March 24th - 06:04

Title: March 24th - 06:04 Medium: Super-8 film Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Resolution: 2880 x 2160 File Type: H.264 Codec / MP4. Comments: Nuby took Max and I on a road trip down to Abu Simbel with his uncle who we shot with at the Philae temple. Little did we know we would have to hide out at every checkpoint on our way. What literally felt like every 20 minutes for 5 hours we stopped and got checked out. Nuby told us to hide behind the curtain or look like we were asleep in the back of the van because we were American and Europeans. I don't know what was up but it killed our high. We were smoking hash out of my carved out apple the whole way through, the driver was smoking cigarettes to mask the smell from the cops. Luckily nothing had happened to us. Max and I were paranoid as fuck all the way, it was exhilarating and stressful at the same time. Also it was hilarious to see Nuby pass 50 notes to the cops at every checkpoint like it was a code of conduct here. Bribes are a way of life in these parts, especially if you want to stay out of trouble while you are in the middle of it. We finally made it to our refuge in the evening before the shoot. We had some dinner and passed out to wake up at 4:20 am for a boat ride on the Nile to a sunrise view of Abu Simbel. I've been to Egypt the year before and this was one temple we did not make it to, and was one of the most interesting ones I wanted to see. So we made sure of it to go this time around. Right before the boat ride, Max pulled out two tabs of LSD, and we smiled at each other and dipped it under our tongues. We got on the boat and the engine started roaring! The giggles started to hit us immediately. And Nuby asked what was going on so we told him, he was a bit bummed that there was no more left but he smiled and sat the trip for us. It was still dark out and we had arrived, the onset was rising just as the sun started to lift into the sky over the watery horizon. The moment I started shooting the sun hit Nuby as he clapped, sang, danced and prayed around the boat right in front of Abu Simbel illuminating n the distance. I can see the kings on their thrones in the stone walls, they were gigantic! It was crazy to me that there were virtually no other boats around us. We had the Nile to ourselves this morning. Our captain headed toward the docks right next to the temple and we departed. We entered the gate to the back of Abu Simbel and the veil was lifted. I felt like I was behind the scenes at Disneyland because when you approach Abu Simbel you see it's just a facade! It had been moved because of the dam and to protect it from a flood it was lifted higher. I still don't understand how they can extract, remove, and replace the sacred site so perfectly you could not tell it was not the original placement. It was too perfect. Like it was never touched since it was first created. The acid was kicking in pretty hard when I came to this realization. And again, there was no one there! We had Abu Simbel to ourselves. Nuby said to go in and have fun as he waited outside the temple. Max and I entered the tombs together and felt the images on the wall and the echoes of eternity sync in. Was it the acid, or was it this special moment of being somewhere I always wanted to be and have the privilege of having it to ourselves? Perhaps both! The walls were singing stories, and for a second there I thought I could understand and read the hieroglyphs, what they were saying to us. It all came to life! We were in there for what felt like 10 minutes but was really an hour long enjoyment. As we exited, we saw a massive crowd standing 20 or so meters from the entrance. As if they were waiting for us to exit, it felt very funny to me at the time. But now I reckon they were listening to their guide teach them about the temple before going in and we had just timed it all so perfectly somehow. I made a ton of double exposure photographs of the kings sitting on their thrones and touching the sun in the sky with light strokes. Being an artist, feeling the moment, creating a vision and a memory at the same time. It was sensational. Looking deeply one last time of the giants who greeted us and gifted us the time to be alone with them. I waved goodbye and one of them winked at me. Like the universe was playing along, like a big joke, in the best way possible. We entered the second tomb and again had it all to ourselves. The timing was so aligned it was crazy. Again, was it us or the acid? Everything seemed to be working out in a beautiful flow. We ended our trip there and walked Nubys uncle back to the van, since he has a bum leg. Max and I smiled so big as we processed we were leaving this strange and exceptional place that was far removed from its original place. Again I thought, how the fuck did they move these stones and put them back like nothing ever happened? Also, because the Egyptians were deeply connected to the stars at precise measurements. What does it mean for the angles to be off by a few degrees? For instance, the sun shining through the doorway of Abu Simbel as the giants greet the sun. Does the math add up, does the light hit where it needed to be originally? What was lost and sacrificed when this dam was built and the temple shifted? These buildings were built with such great care and precision. How does change this affect it? I left with so many questions as well as so many memories I always dreamed of having. Abu Simbel is worth the time and energy to get there. As there is nothing else like it. So, take a trip down the Nile and enjoy the views and this ancient waterway that gave an entire civilization life, and continues to do so as time goes on like the river continues to flow in the stream of consciousness.