Chasing Sunset

Everywhere I go, I love the sunset. For several days, I kept missing it. Day 5 on the felucca I was convinced that there was no way I would miss it since this time I would not be indoors at all. You never know! Julee fell and we left the sailing trip and moved into a vehicle to Luxor. I had a peek through the taxi backseat for the sunset but it was hard to capture the moment in a moving vehicle in traffic race.

Through the taxi back window from Aswan to Luxor

Not until the second day in Luxor did I have my first chance to wait for sunset by the corniche along the Nile. I timed it and ran from our Nile bank cafe upstairs to the corniche to catch the perfect moment. Very soon I realized I ran out of battery and left my camera bag and extra battery with Julee at the Cafe. I am sure it was quite a scene to see this crazy Asian lady running up and down the stairs, holding a camera and frantically answering to all the felucca salesmen speaking Japanese to her and declining their offer. When I got my battery and ran back to my "perfect" spot, it was not too late and I was so happy.

Felucca docking at the bank of the Nile

Sailing by ...

The top of Mount Sinai is the highest spot where I have ever seen sunset. The sense of achievement when I finally arrived after two and half hours of constant coughing, running nose and heavy breathing was so overwhelming, for a second tears rushed to my eyes. That is a moment I will forever remember.

When we settled in at our beach camp in Nuweiba, some of us sat by the sea to relax while others played frisbee. The sun started to set over the mountain behind our camp. The sand, the sea, our huts, and even the red frisbee glowed with a golden sheen.

Here is the Ramses II colossus at Karnak Temple in Luxor sunset

I left our Wadi Rum desert campsite as I saw the red clouds gathering. After climbing up a sand dune, I stayed patiently for almost half an hour waiting for the sun to come out. Meanwhile I must have taken a few dozen pictures. I could not help it. Everywhere you look, Wadi Rum is mesmerizing. Pictures could never do justice to its breathtaking beauty. The sky, the rocks, and the sand changed colors every minute with the movement of the clouds. The sun, however, only came out for a brief second...

It was serendipity that I should step into sunset when Alex and I decided to do some shopping before dinner. From our Petra Moon hotel we walked down the hill to the town center, and here it is for only thirty seconds.