My wife and I celebrate 9000 days together today, as we cruise down the Nile River. She’s a planner and I’m a counter. In this spirit, it’s also the 5,267th day of my running streak, our 23rd Mother’s Day tomorrow as a couple, and only 37 days until her birthday. Twelve days of this fabulous adventure remain, perhaps the trip of my lifetime. Planning wise, I’ve already taken care of her birthday request, but the landscaper planted the wrong palm tree – not a foxtail. I hope I can get this straightened out but unfortunately, he doesn’t speak English. It was supposed to match the one he installed next door – but doesn’t! I should have left it to the planner because she can’t count on me. 

Ramses II, whose tomb we walked through yesterday in the Valley of the Kings and his beloved queen Nefertari, mummified in her elaborate resting place in the other Royal Valley, are once again presented larger than life in the giant structures outside Abul Simba Temple. It was at least 100-degrees as we walked down the unshaded pathway to their separate entrances. These remarkable structures would not exist today without funding from UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). They now look over Lake Nasser rather than forever submerged and out-of-sight, its intricate carvings washed away by the underwater currents. They might never have been found in their original location if not for the young boy, Abu Simbel. His sharp eyes and youthful curiosity spotted the top of their heads, buried under the sand, and reported it to archaeologists. The popular tourist site is therefore named after him. The monuments were eventually uncovered and moved to the present higher elevation location. 

It was a lot of money, work, and hassle to see these magnificent religious, works of art. Two bus rides, roundtrip Egyptair flights, along with numerous security screenings, a long walk in the brutal heat, admission tickets, and fighting off the vicious vendors, much worse than attack of wild dogs, were required to visually admire them. I was forced to buy a belt to keep my shorts from falling down. The belt I brought with me on the trip fell apart when the screws fell out this morning. Negotiations lingered on far too long for my liking. My wife bought an alabaster camel, miniature pyramid, zebra mask (her high school mascot), and a Terracotta baking dish.

The long, hot day ended with more tips and another bus ride back to the Ra. We have a spacious suite on the top level with a short walk to the restaurant. This was fortunate on a night when we were dragging, with another early start looming and more temples, tombs, and pillars to explore after another morning run. Farewell, Abu Simbel.