"Rest to the weary"

Well, we are getting on a bit, you know? And, at our time of life, we're allowed to take things as we do; slowly!

A short break at our favourite hotel was (is?) just the ticket. The Cataract beckoned!

As we prepared for our arduous 3 or 4 hour journey in a First Class Carriage on the VIP train up to Aswan, I had to do some shopping for essential supplies, biscuits and the like, for the trip. I got a great pic of the working at the Four Seasons whilst out and about:

I also had a rather frightening flashback when I passed a wagon near the station. Just look at this back spring, the very sight of it had all my weary old muscles aching at the thought of getting it out of there and then back in!

Thankfully, those days are now long gone, and only re-appear in the odd nightmare from time to time! They like their big Mercs here, and they always seem to be so high off the ground, that's because of those huge springs, of course.

Coming up here on the train I saw some great wagons! There were about 6 or 7 six wheelers with drawbar trailers and double height sideboards all together at one point, but I was too slow with the camera (OK phone camera!) but I did catch these at another place:

There are some areas of towns in Egypt which seem to specialize in certain trades. Close by to where I captured the tippers above, I also shot this:

Here, we have a little wrought iron workshop, as you can see by the lovely set of gates in the process of being made. But they also carry out vehicle repairs too, evidenced by the small tipper with the body raised and the short inspection pit to the right of the gates. Everything here is similar to what we see in our own countries, but on a different scale and usually with a lack of what we would term 'proper' equipment. The mechanics and artisans etc just get on with the job in hand, where necessity becomes, quite literally, the mother of invention!

We were allocated a room on the top floor of the Nile Wing of the Cataract, here's a quick panoramic view from our balcony, just to finish this little posting off|;

 That's the Mausoleum of the Agha Khan, the smallish looking square building towards the left and up on the desert sands, with the Coptic Cathedral behind the Old Cataract Hotel, to the right. Cracking view, eh?