December 12 -- Aswan: Botanical Gardens and Abu Ruins (by Lou)

In counterpoint to yesterday's desert walks and climbs, today was a chance to test our sea legs and stroll among flora from five continents.  From our hotel on the corniche, Elephantine Island's lush shore is our immediate view across the Nile but the predominant view and looming over it is that of the rugged heights of desert rock outcropping and dunes of the west bank.  Between the opposite side of Elephantine Island and the west bank lies Kitchener Island at a point where both islands flank the cataracts.  In the late 19th century Lord Kitchener, as Consul General, was given the small island and used it to pursue his love of horticulture.  It has since become the Aswan Botanical Garden.  The only way to get to either island or the west bank from here is by boat.  Yesterday we hired a motorboat to cover the larger distance.  Today we engaged a felucca for the trip to the gardens, a sail through the cataracts, a stop at the Temple of Abu, then back to our place on the corniche.  The sail was glorious and once again, so was the day.

Palm trees and blooming bougainvillea greet you at the gardens' quay.  Alas, so do the touts from their improvised stalls but once again, Egyptians are so gracious and it doesn't take much to convince them you're not there for trinkets, just flora and fauna.  Divided into 24 quadrants, the gardens have wide paved walkways running the length and crisscrossing the island.  Numerous benches run along the river's edge with views of the cataracts.  Summer brings out the most blooms, but we had our share including poinsettia the size of shrubs.  Kingfishers showed off their fishing prowess and a pair of hoopoos sporting large crests darted between the shrubs.  Trees were a big part of the gardens with an emphasis on India but essentially from all over the world.  Thinking ahead, we ordered kofta box lunches yesterday and planned a picnic which in fact became a progressive meal;  coffee at the south end of the garden, lunch overlooking the west bank, libation on the sunny east bank.  There, we boarded our felucca to wind our way through the cataracts and explore the tip of Elephantine Island with its Temple of Abu

and the Nileometer.  Flooding of the Nile varied widely before the Aswan dam and the ancients built the Nileometer to determine extent of flooding, hence crop success downstream.  Back on the felucca, we glided past the grand Old Cataract Hotel.  We'll be staying there (a big splurge) in a few days before boarding the SS Sudan (a WAY big splurge) on our way to Luxor.  First though comes Abu Sibel on the southern border near Sudan and the great temples of Ramses II and Nefertiti, which we leave for in the morning.  For tonight though, we're happily ensconced at a table on a restaurant barge knoshing on baba ganoush with tahini, pita, and a plate of pickled veggies and olives, all great with the local beer.  Oh, did I mention that we can hear rhythmic Nubian drums from over at Elephantine Island wafting over the Nile?

To put speculation to rest over that possible camel ride up the west bank, we hiked.