Travel - Egypt

Ya-Habibi, sadiquiy!
or

Oh, No, Not ANOTHER overwhelming experience …

It may seem odd that the 30 Second Fisherman would ever not want to catch a fish, but that was the fearsome reality on Lake Nasser, where the world’s largest perch can be found. Not a little 2-pound variety, but the 300-400lb kind. My travel rod and kit could handle a 10, possibly 20, pound fish, but anything that size would tear me out of the boat. As I was on an antiquities tour, I also could not afford the time. If one applies “tarpon rules” – allow one pound per minute – where a 90lb tarpon could take an hour and a half to land, these babies would take over 5 hours. Oh, and eat tarpon for lunch.

As it was, we were lucky to catch our first ever puffer fish – or donkey fish as locally known – at Amada. Had no luck in Aswan, but next time would fish the west bank, or the west side of Kitchener Island. In fact, the best looking structure was about a half-hour further south at the First Cataract. There are small perch-like fish along the docks at most cruise boat tie-ups. Our success was due to a #8 snelled circle hook with FishBites bloodworm.

Not since China, have I seen so many sites that overwhelm a video camera. In two weeks one can be exposed to a history spanning 3000BC to 1500AD – to the present.

Hard to believe a more perfect, idyllic place: the Nile is not so wide one could not swim across it. Desert to the west, palm trees on the east, lush to the banks.

Experiences not to be missed

• Cruise from Aswan to Abu Simbel
• Cruise from Luxor to Aswan
• Temples at Karnak and Luxor (at night! Shakespearean in its theatric lighting)

• Sail on a felucca

• Have a cocktail in the Winter Palace in Luxor

• Hot air balloon ride over Valley of the Kings

Experiences I wish I had

• A photo of holding up a fish with Abu Simbel behind me

• Trolling from the hot air balloon

• Fly fishing the First Cataract

• Losing a Nile perch – gratefully

An answer Google doesn’t have:

Q: What is the music the cruise ships play as they turn the corner into port at Abu Simbel?

A: 1492: Conquest Of Paradise (original soundtrack)

Composed by Van Gelis

Atlantic (US), Warner (UK)

(I tried putting iTunes URL in here, but had to use real thing)

Conquest of Paradise

A Word on the Balloon Ride

• It is not really a fear of heights you will remember; don’t look down, look away, at the sunrise, hills, houses.
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• Take a hat. If you are standing in the corner of the balloon basket, the heat from the flame will feel like it is burning your hair.
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• If you are taking video, and recording the lecture, be aware that firing up, to maintain altitude, is very noisy.

Idleness

If you insist on smoking a [fruit flavored!] shisha in Khan el-Khalili, be prepared for a lot of work. Think blowing out birthday candles, but in reverse.