divinemoment
Senior Member
I also do like this artistic appeal. Even the driver is smart looking ah, looks very professional and good looking.
SG trekker -your next Eygpt trip you must instruct your members to wear tie (minimum std).
SGTrekker 8D7N Wonders of Egypt Photography Tour (28 Aug-04 Sep 2011)
- Thread starter SgTrekker
- Start date
I also do like this artistic appeal. Even the driver is smart looking ah, looks very professional and good looking.
SG trekker -your next Eygpt trip you must instruct your members to wear tie (minimum std).
divinemoment
Senior Member
Hi Reservoir,
Thank you and I appreciate your appreciation. I felt bad for barging into their thread.
limwhow
Senior Member
Er... each has its own set of potent poison. Both equally deadly. Haha...
T R A V E L O G U E
Ok, we hit the Aswan train station at after 10am. Hmmm... timing is not the best.
The armed convoy were waiting and would leave off southwards to Abu Simbel at 11am sharp.
We GOT to follow them. Why, someone would ask, do we have to follow? It government regulations.
Due to the recent insurgence and rampant militant fighting espeically down south of Cairo to Abu Simbel, which is almot at the border between Egypt and Sudan, there are lots of bad guys. And these bad guys only recognise Money and the AK-47.
So there you go.
Here we are at the Aswan Train Station, fall in already in our Full Battle Order, awaiting instruction from our commanders.
Some of us buay tahan liao. Commanders did say gears on our body ready for action and to hit the ground running, didn't they?
Well, this is it! Hit the ground running... Our transport not here yet and we are rushing to rendezvous with our armed convoy leaving at 11am.
Boy, if we miss this convoy our trip to Abu Simbel can throw down the River Nile liao lor...
Stressful job these guys Adrian and Melvin had. They got to kick some Egyptian b*lls to make sure two vehicles come - one to haul all our luggage to the local operator's office while the other vehicle come to catch us and send us up pronto towards the convoy to do the RV to start the convoy movement.
Well.... so what if it was the Aswan Traffic Police? They also can't help ourselves!
OK OK OK... Getting ready to cheong up the other bus to take us direct to Abu Simbel.
Just don't leave anything inside
Last edited:
limwhow
Senior Member
So, did we finally manage to catch the convoy of armed vehicles?
Erm... ahem... apparently we did.
And here below as you read, you will see the photo of our convoy. Yupe, it's a convoy of one single minibus. ROFLOL!!!
No joke. Seriously. In fact, our local guide Hassan said with his face straight: "Yes, this is our convoy. Today the convoy only has one vehicle."
Imagine! Only one minibus! I bet even Adrian and Melvin were taken aback!
But of course we had our security guard sitting in the passenger seat throughout the trip, armed with an AK47.
Somehow two things struck me:
Not long after setting out, some of us cannot tahan already. Need to pee, need to buy ShishKebab potato chip and makan... So we again stop by the road side. The driver and guide must have been thinking "This bunch of Singapore fellows must have been one of the most relaxed Singapore team they have ever taken."
The road ahead to Abu Simbel is along a well-paved tarmac road. Smooth and almost bump-less.
We all slept and slept. Those who saw the mirage both in front at the long frontal road and the side of the sand dunes were plesantly rewarded.
We saw camels and their riders along the way...
And more road signs.
Erm... ahem... apparently we did.
And here below as you read, you will see the photo of our convoy. Yupe, it's a convoy of one single minibus. ROFLOL!!!
No joke. Seriously. In fact, our local guide Hassan said with his face straight: "Yes, this is our convoy. Today the convoy only has one vehicle."
Imagine! Only one minibus! I bet even Adrian and Melvin were taken aback!
But of course we had our security guard sitting in the passenger seat throughout the trip, armed with an AK47.
Somehow two things struck me:
- Tourism in Egypt must really have taken a beating because Abu Simbel has ALWAYS had lots of tourist. But today it was only us.
- Being the only visitor to Abu Simbel on this day wasn't such a bad idea for us, because we can all throw away our ND400 (10 stop) filters that we bought, meaning to make all the tourist at Abu Simbel disappear with long exposures! Haha
Not long after setting out, some of us cannot tahan already. Need to pee, need to buy ShishKebab potato chip and makan... So we again stop by the road side. The driver and guide must have been thinking "This bunch of Singapore fellows must have been one of the most relaxed Singapore team they have ever taken."
The road ahead to Abu Simbel is along a well-paved tarmac road. Smooth and almost bump-less.
We all slept and slept. Those who saw the mirage both in front at the long frontal road and the side of the sand dunes were plesantly rewarded.
We saw camels and their riders along the way...
And more road signs.
Last edited:
limwhow
Senior Member
The distance was long and a time taken to arrive at Abu Simbel from Aswan was estimated to be 4 hours both ways by minibus.
Thankfully the road was smooth and the aircon sufficiently cold. All the way we saw nothing but just sand, sand and sand dunes on both sides of the road, the desert stretching all the way to a vast expansiveness of nothingness.
Time for a short break
Those brave men who sacrificed themselves and tested the toilet first gave a minute-by-minute report to the ladies out there.
The toilet was rather less dirty. Some more it has intricate arabic designs to distract your attention.
But if you step in, what hits your nose would be a puff of pungent Arabic fragrance followed by what you would see if you happen to be so brave as to look into the hole...
Serene XMM was the first victim... LOL...
Thankfully the road was smooth and the aircon sufficiently cold. All the way we saw nothing but just sand, sand and sand dunes on both sides of the road, the desert stretching all the way to a vast expansiveness of nothingness.
Time for a short break
Those brave men who sacrificed themselves and tested the toilet first gave a minute-by-minute report to the ladies out there.
The toilet was rather less dirty. Some more it has intricate arabic designs to distract your attention.
But if you step in, what hits your nose would be a puff of pungent Arabic fragrance followed by what you would see if you happen to be so brave as to look into the hole...
Serene XMM was the first victim... LOL...
limwhow
Senior Member
Here our brave Francis Chia did a Francis Chia in the middle of the highway...
Until our guide Hassan came over and chase us off the road. His reason - these are roads filled with the militants.
And we may see nothing for miles, but they can appear suddenly any time.
Thus our pee break has got to be as short and as exposed as possible.
"Ok Guys! Back to the bus now!" shouted Hassan.
Until our guide Hassan came over and chase us off the road. His reason - these are roads filled with the militants.
And we may see nothing for miles, but they can appear suddenly any time.
Thus our pee break has got to be as short and as exposed as possible.
"Ok Guys! Back to the bus now!" shouted Hassan.
limwhow
Senior Member
T R A V E L O G U E
Day 3: Aswan to Abu Simbel
People would be thinking that we are out of our minds, travelling 9-10 hours to arrive at Abu Simbel, the majestic temple built by King Ramses II for himself and for his wife. But then again, if one doesn't come just soooo close to the southern border between Egypt and Sudan, one would not be able to marvel at the historical and architectural beauty of this temple. It is surrounded by Lake Nasser, the man made lake, which formed after the High Aswan Dam was built.
Understanding that once water level rises after the completion of the Dam, the original Abu Simbel would be totally submerged in water, a massive rescue effort was mounted which carried the whole Abu Simbel Temple, stone by stone to about 100 metres away and where the whole temple was re-installed exactly the way it was.
A monumental task, I must say.
The history of Abu Simbel will be generously shared by Acpical later when we come to that part.
Here we were, starting to walk to the big monument... but at this corner still couldn't see much of it.
What a funny wooden, kok-kok entrance to a majestic monument?
Day 3: Aswan to Abu Simbel
People would be thinking that we are out of our minds, travelling 9-10 hours to arrive at Abu Simbel, the majestic temple built by King Ramses II for himself and for his wife. But then again, if one doesn't come just soooo close to the southern border between Egypt and Sudan, one would not be able to marvel at the historical and architectural beauty of this temple. It is surrounded by Lake Nasser, the man made lake, which formed after the High Aswan Dam was built.
Understanding that once water level rises after the completion of the Dam, the original Abu Simbel would be totally submerged in water, a massive rescue effort was mounted which carried the whole Abu Simbel Temple, stone by stone to about 100 metres away and where the whole temple was re-installed exactly the way it was.
A monumental task, I must say.
The history of Abu Simbel will be generously shared by Acpical later when we come to that part.
Here we were, starting to walk to the big monument... but at this corner still couldn't see much of it.
What a funny wooden, kok-kok entrance to a majestic monument?
Last edited:
SereneXMM
New Member
Coming nearer to Abu Simbel already..:vhappy:
I took a picture of these three lovely men as the climbed the slope just before Abu Simbel.
Ageless buay tahan already. Must be the soil, the air, the water and the mystical power of the atmosphere, he begun to walk in anEgyptian way while looking at Lake Nasser in the distance.
I took a picture of these three lovely men as the climbed the slope just before Abu Simbel.
Ageless buay tahan already. Must be the soil, the air, the water and the mystical power of the atmosphere, he begun to walk in anEgyptian way while looking at Lake Nasser in the distance.
SereneXMM
New Member
As we rounded the curve, we finally saw the side view of the magnificent Abu Simbel.
And we finally made the turn to find that we were lucky!
We were the only tourists here at this time. Thus the Abu Simbel was totally empty for our onslaught!
Such good deal! Aiyah...all the ND10 bought already looks like no need to use already lah.
And we finally made the turn to find that we were lucky!
We were the only tourists here at this time. Thus the Abu Simbel was totally empty for our onslaught!
Such good deal! Aiyah...all the ND10 bought already looks like no need to use already lah.
SereneXMM
New Member
I any how put up these shots one lah..
There was literally no one (as oppose to the usual peak tourist season when the whole play was full of people in your frame.) and we went crazy shooting.
The old Egyptian double chopper illustraed could have been used to chop off the Pharaoh or his male followers' vital organs if they misbehave.
There was literally no one (as oppose to the usual peak tourist season when the whole play was full of people in your frame.) and we went crazy shooting.
The old Egyptian double chopper illustraed could have been used to chop off the Pharaoh or his male followers' vital organs if they misbehave.
vngks
New Member
9. Abu Simbel. Two prominent signs up front that says "No photo inside the temple".
10. Photo inside the temple, in one of the illuminated chambers
11. Photo inside the temple, in another illuminated chamber. Do we always do what we were told? Muahahahhahaha
12. Later outside the temple, there was this handsome looking dog that posed happily for me. I was on 21mm, imagine how close I was to it to take this.
10. Photo inside the temple, in one of the illuminated chambers
11. Photo inside the temple, in another illuminated chamber. Do we always do what we were told? Muahahahhahaha
12. Later outside the temple, there was this handsome looking dog that posed happily for me. I was on 21mm, imagine how close I was to it to take this.
vngks
New Member
The guard: "Alamak!, I said no photography inside the temple..."
ROFL Good one bro :bsmilie:
limwhow
Senior Member
The guard: "Alamak!, I said no photography inside the temple..."
Hahaha... Dinosour! That is a good one!
9. Abu Simbel. Two prominent signs up front that says "No photo inside the temple".
10. Photo inside the temple, in one of the illuminated chambers
11. Photo inside the temple, in another illuminated chamber. Do we always do what we were told? Muahahahhahaha
Vngks! I don't want to friend you already!
Wah lau eh... you took such lovely picture of the temple of Ramses II???!!! Some more so stealthily.
Some one must have been distracting the guard with some baksheesh and talking c*ck singing song to him while you quietly snapped away inside!
limwhow
Senior Member
Yah.. I did keep watch for you while you used your handphone to snap quietly away inside, didn't I?
And I sacrificed myself. Cos I didn't have a single shot of the interior at all.
But still, I must say it was a really eye-opening (but spooky) experience inside, seeing the wall reliefs and carvings for the first time in my life, and telling myself that these are NOT Universal Studio. They are the real stuff! LOL..
Anyway, acpical, can you enlighten us on the history of Abu Simbel, and King Ramses II's wife's temple and all the story about the double crown and vulture and falcon and Horus and Cobra and about that four statues vngks photographed and about only two days in a year the sunlight will stream right in and hitting the right three statues but not the one on the left...?
Continuing from where I left off, we departed Dashur for Saqqara, where the Stepped Pyramid is sited. I guess that more extensive restoration work is done here from the numerous scaffolding.
The original plan was to go to Giza after lunch but after some impromptu calculations, it was decided the earlier closing time meant we either skip lunch or skip the pyramids. No prizes for guessing which option we took! Unfortunately, it also meant no time to venture over to the Pyramid of Menkaure, where all pyramids lined up.
Horsemen before the Pyramid of Menkaure. Standing at 62m, it is the smallest of the three Giza pyramids. But based on the horsemen as scale, it can still look intimidating.
As usual, SGtrekker arranged for a couple of models, this time with bonus camel.
Camel riders before the Pyramid of Khafre, which incidentally is not a world heritage site. Apparently, only the first pyramid (of Khufu) qualifies. Similar to the one posted by vngks earlier.
The original plan was to go to Giza after lunch but after some impromptu calculations, it was decided the earlier closing time meant we either skip lunch or skip the pyramids. No prizes for guessing which option we took! Unfortunately, it also meant no time to venture over to the Pyramid of Menkaure, where all pyramids lined up.
Horsemen before the Pyramid of Menkaure. Standing at 62m, it is the smallest of the three Giza pyramids. But based on the horsemen as scale, it can still look intimidating.
As usual, SGtrekker arranged for a couple of models, this time with bonus camel.
Camel riders before the Pyramid of Khafre, which incidentally is not a world heritage site. Apparently, only the first pyramid (of Khufu) qualifies. Similar to the one posted by vngks earlier.
Last edited:
Similar threads
- Locked
- Locked
