At three o’clock in the morning, my phone’s alarm went off — time to get up. It was the earliest wake-up call in our four-month journey, all for the Temple of Abu Simbel.
It’s hard to forget this night. We huddled together in the cold wind, with the three kids squeezing in close to mommy for warmth, while I sat in front of them to block the wind. Even in the chilly breeze, that night cruise along the Nile with my family was truly beautiful. After about ten minutes, we arrived at the dock and had to wait for the minibus to pick us up. The kids were freezing and kept asking if the vehicle was coming yet? We felt the same, and could only do our best to keep them warm. During those twenty minutes of waiting, even though the cold cut to the bone, we could still feel the warmth of family unity. I’ll never forget the genuine kindness of the homestay owner — he must have been around sixty years old, yet he stayed up late to accompany us on the boat ride and saw us off onto the bus.
Most of the passengers on the bus were asleep. I looked out the window and could vaguely make out that we had passed the Aswan High Dam. Soon, we stopped at a checkpoint. Numerous minibuses and vehicles had gathered there. This must be the spot where all vehicles assemble before being escorted by military police. Because several years ago, travelers en route to Abu Simbel were attacked by machine-gun fire, resulting in the tragic deaths of around seventy people, a very serious incident. As a result, there is now a regulation that all convoys must be escorted by armed forces.
Finally, at 7:30 in the morning, we arrived at the Temple of Abu Simbel. The Temple of Abu Simbel is the temple of Pharaoh Ramses II, the longest-reigning pharaoh in Egyptian history. Historical records describe him as brave and warlike, presiding over the final golden age of Egypt’s New Kingdom. At the same time, he was also extremely megalomaniacal, considering himself a god, which led him to build many temples adorned with numerous statues of himself.
Traveling with children is different from typical sightseeing, where you can quickly snap photos and keep moving. The first thing we did was find a spot to sit down and have breakfast. Eating bread and strawberries in front of a temple with over three thousand years of history was an incredibly joyful experience. We moved at our own comfortable pace, learning to enjoy and enjoying to learn. After a brief two-hour “spiritual journey,” we got back on the bus and continued dozing our way back to downtown Aswan.
(Excerpted from Chapter Four of this book)