Day 4 - Fun with Egypt Rail!

I had bought a ticket for the train to Aswan leaving at 9.30am, one of only three trains during the day that tourists are allowed to travel on. The train arrived at 12.30. I'll never complain about Connex again!

I had a first class ticket, carriage 1, and had met up with a couple of Brits while waiting who were in carriage 2. When the train finally arrived we all got put into the same carriage anyway and sat with ewach other, which was very nice. It's all very well travelling in a Muslim country as a single female - whatever your age or marital status the men feel free to propose to you or treat you strangely. Safety in numbers was a welcome respite, especially with a man!
I'm glad I booked first class, would hate to see second! Anyway it was ok and there was an armed guard in the carriage so we felt pretty safe!
It took 3 hours to get here to Aswan, so we arived much later than I thought but at least I knew I had a bed for the night. The train was OK until we got about half an hour out of Aswan (10 minutes we were told by the official person who wandered through) and we basically crept metre by metre into the sattion. Ye Gods I was tired of this!
Got a taxi to my hotel with the Brits - not enough room in the boot so my suitcase got heaved onto the packrack - no tying it down so I had my fingers crossed, but we arrived safely and I found a very nice man who carried the heavy bag up the flight of stairs and then REFUSED to take any money for it!! In the land of baksheesh this is unbelievable!
My room is't big enough to swing a cat in and the bathroom is tiny but it looks clean and there's a double bed. It's noisy as hell outside but I am hoping that it quiets down, as I will have to be in bed early tonight as I have booked to go to Abu Simbel at 3.15am. We have to go in a convoy with police escort, which all sounds rather dramatic, but then we are a lot closer to the Sudan border here.
The hotel is absolutely full of Egyptian families on holiday with their children - the women all smile at me and say hello, so it feels quite comfortable.
I am off now to try and find the restaurant in Souk street that was recommended to me. Egytpian food - real Egyptian food if you are strong enough, he told me. God knows what that means but I must remember to take all my drugs with me tomorrow just in case!