We began our cruise adventure in Aswan, home of the deliciously sweet hibiscus tea. Our first tourist destination was the highly controversial High Dam. While many debate the environmental and cultural impacts of the dam, well, it still exists… as Natalya said, “I’ve seen better.”
We then took a boat to Agilika Island where the Philae Temple is housed. The entire temple was dismantled and reassembled from its original location on Philae Island 500m away, which was flooded from the construction of the dam. The Philae Temple is especially beautiful as you approach it across the water, as it appears untouched, standing alone on this small island.
Also, I must take a moment to introduce someone very special to our travel group: Petey the Travel Penguin! Adopted from a McDonald’s in Santa Barbara, our own version of travelocity’s gnome, Petey had already traveled through Hong Kong and Dubai before beginning his Egyptian adventure!