My Journey to Aswan the Nubian Village!

So I have to tell you about this city in Egypt called Aswan nicknamed the Nubian area. It is located on the East bank of the Nile river where the river flows north, contrary to its southern location. From its magical colorful town painted in high hues of color to its beautiful shades of caramel and chocolate people, it’s definitely a gem to visit.

Since this was my second trip to Egypt, I made it a goal of mine to visit the Nubian area of Aswan. A lot of tourist miss out on this hidden gem due to the Giza Pyramids and temples in Cairo being one of the main attractions that are advertised the most in Egypt. The Aswan city is also far away from the Capital of Egypt in Cairo, and the Pyramids of Giza. To travel to Aswan you must get there by train, boat, or plane if you don’t want a long car ride that’s over 10 hours. My cousin and I chose to take a cruise there after we flew into Cario and we met some kind friends along the way.

Our journey to Aswan was super long but rewarding. Initially to get to where the cruise began in Luxor, we were going to take a train called the sleeper train, but all the train tickets sold out at the last minute! Im sure it was because of Ramadan and people traveling to their family and friends. So we decided to travel there by car since we ran out of time to book anything else. We took a looongggg… ride from Giza to Luxor in an Egyptian “uber”. Yes it was over 10 hours but it was the only way at that time.

Also what was initially suppose to be a 3 day cruise turned until a 5 day cruise. We planned to leave the cruise on day 4 so I could have time to make my flight back home.It worked out worked out in our favor because we did need a little more time & sleep :)

This was a long journey because we didn’t reach Aswan until day 4 of the cruise, but follow me on my journey to the Nubian Village of Aswan! When you get to the end of this blog you will get details of the amazing Nubian village.

We didn’t know what we would run into along the way. But boy did we run into some big stumbling blocks getting there. & the first was a road block on a major highway. And let me tell you the road was backed out for miles. After being stuck in traffic for a while our driver finally got us out of traffic after taking about 3 detours that would lead to dead ends. My cousins recorded how crazy traffic was and the detours we had to take.

After we got out of traffic we saw our driver become super sleepy and almost ran off the road when it became night time. It was scaryyy!!! We didn’t want to get into a horrible accident in Egypt so we quickly told him to please pull over to get rest! After he took a nap for over an hour and got some rest, then he began driving again. & the journey began again with a loooong ride, off into the sunrise in the desert !

This photo is of me ontop of rocks trying to capture a picture of the beautiful mountains and desert behind me when we were getting close to Luxor, Egypt doc where our cruise began.

& boy wasn’t it beautiful when it became morning and we reached Egypt’s desert. How magical it was to see mountains in the desert. It was nothing like I’ve ever saw before. I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon but this view of Egypt’s desert can definitely be compared to pictures of the Grand Canyon. It was truly astonishing. I was so much in Awe that we had to ask the driver can he pull over so we can take in this moment & take pictures.

& no the pictures do not give the beauty of this desert or it’s ambiance justice. But do pictures always resemble the exact beauty and presence that is felt compared to when you see the work of art in person? Sometimes we can only capture the moment but not the feeling and the beauty of the moment. We can only remember and tell ourselves and others how that moment of time made us feel, but never the love and vibrant feeling when we first saw the view. Are maybe because I am an artist at heart and my eyes sees the harmony and tranquility of it all, and how it all ties back to the beginning of time is what makes it so special to me. Some skilled photographers are able to capture the beauty and feelings through a photograph. But this moment I felt when I saw these beautiful mountains in this desert can never be duplicated and the beauty was beyond words to me.

It was so much fun taking photos of this desert with caramel mountains. After these quick shots that our driver took for us, we got back in the car because we were close by our temporary hotel before reaching our destination. We needed somewhere to temporarily lay our heads for the moment until our cruise began. And when we arrived we noticed that our hotel that I booked was oversold! We were so tired and upset so the owner of the hotel quickly found another Airbnb for us for our inconvenience.

& I have to say when we arrived at the Airbnb it was so modern & lovely. The air bnb looked like it was just built with its updated features and marble accents. & let me not forget about the beautiful garden of sunflowers 🌻 that was right outside of door. Sunflowers are my favorite because it symbolizes happiness, spiritual awakening, growth, loyalty, It would prepare us for the little gifts of life that was ahead of us.

Once we arrived at the dock in Luxor we had lunch, which food is one of my favorite parts. My favorite desert was this special cake and a drink that he mixed with Pepsi and whip creme.

**After lunch we had a driver take us on our own tour to visit the Luxor temple, which is the world’s greatest Ancient open air museum where we saw ancient monuments of Kings, and Queens that were still intact. You literally can touch some of the walls & structures that our ancestors touched. But the open air museum attendants employees weren’t too fond of tourists touching the walls because they wanted to preserve the hieroglyphs writings on the wall. I am thankful for them for making sure they are doing their best to preserve this ancient and legendary temple that is so well kept. It was very special to see the gigantic monuments still standing that were one of the oldest monuments in Egypt. I defiantly took so many good pictures and videos of me and the giant structures. I’will share a few below. I couldn’t believe I was there!

Whats so unique to me is the way the sunlight shines in Egypt at a certain time of the day that just gives the whole land a special glow! <3 But you have to catch it at the right time!

The video below is of me walking into the Luxor Temple when the sun was not shining too much.

The video below is of the hieroglyphics and engravings on the wall of the temple. The proof of our Nubian brothers and sisters writings on this temple are still there from centuries ago are unbelievable!

Below shows more of the statues inside the temple that are still intact.

I recorded so many videos of the inside of the temple because I was amazed that the structures were still there. Even the remains that were damaged from erosion, changes, and time the museums saved what was left and showcased it in the open air museums. As you can see in the video below there is a statue of a persons hips and legs that are the only thing remaining due to damage of the structure from changes in the environment. Close by you were find some of the missing pieces to this monument. I love how they preserve this treasures!

The video below shows photos of what looked like some of the monuments were and repaired or pieced back together and renewed because they are more brighter and not that damaged.

Theses Statues were humongous as you can see how small I am when I stand by them. Theses Nubian people did an amazing job creating this temple. I can only imagine the amount of planning, time, and precise instructions each person had to endure while working together on this temple.

Whenever it became dark and the evening set in, the engravings on the wall and hieroglyphics were lit from the special lightnings that were placed inside.

&& When dust reached the land it became dark but the luminous lights of the temple still awakens the Luxor Temple.

After enjoying the Luxor temple we stayed overnight on the cruise at the dock until the next day.

& in the early morning when it was dawn, we woke up and took a boat ride to a fun hot air balloon flight in a desert that I enjoyed so much! 🎈The views from above were astonishing. I thought to myself how admiring it is to take views in like this and see Gods creations. So be prepared for a whole bunch of videos for the remainder of this Nubian blog! ;)

In the video above my cousin and I are on an air balloon that is ascending into the sky. In the audio you can hear a Nubian child literally begging for money. It is very usual in Egypt that locals Egyptians ask the tourists and bombard them everywhere to buy something. Even the children will literally go out thier way to beg for money. By this point I was use to it because I gave so much money away to the locals and children that I didnt have any tip money left.

Before we boarded the hot air balloon we got to see how the process of starting and preparing the balloon works. The hot air balloon had to be tilted side ways then turned up right so the propane fuel can start ascending the balloon in the air. And it was amazing!

Below is a photo of my cousin and I ascending above the desert for some site viewing.

But let me be perfectly clear: I am afraid of heights.

Yes I’m always traveling on airplanes but it took a minute for me to get use to flying because I did not want to give up my dream of traveling the world. But that still doesn’t erase my fears of heights.

So upon boarding the hot air balloon my anxiety began to heighten. When we got further up in the sky I couldn’t stand next to the edge of the hot air balloon the entire time and had to stand in the center because I felt light headed. But the view was still breathtaking!

The sunrise above the land was picture perfect.

At the center of the balloon we saw the pilot recharge the hot air balloon with the propane to keep the hot air balloon afloat. Is was amazing to know that without the propane being revamped occasionally that the hot air balloon would slowly descend. The video below captures the view of the Luxor desert and how breathtaking it is. The hot balloons made the video look like it was out a movie scene. Just picture perfect!

After the astounding views, we descended back on Egypt’s desert full of life and admiration.

Then we traveled back to the cruise dock & went sailing off from dawn to dusk while enjoying the activities onboard from lunch, tea, dinner, and music in the lounge.

The shipped arrived late arrived at the Kom Ombo temple in the evening because the cruise was off schedule for some reason. We didn’t have much time there but we wanted to quickly visit the temple. While walking to the site of the temple like usually there were locals begging us to buy things. One particular group of children that caught our eye helped us navigate how to get to the beginning of the temple and buy a ticket because they followed us all the way through to the temple lol. They were so cute and they didn’t give up on ways of asking us for money. We made sure we tipped them after they showed us the way to the entrance.

It was in the evening so everything was dark, but we were still able to get some nice photos of the temple in lit areas so it was visible. The detailed engravings of the hieroglyph were still carved all over the building inside and out. We were not there long but we got and decent pictures though it was so dark that some photos could only be seen in the light.

My Iphone was definitely struggling to give me some pictures of my Nubian skin that would glow in the dark :) But we finally got it after using flash and brighting this last photo so the photo can actually see me in it lol

After the quick visit we went back to the cruise dock and sailed overnight to my favorite place we have been waiting for… which was

Aswan Aka the “Nubian Village”

We woke up bright and early in the morning realizing that we had officially docked in Aswan! This was our last day of the cruise, so after a rushed breakfast so we can spend as much time in the Nubian village, we caught a ride from a new friend to the village. I’m thankful for him for taking us to the village and being our special guide around the city, he was so kind. When we arrive in the Nubian village the first thing we saw was this blue Popeye painted Guest house and a huge wall mural that was painted with Nubian faces and colorful artwork. It was exactly how I saw it on videos. Its definitely an artists playground and the art in this town was so refreshing! Brace yourselves for an overload of videos and pictures that attempts to compete for the beauty of this small town!

Not only is the village aesthetically beautiful, but also the nature of the birds chirping, the wind blowing, the sun glistening on the town, and the Nile river flowing with beautiful boats sailing. The peace was indescribable.

Usually when tourists visit the Nubian Village your tour guide/ travel agent would take a small boat ride to the village. But since we had a friend that was a local, he knew another way to get there via car which saved us money and the bribe of the locals on the way there.

As you can see when we arrived the vibes were all around us. From the painted murals on the street, to the welcoming faces, and the aesthetic town. We had to capture as many moments as possible, but still enjoy and take in the moment.

& when I say I wanted to take a picture of EVERY mural I couldn’t help it. I tried to take in the moment and just dwell in it, but everything was so picture worthy that I had to stop and immediately take a picture because the art works and morals were so creative. Some of the art work on the building resembled textile or styles that could be on decorative clothing. Even the street shops had the most amazing souvenirs and artwork that depicted brown and black women. It was so inspiring.

After glazing over the beautiful neighborhood of Aswan we were directed to a beautifully painted building by our friend. We went inside and visited a man that owned crocodiles and a small restaurant here. After we admire the art work of the outside of this beautiful building, we are going to get into the crocodiles he owned and the meaning of it to ancient Egyptians.

The owner had beds and lounge areas in this building that resembled a home. If I’m not mistaken (I can’t remember ) he might have said that he lived there as well, which is why the facility resembled a home. He offered us complimentary tea and gave us insights on the Aswan village. He also allowed us to take pictures of inside this building and he was very proud of this decorative building which outside designs looked like textile prints.

Above is the outside of the building of the guy who owned crocodiles. 🐊  It was bright outside that it was a glare on the camera. Below is a video of the inside of the building.

What’s so crazy is that I can’t believe that I have videos below of me actually touching the crocodile because I was scared to death! He also let us experience the ancient Egyptian culture of crocodiles. We were allowed to pet the smaller crocodile that the owner kept that was no bigger than half of my arm! While I was terrified to touch the crocodile , I did it surprisingly! My cousin was more braver than me because she interacted more with the crocodile. What’s so crazy is that I can’t believe that I have videos below of me actually touching the crocodile because I was scared to death!

So a little history about the Aswan area and its crocodiles. According to archaeologists and the Egyptians, ancient Egyptians honored crocodiles for being fierce and dangerous in the Nile area. In Aswan these creatures were mummified and placed in sacred tombs and given divine status. The crocodiles were thought to bring protection, and symbolize a fierce army. Crocodiles were also thought to bring fertility which is why the Egyptians bred them and used them for ritual use. This was why the local owner kept a larger alligator though it was caged because of its danger it could cause. I was definitely terrified of the caged alligator regardless of the cage.

At one point one of the larger alligators jumped up because the owner kept poking the cage and I literally ran for my life! But the alligator was definitely a highlight for me because I would have NEVER touched any alligator on no circumstances in America. But to sum it all up I was scared as hell!

In that same building I also got some henna art work on my hand by one of the local henna artist at his facility. It was so beautiful! I am very thankful for the host hospitality and letting us visit his facility and making us feel so welcomed.

I also took a photo on the camel. This was well overdue since this is my second time going to Egypt. I didn’t want to actually ride one because I have a fear of heights and breaking my back on one lol. 🐫

Our entire walk through the village there were children following us around asking for us to buy things per usual when your in Egypt. They learned this from older adults and thier parents. I got a couple of videos and pictures of them but I didn’t want to take too much because I didn’t want them to feel like they were apart of a documentary or project. Below are some videos and photos of them. By the way they loved taking selfies!

After they got our tips and took a picture they were like duces because they had already got the tips they wanted! lol

Below is the beloved mural of the children of Aswan on the wall of a building in the village.

After the camel ride I was so focused on the art work on the streets of the Nubian Village. I took so many photos and videos but I will only show the ones that stand out the most.

So if you came here just for the art work in the Nubian Village, here they are! Enjoy the beautiful artwork of this village! <3

Above are photos of Winnie Harlow the model and below is a video of her mural and the village buildings.

More videos of our Nubian princesses

The paintings were so large, bright, animated, & lightly covered! These artist are really amaxing!!

Also while touring the neighborhood you can not miss the artist that sell their work on the streets.There are so many artists and vendors selling different types of artwork I couldn’t leave the village with out a souvenir.

The village was so beautiful and heart warming that I didn’t want to leave. I was so sad that we only had a little bit of time to tour it. We were barley there for 3 hours. I knew I wanted to get a special souvenir so I can remember this town! I purchased two amazing souvenir, one was a purse of a Nubian girl with braids and the braids resembled yarn of different colors. It was a purse like no other. The other souvenir was an hanging photo of a Nubian girl that was so lovely!

I accidentally left that painting that I brought from one of theses artist at the airport which made me so sad and I was upset the entire plane ride home. They said everything happens for a reason, well maybe that’s my next reason to go back to the beautiful Nubian Village of Aswan for my favorite painting ! ;) Until next time Egypt!

Sent from my iPhone