to 4th century BC and is beautiful! The sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the pillars and walls of the temple.

We enjoyed local fare for lunch and dinner - falafel and baba ghanoush! Falafel is ground chickpeas and/or fava beans made into a ball or patty and usually served in pita bread. Baba ghanoush is an Arab dish of eggplant mashed and mixed with various seasonings. Both dishes are delicious!