European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 02, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Palm Trees and crops thrive along the Nile. Beyond the Belt of irrigated land is the rest of Egypt 97 percent of the country is desert. National geographic memories and monuments by Leah Larkin features editor sailboats glided Back and Forth across the Carri Blue Waters of the Nile As they have for centuries. The fiery Orange of the sky at Day s end mellowed into a Kaleidoscope of muted pinks and purples As the Majestic music of Beethoven heralded another egyptian Sunset. Classical concerts seem a fitting tribute to the Sunset on this historic River especially in Aswan on the Hillside Terrace of the old Cataract hotel. This Pink Granite Palace of turn of the Century elegance probably has t changed much since Agatha Christie stayed there while writing much of death on the Nile. This concert was the perfect ending to another mind boggling Day of sightseeing on a two week tour of Egypt. The january Day had begun extra Early with a 6 . Departure by Van through the desert to Abu Simbell. Most of us napped off and on during the four hour ride from Aswan through the monotonous landscape of Sand and dunes. A \ a a Quot ,. A a. Once the Driver stopped to serve us hot Tea he had brought in it a Large thermos. Once again he stopped so we could experience a Carpel caravan. Off in the distance tiny specks on the horizon were. Moving. Soon it was evident they were camels hundreds of them herded by bedouins who were driving them on to Aswan. We Learned that the camels Are rounded up in the Sudan driven through the Sands for 40 Days until they reach Aswan where they Are loaded on trucks for the journey to the Camel Market in Cairo. It s the Long journey to Abir Simbell that keeps Many tourists from visiting the site. Not far from the sudanese Border in the southernmost part of Egypt it is off the beaten track. A a a but it s Well Worth the Effort to see its enormous of life on the Nile a a a a a a a a a a a a a. A v. A a a a a / .-.i. Ancient temples. They Are incredible but even More incredible is the fact that the entire Complex was sawn into 1,000 blocks moved 213 feet higher and 689 feet Back then reassembled. Abu Simbell was being threatened by the rising Waters of Lake Nasser the huge body of water created by the construction of the Aswan High dam on the Nile. So a $42 million Rescue operation was conducted by the a a United nations educational scientific and cultural organization Between 1965 and 1967. The original site was a Cliff where the colossi of Ramses ii at the South Temple and those of Nefertari at the North Temple were carved in the Rock. A hollow Concrete dome was constructed to support the temples. It has been covered with Sand to make it appear like a natural Cliff. Part of the Abu Simbell tour includes a behind the scenes look. A guide leads visitors through a passageway to the inside of the Cliff to see the steel rods and supporting Structure. Modern Day engineering can be phenomenal too. Many guidebooks claim the move destroyed the spirit of the place. But if the temples had t been moved they would now be under water visible Only to fish and scuba divers. A it. A a a Aswan does not have As Many impressive remnants of Antiquity As other parts of Egypt do. But there is a pleasant resort Quality to the Riverside town. The Pace is slow and relaxed. The air is clean. It s a Welcome change after the chaos of Cairo. We spent one morning exploring tombs of Nobles in the Sandy Hills on the other Side of the Nile after being. Continued on Page 12 tourists can enjoy a Nile Sunset while listening to classical music at hotels in both Aswan and Luxor. May 2, 1991 stripes Magazine 11