Cruising on the Nile

The river Nile is of course the lifeline of Egypt, has always been and will remain for a real long time if not forever. The prospect of a cruise in a ship for 3 days was always going to be fun. The Nile flows from south to north, dividing Egypt to upper Egypt (in the south) and lower (in the north). I arrived at Aswan late in the morning after a really comfortable journey in the sleeping train. In Aswan itself before the cruise I managed to see the unfinished obelisk, discarded because a crack was found while carving it and the high dam which not only stops Nile from flooding lower Egypt and keeps the crocodiles in the lake Nasser.

A felucca ride to the cruise ship completed the activities of the day, the boatman did shout at me as I tipped him less. After this I basically relaxed on the ship which also had a swimming pool and a jacuzzi. In the night a programme was organized in the saloon of the ship with some local dancers and and some fun and games. The ship itself stayed at Aswan that day and the next so I spent the day either hanging around Aswan (which seemed very small and peaceful compared to Cairo) or just chilling on the ship itself. In the evening we sailed to Kom Ombo.

The main attraction there is the temple, built in Greco Roman style by the Ptolemys from about 180 BC to 40 BC approx. It was built for the crocodile headed god Sobek to appease the crocodiles after Nile floods. It is unique in the fact that it was built for 2 gods, Horus and Sobek, Horus being the benevolent god countering Sobek. I got there when it was dark and the temple in the lights was just spectacular. Also amazing are the carvings which present the ancient equivalents of surgical instruments as my guide explained. The calendar there also displayed the sheer knowledge of a civilization so old. A crocodile museum is being constructed to house the 300 crocodile mummies found there. Other points of interest where the double entrance and the nilometer to determine the amount of donations the temple would receive.

The next day early in the morning the ship arrived at Edfu. A horse tonga took my guide and me to the temple there. the tongas are basically tourist attractions as I cant imagine the locals using them. The Edfu temple itself is dedicated to Horus and his victory over Set to avenge the death of his father Osiris as the carvings show. Built by the Ptolemys and quite Greco Roman, it is very well preserved. The inner sanctuary and the carvings and statues all over make for a very nice viewing. The ceilings are blackened due to Christian missionaries having taken refuge there during their persecution but the colors in some places are visible. A carving of the numbers used gave an idea of the builder's mathematical prowess.

The ship moved on to the Esna lock where we went from higher to lower water and then we carried on to Luxor. As it had gotten dark by the time we reached Luxor in the late evening, the trips to the city were scheduled for the next day. A sunset on the Nile provided the perfect photogenic moment.