I deserved a power nap rather than sitting through a falafel cooking lesson, but I did learn to write my name in hieroglyphics before nodding off. It was dress-like-an-Egyptian night for dinner and a Nubian dance performance once we stopped for the night in Aswan, the Land of Gold. My wife had bought an appropriate pink-beaded dress at the market. She was once again the Belle of the Boat. Other souvenirs purchased include several scarves, an embroidered pillow cover, cookbook, magnets, scarabs, and a Bes figurine, the god of laughter. The vendors were very aggressive!

We needed to get to sleep promptly for an early flight to Abu Simbel. At least the boat was docked by an area where I could get in a 2-mile run. As was the case every day, I had to grab a pass to leave the Viking Ra, but at least today there were smooth surfaces to navigate and I could actually enjoy my surroundings rather than focusing on my feet. I haven’t had time for a full 5k since Luxor, so only 25-miles so far this month in 12-days applied to “The Streak.” 

On the way to the airport, the Viking bus made a quick photo stop at the top of The Aswan High Dam. It was Damn fine, but certainly not as impressive as the Hoover Dam, however it is actually a combination of two – High and Low.  We’ll be flying round-trip this afternoon just to see the ancient monuments that were moved to rescue them from the flooding that occurred during dam construction. It was a monumental task!