From Cairo we took the overnight train which left at 8:00pm and arrived in Aswan around 8:30am. The train compartment had two sleepers and a sink to wash up in and we were served dinner on the train. The ride was pretty comfortable and it was clean. Of course, the bathrooms not so much by time morning came! But I've seen worse! I really enjoyed this experience. We had a really great bunch of G Adventure travelers and we all hung out and chatted with each other during the trip.
From the Aswan train station, we headed to the Nile Hotel which overlooked the Nile and Elphantine Island. The hotel rooms weren't that impressive in itself at the time of my visit, but the views from the room and rooftop were amazing! We found some wine at the Aswan Duty Free store a few doors down and enjoyed the views at night. It appears that the hotel has undergone some renovations and the rooms look really nice now, which is wonderful to hear because the hotel is in a prime location. The market is nearby and so are many nearby local sites and you can walk to the Nile and catch the boats to Elephantine Island and for our trip on the Felucca down the Nile.
During the tour of the Pyramids of Giza in Cairo, the temperature was 32 degrees, which rose to 42 degrees in Aswan. Now that's hot!! Lots of water and ice cream!
View overlooking the Nile and Elphantine Island from our hotel room.