We checked out at 8:15 and leisurely walked to the train station. We hoped to get on the 10:00 train. The agent at the window said that they could not confirm seats as they were fully booked. We asked about standing room only and was told to go ahead. We had to wait until one local train departed and ours pulled into the station. As Aswan is the terminus, the engine would go around to the other end of the cars and pull it back towards Cairo, or maybe even Alexandria.
We got on board on of the last second-class cars and as time grew near hardly a soul came to our car. I guess their reservation system will only book a seat number if it can assure the whole passage. I'm sure that all the seats may have been accounted before its final destination, but we had our choice of seats up to Luxor.
The conductor came through and we gladly paid the extra LE 5 for getting our tickets onboard. The total cost for both of us came to LE 74 (US$ 9.45). It took us just three and a half hours to speed back along the track which often was quite near the east bank of the Nile.
We got out at 1:35 PM and decided to eat at a favourite resturant that's right across from the station entrance. Everything was now familiar territory as we walked to the National Ferry and to our sweet dwelling on the West Bank.
What a very pleasant few days, we've had!