The minibuses depart soon after for Aswan High Dam. Aesthetically pretty uninteresting, but it has significantly enhanced Egypt's agricultural output, and saved it from floods when the Nile has flooded. Unfortunately, the dam's creation, which also resulted in Lake Nasser being created, forced thousands of Nubians and Sudanese to relocate, and for the water table to rise, which is suspected to have affected Egypt's major archaeological sites.

RIGHT Me at Aswan High Dam

We are next dropped off at the pier for Philae, where having paid for admission, we now have the odd situation of having to haggle with the motorboat owners to take us across to Philae Island, even though there is supposed to be an 'official rate'. One of the guys in our group, who is half Egyptian and speaks Arabic, attempts to negotiate on behalf of all of us, but is only able to get the official rate for himself. I think he did get us a slightly cheaper deal than they first offered though.

LEFT On the motorboat sailing towards Philae Island.

ABOVE Approaching the island, we can now see the main structure of the Temple of Isis

ABOVE RIGHT Collonade and sloped entranceway to Temple of Isis

RIGHT Collonade leading up to the Temple of Isis

BELOW Collonade from near the boat landing, leading up to the temple

ABOVE Departing from Philae Island

LEFT The Unfinished Obelisk

Our last destination by microbus is the Unfinished Obelisk, which looks uninteresting, being nothing more than a large piece of rock with a crack in it! It was abandoned due to a flaw in the granite, but had the obelisk been completed, it would've reached 41.7m high.