We then decided to spend our second day visiting Abu Simbel. This involved getting up at 3:30 in the morning and going to the dining room to have a cup of tea and get our breakfast boxes. The hotel, although of the budget category, was very careful to make certain we were not hungry during our trip to Abu Simbel. A minivan picked us and other members of the tour up and had everyone at the rendez-vous point at 4:30, which is the early hour that the convoy leaves for Abu Simbel. The trip itself is a race, with scores of buses and minivans vying for lead position. The driver told us not to worry about the left lane or right lane. At this time everyone was headed in one direction. One certainly hopes so.

Thousands of tourists arrive at the same time every day in the convoy while hundreds more fly in by air. Rameses II would have been delighted but it does make sightseeing crowded and difficult.