January 3, 2019: Abu Simbel

I'm just going to be honest:  if you want to learn about the historical significance of the temples in Egypt, my blog will not be the place to do it.  My brain refuses to hold on to factual information for more than 18 minutes.  Which means I  have a better memory than bees, chimps, and most dogs, but can't compare with the majority of other humans out there.  So if you're disappointed with the information I provide you, google it.  (It's probably what I did in order to give you the few facts I include in the post). 

In order to see Abu Simbel, we had to leave Aswan at 4am and drive 3 hours (one way) to the temple.  I wasn't quite sure the experience would be worth the effort.  Thankfully, in my opinion, it definitely was.  It turned out to be my favorite temple of the entire trip.  Abu Simbel is gorgeous.  Huge, towering figures carved into rock.  There are actually two temples, and they were built by King Ramses (one of them.  I can't keep them all straight).  One temple was for him, and the other one was for his most beloved queen (Nefertari).  Inside the temple, there is a shrine consisting of 4 statues of gods (one being Ramses in a god-form.  The temple was constructed so that on Feb. 22 and Oct. 22, (the day of Ramses birth and the day of his coronation) the sun would shine all the way through the temple and illuminate these statues (except one of the statues which represents the god of the underworld.  This one remains dark).   This blew. my. mind.  I can't believe that people's brains could figure out how to do this, THOUSANDS of years ago without the technology of today.  Besides not being able to remember anything, my brain isn't even capable of assembling a gingerbread house, let alone a massive structure like this. 

Today I was in awe of people.  And thankful that we are all created with different strengths and gifts.   In a world of Mandys, we'd all be homeless.