RIVER NILE CRUISE

RIVER NILE CRUISE

FRIDAY



We are off to a very early start this morning to fly from Cairo to Aswan, to join the cruise ship (Tower 1 Prestige) on the Nile. We have booked this trip with three fellow sailors also in the marina in Hurghada. Unfortunately they have to change plans, but we decide to stay with this cruise anyway. It is very comfortable and is only half occupied which makes for a very relaxed time.


We can drop our luggage on the cruiser and then have 5-6 hours to explore Aswan. Even though this is a governorate capital it is very relaxed.



The sculpture park is large and very impressive even though its setting is very barren. These sculptures are developed here annually by artists from all around the world.


The Sculpture Park

Unfortunately, the Cataract Hotel is closed for renovations. This is situated on the river and has lovely views across it. Apparently, it is well appointed inside, making use of its high ceilings. Instead we go up even higher to Nubian House for a coffee and watch the feluccas making their way from side to side across the river with the little wind there is. This is a lovely scene.



View over the Nile from the coffee house

We later take a small boat across to Elephantine Island, which used to be the centre of life in Aswan. The ram headed god here was the creator of human life and god of the cataracts that controlled the water level of the Nile. We scramble over the ruins at one end of the island, which was a Christian town by the C4. There is a peaceful garden to wander through next to the museum. We have an interesting local lunch in a Nubian House, after which we are taken for a walk through the village. The houses are made of mud bricks and are usually white-washed. We pass some women coming back from the river carrying their washing in a basket on their head.



Elephantin Is. - woman carrying washing on her head

Henna tattoos are available to have done here. This is the tradition applied to women's hands and feet, especially for weddings.
 A large number of Nubians had their homes flooded in the 1930's when the level of the old Aswan Dam rose. Some moved north into Egypt and others stayed to rebuild higher up. Thirty years later a new high dam was built and they had to move again.



View over the Nile

Back on the mainland again we have a leisurely walk along the corniche on our way back to the cruiser. There are so many cruise ships waiting here, it takes us some time to find it.



The cruiser, Tower 1 Prestige, set off down the Nile at 4.30pm. We have a dusk visit to Kom Ombo, the main interest here being the dual temple of Sobek ( the crocodile god) and Haroeris the elder. With the lovely soft light at this time it looks very impressive where it is built by the river.


Kom Ombo - 1st. stop on the Nile

The flood lights are soon turned on and this gives another perspective again.
 We are just about past guides so Ross takes over this role. It is very pleasant walking through these sites at our own pace with our guide books in hand.



It is fun watching Ross bargaining for a local outfit to wear to the gala night on board. He knows roughly what he should pay so he just walks away if they suggest absurd prices above this. Usually, he does a deal.



SATURDAY





We are up very early today (6am) morning to visit the Temple of Horus, the cult centre of the falcon god, at Edfu. This monument is one of the last of its kind built in Egypt. It is too far to walk so we take a local horse drawn carriage (a caleche) with all its finery, and collapsible roof.



There are large statues of the falcon outside. Inside are the great halls, the library where they kept sacred texts, and the laboratory where recipes for perfumes and incense were kept. We walked around the passage of victory outside and viewed the wood bargue in the sanctuary.



Temple of Horas




Returning to the cruise


Our cabin

Later that morning, back on board, we passed through the locks near Esna.



This is all done very efficiently. We arrive at Luxor at 4.30pm.



It is a 15 minute drive into the town, which we enjoy as it is along the Nile through farm lands harvesting their sugar cane.



THE LUXOR TEMPLE

Luxor Temple

It has huge statues of Ramses II - monuments, we think, to a large ego. There is an avenue of sphinxes, part of the avenue leading to the temple. The hieroglyphics of these places are fascinating. It amazes us there is still some of the original colour in these pictures. There are frescoes painted by the Romans C3 A.D. and a mosque in one corner of the court.



We are now on the lookout to hire bikes. Somehow we end up in a caleche driven by a local man in his traditional dress claiming he works for the B.B.C. when they are filming here. He speaks English well and his horse and cart are in excellent condition. He drives us to the market and then literally through the narrow alley ways barely leaving room for the wheels to fit between the stalls. Of course, he takes us by a local artifact shop where we find a papyrus drawing we really like.



Going through the market (Luxor) on horse and cart

SUNDAY



We head off to town again in good time before it is too hot. We have tracked down bikes to hire. After more bargaining along the Corniche we take a small, colourful motor boat across to the West Bank.

Taking bikes across the Nile

We plan to follow the bike tour in one of our guide books up to the Valley of the Kings. It is lovely in the cool of the morning riding by the fields where they are harvesting sugar cane and wheat.

Local farm land

Next is the Colossi of Memmon. The twin figures here are all that remain of one of Egypt's greatest temples. The outer halls and courts were regularly flooded as they were built in low lying plains. Now we slowly start to climb and leave the cultivated land behind us. Next we venture into the Ramesseum, built by Ramses II.


Ramasseum

This was built to make this the greatest monument of all time by Ramses II . These monuments are now ruins with not much left in tact. Ramses II statue has fallen and they claim it weighs 1,000 tons. It was the largest freestanding statue built in this country. We have difficulty imagining how they shipped this stone block 240km from the quarries in Aswan.



Our next stop is at the tombs of the nobles, set among the painted houses of the village of Gurna. We scramble up dry and dusty paths to 2 tombs. There are still scenes painted on the walls of these ancient tombs depicting the everyday lifestyle of Egypt 4,500 years ago. We visit the tombs of Sennefer and Rekhmire. These are said to be the highlights of the area. The ceiling of the former is incredible and so clever giving a 3 dimensional look about the vines and bunches of grapes painted across it.



Tombs of the Nobles

It is starting to get hot so we decide to give Howard Carter's house a miss (where he lived to search for an unrobbed tomb, e.g. Tutankhamen) and start pedaling for another 2.5 kms to the Valley of the Kings. This is a slow climb and through very dry landscape. I am just starting to think this wasn't such a good idea and that it is the longest 2.5kms I ever knew when a local taxi driver offers me a lift. I explain I didn't have any money but he says he is going there anyway. We soon catch up to Ross who is surprised to see me, plus the bike in the car. However, he decides to join me for the short distance. It was worth every Egyptian pound we give him!



Valley of the Kings

We visit several tombs at the Valley of the Kings. We cannot help but wonder how these tombs were built, or found, in this arid, rocky terrain.



1. TOMB OF TUTHMOSE III:

Claimed to be one of Egypt's greatest pharaohs (1479-1425B.C.) This is situated high up in the limestone cliffs, at the far end of the valley. You climb up stairs for 30m and then down through a narrow corridor cut out in the rock.



2. TOMB OF RAMSES III:

(Tomb of the Harpists and one of the most famous Egyptian wall paintings). The wall paintings in the upper chambers are important, not for their quality, but for the subject matter of their everyday life then. We walk past the site of Tutankhamen's tomb.



Our taxi driver has waited for us. We had been looking forward to the ride back down the hill but, in the heat of the day, we decide the car is the better option. We hear later the temperature today reached 39º.



We have lunch in a small cafe opposite Medinat Habu. This is claimed to be the best preserved monument on the West Bank. It was built as a power base for Ramses III, the last of the great pharaohs. Apparently, it has over 7,000 sq.kms of decorated surfaces with many of the original painted surfaces still visible. They had used the primary colours. Figures and hieroglyphs are cut deep into the stone here.



Tonight we have our last dinner on the cruiser. Tonight's entertainment is a belly dancer (not so memorable) and a dervish dancer, i.e. a male dancer with his dizziness defying twirls in his colourful skirts. We have enjoyed these few days very much. It is very dreamy and relaxing to sit or lie up on the deck and just watch as we drift past the shores of the Nile. Not being responsible for the yacht is a lovely break too. Tower 1 is well serviced and they are very attentive. Twice we stayed ashore for lunch and came back to find some in our room. The first time we went ashore not knowing we should hand in our key they were quite anxious to know when we returned.



We have dinner on several occasions with a Scottish couple. We hope to catch up with them again. There is also a tour group from Australia on board which is fun.


MONDAY



Temple of Karnak

This morning we leave early to visit the temples of Karnak, which were built on a gigantic scale, but mostly in ruins now. As you walk around you can sense the enormity of this place and the grandness it once held as the heart of Thebes when it was the capital of Egypt.(1550-1069 B.C.).



From here we take a caleche ride back along the Corniche looking for a ride on a felouka. Unfortunately, there is no wind so we have our last experience on the Nile River in a small local motor boat. This is followed by a drink at the Winter Palace which was built in the 1880s in Victorian style. Unfortunately, the new additions detract from this grand old building but the original interior still holds a special charm.



We drive back to Tower 1 via the first cataract. We are picked up from here to travel in a limo in police convoy back to Hurghada.

Traveling in convoy beside the Nile