The MS Alyssa

Monday- May 28, 2012

Tackling the sketchy hotel is a very important step in becoming a world traveler.

We arrived in Aswan the night before our cruise so we had one night in a hotel. That hotel just happened to be very sketchy. As a member of Drake Mock Trial, I am no stranger to the sketchy hotel. However, this one may very well take the prize. It took Hannah and me about 5 minutes just to open the door and even then we had to ask another person for help. The bathroom was terrifying. Neither of us showered due to the moth eaten shower curtain and the lack of towels. Still, it was extremely fun! It is all just a part of the experience. We have been beyond fortunate to stay in such nice hotels that one night in a sketchy hotel is the least we can do. After thoroughly checking the bed for bedbugs, we both slept just fine. Sketchy hotel conquered.

The Aswan High Dam

Before heading to our boat, we checked out a few historical sites in Aswan. First, we saw the Aswan High Dam and Low Dam. It is crazy to think that these dams were created by men.

Aswan High Dam

After that, we saw the memorial for the dams. The memorial was cool but I was more interested in the beautiful flowers that surrounded it. Typical me.

The Philae Temple

The second place we visited in Aswan was the Philae Temple. To access this site we had to ride across the river in a boat to an island. It was our first time on the Nile so it was very cool. The views from the boat were gorgeous.

The Philae Temple is gorgeous. It is absolutely huge and all of its walls are covered with depictions of the gods and kings. The temple differed from other temples we have seen in one distinct way. This temple shows clear signs of being occupied and destroyed by Christians. Many of the images are disfigured and chipped. One portion of the temple was used for Christian worship. Makeshift crosses (like the one below) cover the walls throughout.

A cross on the wall

MS Alyssa

With hardly any sleep under our belts and the hot sun on our backs, we were all worn out after visiting the Philae Temple. Because of this, our next visit of the day was cancelled in order to maintain our sanity. So after the first visit we went straight to the boat that would be our home for the next three days, the MS Alyssa.

I love cruises! I have been excited for the Nile Cruise since I first saw our trip’s itinerary. I was like a kid in a candy shop during the drive to the boat. The MS Alyssa is great. It is a high quality, five star cruise. It is just the right size so that it is pretty much our group and a few other people. We have a pool, a spa, a gym, and a sauna. Our rooms are doubles and very well sized for being on a ship. We both get our own bed and quite a bit of room to move around in. The best part, however, is the food.

MS Alyssa

As soon as we arrived to the boat we had lunch. We were all ecstatic for our first buffet style meal in Egypt. The buffet did not disappoint. We all were in heaven as we ate steak, mashed potatoes, and salad. The selection was fantastic and the familiarity of the food was a much needed relief to our struggling stomachs.

The Sunset(?)

At 5pm we set sail on a smaller boat to watch the sunset over the Nile. Although we left a little early and didn’t really see the actual sunset, it was a lot of fun. We danced on the boat to the music provided by the local Nubians sailing the boat. 

Nubian traditional song and dance

The Market!!!

YAY!! We finally got to go to an open air market and it was everything I expected it to be and more. The smells of the spices as we walked down the streets of the market were fantastic. Honestly, I was not expecting the market to be as big as it was- it was freakin’ huge!! They had everything anyone could ever want. I was able to buy a few things and look at everything these locals had to offer.

Unfortunately, it is very hard to just “look” at something being sold by a vendor in Egypt. As soon as they catch you looking at something they have to sell they grasp on to you and do not let go. You will have to travel at least 3 stands down just to get away from their constant cry of “10 pounds. 5 pounds for your beautiful smile.” It is crazy. I saw one shisha that I thought looked cool so I asked how much it was. The man said 270 pounds and I looked closer. It turned out that the quality wasn’t great so I decided I didn’t want it. The man, however, did not leave alone. He chased me out of the store lowering his price with every step. He ended up lowering his price all the way to 50 pounds but I still didn’t want it. That didn’t mean, however, that he didn’t harass me some more as we were leaving. Crazy.