Upper Nile

Another hot day with a tight schedule. We started at the enormous Edfu Temple of Horus, built between 237 and 57 BC. Another example of solid construction and intricate carvings withstanding the test of time despite being buried 12 meters deep under blowing desert sand and silt from the Nile. During our stay in the country we were accompanied by a Master's level Egyptologist who did a good job explaining the stories from the Hellenistic period depicted in the etched walls.

The Temple of Horus was built to honour an Egyptian god and the protector of the pharoah. Horus is represented by a falcon.

Many in the group suffered from tummy issues. That combined with the heat, we decided to take the afternoon off for some R&R and played cards with Mack and Rika in the covered area on the pool deck of the ship. That evening included an interesting ask me anything session about Egyptian culture with our guide, that focussed on politics and culture. This was combined with the ever present sales pitches from merchants, this time from the ship's gift and jewelry store. The prices were reasonable and the quality was assured by the cruise company. Rika and I bought rings that depicted our names in hieroglyphics.

In the morning we started with a tour of Aswan'e quarry and the unfinished obelisk. Commissioned by Queen Hatshepsut, 1508-1458 BC, it was to be the largest obelisk in Egypt. It was carved on its side directly from the bedrock and cracks were discovered during the building process putting an end to the project. If finished it would have stood 137 ft high and weighed over a thousand tonnes.

In the afternoon we boarded a felucca, a traditional Mediterranean sailboat that was introduced to Egypt in more modern times.

We transferred to a two level motorized tour boat for a private tour of a family home in a Nubian Village farther down the Nile. On the way we could see where tourists could slide or snowboard down the dunes and there was a quick stop to wade in the river, which appeared surprisingly clean and clear. People think of crocodiles when the hear the Nile, but in reality they are below the Aswan Dam, nowhere near our location.

The family we visited introduced us to their captive pet crocodiles, fed us tea, hummus, cheese and fresh homemade bread, and entertained us with music and dancing. I happily paid baksheesh to have my picture taken with the family weaver at his loom. It was a typical small group tourist stop.

Before returning to the ship we were taken to a tea and spice shop. Beware of such stops on tours. The prices were very high as they pay baksheesh to guides and/or drivers who bring them customers and similar items can be bought more reasonably elsewhere on your own.