There is plenty to see in the Aswan area. Home to the granite quarries that were the source of most of Egypt's monuments and about a million and a half Egyptians, the town also was the site of exploration by Tom's favorite Egyptologist, Labib Habachi.
While tourists come to Aswan to primarily to visit ancient archeological ruins, almost every trip begins with a visit to the Aswan High Dam. Besides supplying half of Egypt's electricity and regulating the flow of the Nile, the dam stands as a monument to United States - Soviet Union Cold War Rivalry in the Middle East. Nikita Khrushchev referred to the dam as "the eighth wonder of the world" during his 1964 visit to observe construction. You can get a pretty good history of the project at this Wikipedia entry.
Massive Lake Nasser extends south to the southern border with Sudan. We were told by a local travel representative that boat tours to the south are popular with bird watchers during the winter season so we will add that to possibilities for next winter. Either a van tour or flight south to reach Abu Simbel,150 miles farther south, is a worthwhile addition to the tour at this point, but requires a full day. You can't really pack all of Egypt into seven days.
We crossed both the 1902 era low dam and the 1970 high dam. The latter includes a stop near the middle with photo opportunities.
The view upstream toward Nubia/Sudan:
The view downstream, two miles toward the low dam seen in the distance.
A stop at the monument to Soviet-Arab friendship is optional. Recommended for all people old enough to remember the "Duck and Cover" drills in school.
More photos available at this Flickr album.
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