Friday, February 29

As we started out our last day in Egypt, we visited the granite quarry where the Egyptians carved out many blocks and other structures (obelisks) for the pyramids, tombs and temples. A giant obelisk can still be seen which was never completed as it has a huge crack in it. Many of the marks can be seen where the stones were hammered. These large stones were pulled over to the Nile river where they were 'floated' to their final destinations. It's very difficult to imagine how this could be accomplished as these rocks weighed tons - and the tools (hammers) were very primitive.





After visiting the quarry we boarded a small ferry boat and motored to the island temple complex of Philae, dedicated to the Goddess Isis in Upper Egypt.
This structure was dismantled and re-assembled on higher ground about 500 meters from the original site through a worldwide preservation effort. It was threatened by the rising waters of the High Aswan Dam.

After lunch we said goodbye to the Sonesta St George (our ship) and on the way to the airport back to Cairo, we had a look at the impressive High Dam. This engineering marvel was built by the Russians in the 1960s, creating the world's largest artificial lake which provides irrigation and electricity for all of Egypt.

Does this look like the cat that ate the mouse?




I'm still amazed at all the donkeys and carts. In Cairo.



Before heading back to Cairo, we stopped at a shop where alabaster is carved from stone. The vases and statues were beautiful and very transparent. I still had to provide some 'baksheesh' in order to take this photo. Story of our trip.