Nile Cruise, Edfu and Kom Ombo

Cruising the Nile

The boats that cruise the Nile are huge, about 40 to 60 cabins.  Ours was regarded as a luxury cruiser and had a massive diesel power plant to support it.  Our first night was down the back end, next to the diesel engine, and was noisy and hot.  We relocated to the pointy end and a quieter, more comfortable cabin.

The upper deck is a great place to watch life on the Nile while sipping tea and eating cake, cooling off in the swimming pool or basking in the sun.  A good life.

Edfu

After negotiating the locks in the late evening, our first stop was Edfu where horse buggies awaited our arrival to take us to the Temple of Horus, one of the best preserved temples in Egypt, as it was buried beneath sand and silt from the Nile.  The altar at the centre of the temple was complete, including the offering table and the ceremonial barque (barge) on which Horus was carried during festivals.

There is a heap more information on Tour Egypt.

The temple was fantastic, however the people of Edfu were amongst the most desperate.  The hawkers at the temple turned ugly when we refused to purchase from them.  They
were aggressive and angry.  In fact it was here that I was told I was “unwelcome in Egypt”!

Kom Ombo

The Temple of Kom Ombo is curious as it is ‘double’ design.  There were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for two sets of gods. The southern half of the temple was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world with Hathor and Khonsu. Meanwhile, the northern part of the temple was dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris, also known as Horus the Elder.

Also at the temple site was a museum full of crocodile mummies – and interesting place!

We visited this temple in the early evening on a nearly full moon, so it was a spectacular sight.  For more information about the Temple of Kom Ombo, follow the link.

Egyptian Night

The highlight of the Nile Cruise was the “Egyptian Night”, where we were expected to purchase some Egyptian style outfits from the hawkers and dress appropriately.  Is this the answer to Egypt’s economic problems?