A full schedule today but maybe time for the pool?
Breakfast is from 6:30-7:30 am and is a
buffet. I have one egg over easy from the egg station, toast, grapefruit juice, tea. There's so much food. Cereals, fresh fruits, meats, cheeses, mini pastries. It's all very good and a nice start to the day. Laundry ready from yesterday and I dropped off more laundry to be done.
At 7:30 am we have an excursion to
Aswan. Robert from the ship is our guide.
PHILAE TEMPLE. It's totally different experience during the day. Our guide Robert gives us information as he leads us through the temple. Then we're given 30 minutes to take pictures and explore. We see the Temple of Hathor, Kiosk of Trajan, Temple of Isis. The setting for this is quite beautiful. As the wife of Osiris she symbolized marriage. Teaching women domestic arts. The pharaohs saw Isis as their divine mother. Isis worship even spread to the Roman empire.
 |
| On the boat leaving to head over to the temple |
 |
Approaching Philae and the Temple of Isis
|
 |
Admission ticket
|
 |
| Postcard |
 |
| Inside Temple of Isis-Sanctuary-on left wall can make out Isis whose wings protecting Osiris |
 |
Kiosk of Trajan
|
 |
Wings of Isis protecting Osiris from his brother, the pharaoh Set, who killed him
|
 |
| Ceiling |
 |
| Entrance First Pylon |
 |
Boats waiting to take a new group over to Philae
|
ASWAN HIGH DAM. Egypt's fortunes have historically always been linked to the annual flooding of the Nile. The Aswan Dam was first built by the British in 1898-1902. Soon this was proven to be too small to control the river so in the 1960s President Nasser began construction of the high dam. This has resulted in increased agricultural production and hydroelectricity and has saved Egypt from famine. This enormous dam is 12562' across, 364' high, and 3214' wide at its base. There is a visitors' center at the eastern end of the dam that details construction of the dam. At the western end there is a lotus shaped tower built to commemorate the help from the Soviet Union in the project.
 |
First cataract
|
 |
Aswan High Dam
|
 |
| Lake Nasser |
 |
| Monument thanking the Soviet Union |
UNFINISHED OBELISK. A huge obelisk still attached to the bedrock in an ancient quarry in the hills south of Aswan. This quarry supplied the ancient Egyptians with red granite for their temples and statues. Three sides of the shaft were completed before a flaw was discovered in the stone and the obelisk was abandoned. Had it been completed it would have been 134' high and weighing 1197 tons.
 |
Admission ticket
|
 |
Unfinished obelisk
|
 |
| Australians and me |
 |
| Quarry's red granite looked pink to me |
 |
| Always time to shop for souvenirs, postcards................. |
Back on the ship we set sail for
Kom Obo.
Lunch is buffet again. We chose spaghetti with meat sauce, mini pizzas, fried chicken, chicken with sauce, fish, Greek salad, tomatoes and cucumbers. Much more. Desserts-chocolate pudding, flan, bananas in sauce, pastry pie. Water, coke.
Pool time! It was so refreshing. Our Australian friends-Nick, Robin, and Lindy. The family of Mokhtar, his wife Eileen, and their adult son Nick who will be entering law school in the fall. We lucked out with being partnered with this group as they are all so nice.
 |
| Scenery as we sail to Kom Obo |
 |
Getting ready to go under the bridge
|
There is a store of sorts on the ship. Postcards, clothes, jewelry. I bought several postcards. I was tempted by the jewelry but I'm waiting until Cairo to buy cartouches.
At 3:00 pm another excursion.
KOM OMBO. Robert is again the guide for our group of 8. Overlooking the Nile, this is a dual temple dedicated to the falcon god Horus and the crocodile god Sobek. It's located near a bend in the river whose sandbanks were a resting place for crocodiles in ancient times. Symmetrical. Twin entrances, twin sanctuaries, and halls nominally divided down the middle. Left side is dedicated to the falcon headed Horus-the good doctor-and his consort Ta-Sent-Nefer/Hathor. The crocodile god Sobek and his wife (another form of Hathor) and their son Khonsu-for are honored on the right side of the temple. He explains to us about medical instruments on the walls, birthing process, eye of Horus.......... Then 30 minutes free time to explore and take pictures. It is extremely hot!
 |
Kom Ombo
|
 |
Admission ticket
|
 |
| Horus and Sobek |
 |
| Ceiling |
 |
| Birthing process |
 |
Postcard
|
Back to the ship and on to
Edfu. More
pool time.
Tea time again on the sun deck at 5:30 pm.
 |
Cruising to Edfu
|
 |
| Sunset |
WELCOME COCKTAIL PARTY at 7:30 pm in the lounge bar. Elegant attire suggested. Members of crew introduced-captain, head cook, head of housekeeping, reception, doctor, masseuse, etc. There are non alcoholic drinks too. I have a Bloody Mary. Hors d'oeuvres passed around. Nice. Overnight in
Edfu.
Dinner is at 8:00 pm. Menu-smoked salmon, vegetable spring rolls, some seafood-maybe shrimp?, mushroom soup for Richard and me. Turkey terrine was not tried. Alaska seafood platter, filet of beef, spicy Szechwan chicken, vegetable curry with rice. Dessert-chocolate dome, 2 mini custard pastries, fruit.
Lounge bar open for dancing, music after dinner. We go up for some
drinks.
 |
Eileen, Mokhtar, Nick
|
 |
| Australian couple-he's another Nick but I forget if his wife was Robin or Lindy! |
No comments:
Post a Comment