Waking up in Aswan.

On the next morning, we awoke to have a daylight look at the Tombs of the Nobles, nice enough, I suppose, but a bit of a come-down from last night's impression!

We returned to the cabin after breakfast to an unexpected visitor!!! These towel sculptures are really very good, and as I said earlier, they're all (so far) new to me.

Up on the sundeck I had a bit of a wave about with the camera, it's strange what you can find:

Here's a shot of a new hotel which is taking shape right next to where the Royal Viking was moored. And here, below, is one of the shuttering joiners about 8 floors up. I was frightened just watching him!

A little further South, I noticed someone working on another tall building:

I nearly died when I saw a man jump from the right-hand corner of the building!! I stood, in both horror and disbelief, for a few moments, but then he appeared at the base of the wall from which he'd jumped. Phew! What a relief.

We took a stroll along to the Ferial Gardens, a lovely spot near to the famous Old Cataract Hotel. We've sat on the seats there on several occasions before, just gazing over the choppy First Cataract of the Nile, and Kitceher's Island, to the Aga Khan's Mausoleum and towards the Western desert where lies the fascinating Monastery of St Simeon. Not today, though! They've put on an entrance fee, and the robbing beggar wanted 10le, each! While we were down there, I took this rather uninspiring shot of the river, That's the "conning tower", on the left, which used to be the Aswan Oberoi Hotel, I'm not sure which name it goes by, now. 

                     

We walked slowly back through the souks; a very different experience from those in our Luxor.

By the time we got back to the boat, I was worn out. Lunch and sleep took up the afternoon. We didn't re-appear till dinner!

After yet another lovely meal, there was the "Egyptian Show", in the lounge/bar, which entailed the usual whirling dervish and a (single) stick-dancing man, who encouraged one or two of the audience to join in. The boat manager had remembered (two days late) that it was Freda's birthday, and a very acceptable cake was produced. By the time we cut it and shared it around, we only got one piece each, but I think our sharing was appreciated.

On our return to the cabin, we were really surprised to see yet more, equally novel, towel sculptures! They included a nice birthday cake with a great big candle, and toilet-roll streamers spread about the place.

Further cups of tea in our cabin, and a turn around the dack before turning in. The moon just appeared inbetween the wings of the new hotel, as if to wish us, "Goodnight!"