Egypt's southernmost city
(population 150,000) and ancient
frontier town has the loveliest
setting on the Nile. At
ASWAN
the deserts close in on the river,
confining its sparkling blue between
smooth amber sand and rugged
extrusions of granite bedrock.
Lateen-sailed feluccas glide past
the ancient ruins and gargantuan
rocks of Elephantine Island, palms
and tropical shrubs softening the
islands and embankments till intense
blue skies fade into soft-focus
dusks. The city's
ambience is
palpably African; its Nubian
inhabitants are lither and darker
than the
Saiyidis, with
different tastes and customs.
Although its own monuments are
insignificant compared to Luxor's,
Aswan is the base for
excursions
to the
temples of Philae and
Kabasha , near the great dams
beyond the First Cataract, and the
Sun Temple of Ramses II at
Abu
Simbel , far to the south. It
can also serve for day-trips to
Darow Camel Market, Kom Ombo, Edfu
and Esna - the main temples between
here and Luxor. But the classic
approach is to travel upriver by
felucca, experiencing the Nile's
moods and scenery as travellers have
for millennia. However, Aswan itself
is so laid-back that one could
easily spend a week here simply
hanging out, never mind going
anywhere. The
tourism scene
is much the same as in Luxor.
