ISSUE 48: Nile River Cruise, Egypt 2018

...continued.

When we arrived at the boat we were greeted with cool wet towels and free juice upon check in. Our large luggage was put in the grouping with the other passengers and was tagged with our room number. We were given our key and directed to our room.

When I booked our passage, online, aboard the MS Amwaj Living Stone Nile River Boat, I was so excited to travel down the Nile on a 5 star boat. I googled the boat, looked at all the pictured and thought it looked great. However, as you should never forget, pictures can be deceptive. When we walked in the door to our room, we were a little shocked by how small the room was and how big the bed was. haha. ...or maybe the room just made the bed seem big. I knew straight away that furniture would have to be rearrange a bit just to make suitable room for our luggage. We looked around and I noticed the handprints on the windows looking out, the rotting fruit in the basket, and the simplicity of the bathroom. I knew at that point, it was Egyptian 5 star (which equates to about an American 2). haha. I was just happy that the room got very cold & there was a kettle for me to boil water to make a tea.  Amir, our guide, had given us an hour and a half to settle into our room & grab lunch before we met back up. So we did just that. We secured our valuables, I did a breathing treatment concocted of mint oil and hot water (also drinkable), and then we headed back out.

When I booked the cruise, I made some special tour requests, one of which was to visit the Nubian Village. So, Amir took us. First, we headed down the main road once again to hop on board a small boat. It was a comfortable and beautiful ride down the Nile to the village. We climbed onto the roof of the boat for pictures and beautiful views, and stopped along the way for some Nubian coffee.  This was the first time in my life I ever drank a full serving of coffee, and it was not what I expected. I thought it taste better than regular coffee, hence why I never drink coffee in the first place, but despite not minding the Nubian stuff I will still stick with just tea. We sat under a large tree decorated with hanging baskets, and sat on large blankets littered in cushions that covered the dirt floor below us. It was exciting, although the heat was wearing on me.  After some fun conversations about how I looked like some Egyptian actress, we headed back to the boat and onto the village. It wasn't quite what I was expecting. The boat pulled up to the steps of the village, we disembarked, and made our way up. We walked along the dusty dirt road through the stalls of merchants hoping to lure in the tourist with witty and friendly comments. We first walk along to the Nubian school where the first lesson was to learn a little Nubian... and I did terrible. haha. But we had a lot of fun and had some good laughs over our poor annunciation. We climbed up the stairs of the school and found our way to the roof top where we could look out over the Nile and see the Old Dam and a bit of Aswan. It was beautiful at sunset.

After the school, we headed to a traditional Nubian home, where we learned how the Nubians keep crocodiles as pets for good luck, and stuff them and save them once they have passed. We were able to hold the live ones, and we both opted for the smallest (I was sick in the picture, don't judge my face too harshly, please.). Then, we sat and talked with Amir about life and had some delicious mint tea. It was delightful... except for the sweating part.

We didn't have much of an interest in buying things, so we had back the boat. on our way back, we came across a pack of camels running free through the village, something that took us all by surprise. Amir directed us to stand back as the camels flew stomping by.

The boat ride back was surprisingly cool. The breeze created by the moving boat was enough to give you chills. We all walked back to the cruise boat together in time for dinner. The food was fairly simple, and by no means five-star, but it sufficed. It was pretty much a variety of concoctions consisting of meat dishes and vegetable dishes. It was the Egyptian take on international cuisine. Each night they had a small Egyptian food section as well.

The boat had a cocktail & dancing night with a belly dancer happening in the lounge, and I was so excited to share it with Brad, but once again... we were beat. The illness and time change once again were winning, and we found ourselves in bed before nine.

The following morning, when I awoke, it felt as if the boat was moving, but I was convinced we hadn't left Aswan. However, the view out my window disproved my gut feeling. It was definitely not Aswan. After a low-key breakfast, we met Amir in the lobby to head to our first stop of the day. The Temple of Kom Ombo was just a short walk down the cobblestone path from our boat. We passed by many merchants who were rather pushy trying to get us to look at their goods. We did as Amir instructed us, and ignored them & looked straight ahead. We did not even acknowledge them (it felt so rude, but so good).

We waited by the temple entrance while Amir purchased our tickets, and then we were in. Thankfully, it was still early, and so the air was still cool as we explore the temple. Kom Ombo temple was known for its healing powers and people made pilgrimages to Kom Ombo to be healed. On the back wall of the temple is the first known representations of precise surgical tools. Also, here, Amir informed us that to knock out patients, they would inhale the steam of hot vinegar which I found very interesting!

We wandered around in complete awe, once more. To be in a place that held such knowledge in ancient times was truly incredible. I wish we could have seen the temple complete in its prime with its colorful murals & strong pillars. Before meeting up with Amir again, we headed into the Crocodile museum (included in the ticket) which housed several mummified crocodiles. We were in and out within a few minutes as the exhibit is quite small, but not to be unseen.

After Kom Ombo, we were back on the boat. We had the morning and early afternoon to ourselves.  It was our time to take in the views while we cruised the Nile River. It was so extraordinary. You could see locals in their canoes paddling along, and birds and cattle next to the riverside drinking. The sandy dunes were complimented with immensely lush greenery. We passed by towns, and small houses, and ancient sites (I imagine tombs) along the way. It was beautiful. We snacked and had drinks, and rested in the warm air under the canopy. It was like a dream.

That afternoon, after lunch, we headed for our next temple, the Temple of Edfu. Amir made it very clear, that here the local merchants were the most aggressive, and to make ZERO contact.  We boarded a horse-drawn carriage, and were pulled a fair distance to the temple. Brad's allergies began to flare up, and I had to start handing out my precious tissues! When we pulled up, we were brought through a long line of stalls filled with horse carriages, and from there proceeded on foot to the entrance gate. Once again, we waited for Amir as he got our ticket then we all proceeded together. The temple was large, very large. One of the best parts about the Edfu temple was that it was far more intact than some of the others. Especially since for a while, back in time, it had been completely buried and preserved by the desert sand. Could you imagine that dig!? The main temple still had the roof on, and the columns were still in fantastic shape. Even some of the colors remained. Amir guided us through and shared much information about Edfu temple. Then Brad and I were able to explore for a little while which was mostly just me taking pictures, and Brad wanting to get out of the heat. One of the cool things about Edfu, and the fact that it was buried, is that you can see where people built their homes above the previous buried site. It really added an element of interest that many other sites did not have.

So, we headed back to the carriage, where inevitably, and again, Brad started to have a major allergy flare up. I realized it was from being in the dirty carriage behind a dirty horse with the dust on the street being kicked up at us. It was no good, but thankfully, he was able to recover once we were back on the boat, where we were free to be on our own again. We headed back to the room so that we could refresh then we were back on the roof of the boat to enjoy more of the Nile views. I’d say seeing the river by boat, was truly one of the best parts of Egypt.

After dinner, there were cocktails in the lounge, and everyone headed to the top deck to watch the boat pass through the locks. From there, we passed onto Luxor.

The next morning we awoke with a new agenda, and a new city to conquer. but first, we had a hot air balloon ride to get too.  We had a pre-packed breakfast waiting for us in the lobby, and were picked up and brought to another boat to cross the river. We sat there for at least 20 minutes waiting for other passengers, and then were motored across the Nile to be shuffled into another van and brought to the Valley of the Kings. I won't lie to you, we were off to a late start and I was a little frustrated. The package I purchased was for a sunrise balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings, and when we arrived, the sun was up. We were one of the last balloons to take off, and I wasn't very happy to be in a cramped balloon where cameras were not allowed (cellphones were though) with eleven other people whilst fighting off the brutal sickness that was plaguing me. The whole reason I decided to do the balloon ride was to get great pictures in addition to the great views. None the less, I ended up feeling much better about things once we were in the air. You could see Hatshepsut's temple, all of the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, the farm lands just to the west & all of Luxor, or what wasn't hidden behind smog. The view of the barren desert beyond the royal burial grounds was incredible. The fact that I couldn't get better photos kills me a little inside even now.

Once we landed, I was so relieved to have free space. (I wouldn't recommend the hot air balloon ride to people who are claustrophobic, unless you are guaranteed a private ride.) They took us back to one of the main areas just outside of the Valley of the Kings to meet up with Amir. Our first stop was the Colossi of Memnon, two large statues of pharaohs that sit in the Theban Necropolis. Both statues are approximately sixty feet tall, and intended to be guardians of the pharaoh's mortuary temple. 

We weren't there long. Probably 15 minutes ...and then we moved on in a private car to the Valley of the Kings. Again, Amir got our tickets, and then we were in. Amir gave us a run down of each tomb we visited prior to entering then Brad and I went in alone. We visited the "Three Tombs" (as our ticket calls them because there are several to choose from) which, for us, were composed of Ramses IV's, Ramses IX's, & Ramses III's. All were beautiful in their own right, but I think the first one we visited, that of Ramses the IV, was my favorite.

In addition to this, we purchased tickets to visit the tomb of Tutankhamun (cameras/photos were not allowed). This, I would say,  is technically not worth the extra money, but at the same time it is... because it's King Tut's. The tomb is remarkably small in comparison to the others, but this is because he had a short life. The baboons painted on the wall are beautiful, and one thing I can say about this tomb that I can't say about the others is that there is actually a mummy in this one... Yep, Tut's still there, and being cared for properly which, I think, is why you have to pay extra.

After Valley of the Kings we headed on to Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple, better known as the Temple of Hatshepsut. This seemed so much smaller in person, and I wish it hadn't been so hot or crowded. The Temple of Hatshepsut is, like Abu Simbel, one of those places you imagine yourself discovering on your first big excavation. You wish it could be the same in real life as it is in your head. You want it all to yourself, to take it in without the distractions of other tourists... None the less, it was beautiful, but not as grand as I dreamt.

From here, we began back toward the boat. We stopped off at an Alabaster shop where they demonstrated how they make alabaster vases and souvenirs, and then allowed us to shop. I found a beautiful Canopic jar that I wanted to take home, however they refused to sell me a single jar since they technically come in a set of four each with a specific use, one for the stomach, one for the intestines, one for the liver, and one for the lungs. (In ancient times, the organ removal was done prior to the embalming and mummification... Don't forget they pulled the brain out through the nose!!) Also, the asking price was way high, and they weren't willing to budge much, so we walked away in hopes of finding one else where.

I had actually found one I loved in Aswan for a good price, and the man was willing to sell me only one but Brad told me to wait... so I did. WHY DO I LISTEN TO MY HUSBAND!?! Husbands are notoriously wrong! haha

Afterwards, we headed back to the boat for a late lunch, and rested for a short while before heading back out into Luxor on our own. We had the night to ourselves, so we wandered around and through the nearby areas. We walked through the market, passed by Luxor Temple, and along the walk of sphinxes. It was nice to have the time to ourselves again, but we still had one more day with Amir. We headed back for dinner, got ourselves packed, and hit the hay.

The next morning we were up bright and early. We had our breakfast then headed to check out. Our bags were brought to the street, and our driver loaded them into the car...

We were officially through with the Cruise, and were ready to see what else Luxor had in store for us.

...to be continued.