February 18th - the British are coming!

My meeting yesterday had resulted in us being asked to visit a new dig site at Qubbet el Hawa, where the Tombs of the Nobles are on the West Bank.  We had breakfast later than usual so that we could luxuriate in our amazing hotel!

Again, we ate on the terrace. The sun was hitting the island and made it look fabulous. We were able to see the inscriptions on the rocks at the waters edge much more clearly. There were actually more guests than I expected to see, so that's a good thing for the economy. 

We had all made up our minds that, despite the cost, we would return to the Old Cataract again. 

I got the luggage sorted with the driver, as he was meeting up with us later, then I breathed in whilst I paid the bill!

We went down to the jetty where our boat was waiting for us to transport us over to the site. On the way I said goodbye to the hotel, hoping that I would be able to stay there again soon. 

We sailed past the new annex to the Movenpick Hotel on Elephantine Island. It certainly is an impressive structure but it didn't look occupied. 

We were being dropped off at the public ferry and then met by the two Directors of the site. 

Essam Nagy, the EES man in Egypt, was there to greet us. We walked up the slope to the dusty road where he introduced us to Martin Bommas, the other Director. Once introductions were made, we sat in the rest area whilst Martin outlined their plans. 

He explained that as a young man that he had been involved in the dig on Elephantine Island. Even then he had decided that he wanted to have his own dig at Aswan as he believed that there was much more to be found. He's now had his wish granted! 

There are already Spanish and German missions at Qubbet el Hawa, well now the British are there! There has not been a British led dig since the 1880's when Lady Cecil was there. It seems I've got a great deal of reading about this determined Lady when I get home. 

Martin is looking for the middle class burials. His work at the Elephantine site uncovered the poor burials and the Spanish have the high class burials, so his question is, where are the middle classes buried? He believes they are on a lower tier and this is indicated by another causeway, the top of a tomb and even more interestingly, what appears to be the bases of small pyramids, similar to that at Deir el Medina. 

This is an overview of the site and the causeway is quite clear. 

Their current visit is really to map the area and get ready to return later in the year to commence the actual excavations. The dig is sponsored by Birmingham University and the EES. 

We were really thrilled with what we saw and the thought of such major new discoveries that are so likely to occur over the next few seasons. It's great to be in at the beginning of what I'm sure is going to change the accepted history of Qubbet el Hawa. What a dramatic view it must have been from Aswan, looking over the Nile to see a row of small pyramids, next to tombs!

We left the site and went to visit the dig house. At the moment it's only for the two Directors, but later on it will be a hive of activity, with the examination and storage of all their discoveries

It is a very pleasant dig house and one I hope to visit again in the future. Thes are my friends with Essam and Martin. Good luck to them both!

We said our goodbyes and left to walk to the ferry for our final trip over the Nile at Aswan. 

That was the great part of the day, next came the worst!

We had a long journey back as we weren't stopping at Gebel el Silsila or Esna. One of our party was ill with a chest infection and then I began to feel rough due to the speed humps. They are prolific! This is what lengthens the journey so much. I think I'm going by train next time as it's far quicker. 

We arrived at our hotel on the West Bank, the New Memnon, which is right by the Colossi statues. It is a wonderful location and the hotel itself is ideal. The first thing that struck me was how clean and bright it was, with light coloured furniture and bright curtains. I had a small balcony with a chair for sitting out over the garden and the vegetable patch. If I looked to my right I could see the statues themselves - perfect!

We settled in then had a light meal which was very welcome as it was so nice.  The manager/owner, Sayed, could not have been more helpful. He genuinely cares about his guests so I can fully understand the rave reviews on Trip Advisor. 

After dinner we went for an evening walk up to the statues. I couldn't believe how wonderful it looks at night, with the Theban Hills lit up behind them and they are lit too. 

This was a pleasant end to a mixed day!