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 a a 97 percent of the country is desert. A nation la and monuments by Leah Larkin features editor sailboats glided Back and Forth across the Calm Blue the Nile As they have for centuries. The fiery Ora goof 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 to. Changed much since Agatha Christie stayed there while writing much of death on the 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. Mch4 of unmapped off and on during the four hour ride from. Aswan through the monotonous landscape of Sand and a dunes. A a once the Driver stopped to serve us hot Tea he had brought in a Large thermos. Once again he stopped so we could experience caravan. Offin the distance try 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 class until they reach Aswan w Here they Are loaded on trucks for the journey to the Camel Market in Cairo. It s the King journey to Abu Simbell that keeps Many. Tourists from visiting the site. Not far from the sudanese Border southernmost part of Egypt it is of the. A Quot beaten track. But its Well Worth the Effort to sc�?~0 its Yenour Yousof life on the Nile ancient temples. They Are incredible but even More m incredible is i to fact that the entire Complex was sawn into 1,000 blocks,.moved 213 feet higher and bb0 Leet a Back then reassembled. _. Abu Simbell was being threatened by the rising Waters of Lake Nasser the huge body of water created by the a construction of the Aswan High dam on the Nike so a $42 million Rescue operation was conducted by the United nations educational scientific and cultural organization Between 19f>s and 1uu7. The original site was a Clit 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 a Jeen covered with Sand to make it appear like a natural Clit. Part of the Abu Simbell tour includes a behind the scenes kick. A guide leads visitors through a passageway to the inside of the lift to see the steel rods and supporting . Engineering c an be phenomenal too. Many guidebooks claim the move destroyed t i it it spirit of the place e. Bui it tie temples Hadnot been moved they would under water visible Only to Tish and scuba i Aswan does not have As Many in presume remnants of Antiquity As either parts do. But there is a pleasant leu it it Quality to the. Override town the Pac e is slow and relaxed. I lie air is c lean it s a Wati nine c Hange -. After the c has of . A we spent one morning exploring tombs of Nobles in the Sandy Hills on the other Side of the nik5 after d on in a 1 Ujj tourists can enjoy a Nile Sunset while listening to classical music at hotels in both Aswan and Luxor
