I woke up in Aswan before the sun, grabbed my small day bag, waited for my boat to take me to the airport and boarded an early morning flight farther south—almost as far as Egypt goes—to the legendary temples of Abu Simbel. Even looking out the window as we descended felt unreal; the desert spread out like an endless gold canvas, and then suddenly, the lake appeared and I knew I was closer to one of the places I’ve dreamed about since childhood. Of all the temples in Egypt, I have studied Ramses’ temple complex far more than any other and I was thrilled to finally see it in person. As I knew most tour groups stay in Aswan and drive to Abu Simbel for the morning, I decided to book a room for the night and be there when the crowds were not. I am very glad I did.

The moment I arrived, I checked into my lovely guest house and headed straight to the temples. My first adventure in Abu Simbel was about to happen and I had not even planned it. I decided to walk the mile walk from my new hotel to the temples, as it seemed a clear shot and I had Google Maps route already downloaded. I had a blast perusing my way down streets I did not know searching for the greatest archeological site on the planet.

Like the Grand Canyon, nothing prepares you for the scale—the four colossal statues of Ramses II sitting there as calmly and confidently as they have for over 3,000 years. It was hot, it was bright, and it was absolutely breathtaking. I cried. I couldn’t help it. And a lovely woman Elaina from Spain caught me and asked if I was ok…and the she took my photo and smiled as she walked inside. Walking inside the great temple, seeing the carved pillars and the stories in the stone, I kept thinking, I’m really here. This is really happening. I spent the entire afternoon wandering the site, moving from shade to shade, letting the immensity of it all settle into me. I visited the beautiful temple built for the Goddess Hathor and Nefertari, Ramses main wife and whom he called “The one for whom the sun shines.: I couldn’t help but note the massive thematic differences between Ramses great displays of war and sun worship in his temple, and Nefertari’s soft worship of love and family in hers.

When the heat finally eased, I made my way to my lodging for the night, Osiris Guest House, where I was welcomed by Ashraf—warm, gracious, and exactly the kind of host you hope to meet after a long, hot travel day. The whole place felt peaceful, almost timeless, and my room looked right toward the temples. As evening came, I sat outside with a cool breeze coming off Lake Nasser, and then inside to enjoy a dinner prepared for me by my host and a lovely conversation about family and happiness and love. It was so true.

The Abu Simbel light show felt like a gift. Seeing those statues illuminated under the night sky, hearing the history narrated while stars collected overhead—it was simply magical. A dream come true. I kept thinking about how far I had traveled, literally and figuratively, to be sitting there in that moment.

I ended the night feeling full—of gratitude, wonder, and the quiet joy that only comes from finally standing inside a dream you’ve carried for a long, long time. Back home for bed and ready for the early walk the next morning as Ashraf, the man who owns the guest house, also works at the Temples and had to be there at 6:00 AM sharp! Which means, I will see the temples at sunrise!!