Wake up call was at seven this morning. It turned out to be a good thing because I had forgotten to set my alarm. Rolled out of bed at 7:30 and walked upstairs to grab some breakfast. There was an omelet station today, and we all got multiple omelets. Breakfast is by far the best meal on the cruise.
By 8:30 we were all dressed, ready, and in the lobby for our tour. Today we will be visiting the Temple of Horus in Edfa. Our tour guide met us in the lobby and we were off. We walked off the ship and up the embankment. Once at the road our guide told us we were taking horse drawn carriages to the temple. This would be fine if it didn’t cost extra for something we didn’t want. Up until today the transportation had been provided with the tours (also every other group was taking busses).
We arrived 15 minutes later and got outside the temple walls. Most of the temples in Egypt are surrounded by walls to keep them separate from the towns. This is one of the few temples with the walls still intact. In fact, this temple is the second largest in all Egypt (after Karnack) and the best preserved.
Getting out we were amazed to see the gigantic monolith looming in the distance. After paying we made our way towards the temple. As we walked our tour guide explained the history and significance of the temple. Originally the Temple at Edfa was a significantly smaller structure, but was rebuilt by Ptolemy III. Thus it is one of the Greco/Egyptian Temples in Egypt (Ptolemy I being one of Alexander’s successors).
We spent the next hour and a half being shown around the temple. It was amazing to see an intact temple for once. The hieroglyphic were simple stunning. As somebody who considered doing archeology, I was on cloud 9.
The cruise ship was set to depart at 11. So at 10:30 we regrouped and took our carriages back to the boat. Back in town, Shiyu and I went to buy water for the next two days. Unfortunately all the shops catered to tourists. The cheapest I could find water for was 4 pounds. I ended up purchasing 9 and leaving a little disgruntled.
Dropped my bag in the room and went topside. We watched the boat depart and enjoyed the warm weather. Taught the group how to play 13 (the card game) and played that until lunch.
Lunch today included a host of pastas, potatoes, salad, and steak. Everything was decent/good today. Ruben, Mike, and I have decided that we need to eat as much possible at each meal to put the money we spent to work. I had two plates… I think Mike and Ruben had three.
After lunch I went down to my room and took a hot shower. It felt excellent. Afterwards I grabbed my laptop and a book for the top deck. I spent the next few hours reading a little and catching up in my journal. I spent most of the time filling in the holes. I now have all but two days completed...
We docked at Kom Ombo just after sunset. Kom Ombo is one of many small villages located along the Nile. However, this one has a riverside temple. We docked alongside the other Nile cruise ships and disembarked (In order to do this we had to walk through seven other ships).
As we stepped off the ramp we were greeted by our tour guide who whisked us away towards the temple. Unfortunately, the boat got in late and we only have an hour and a half to see the village. He took us to the temple and gave us the background as we walked. The Temple at Kom Ombo is unique in that it is the only temple dedicated to two gods, Sobek and Haroeris. Sobek is the local crocodile god who represents evil and Haroeris is Horus’ Father also known as Horus the Elder.
The temple is designed in a linear fashion, each half reflecting the other. There are two identical entrances and worship areas. The cool part about the temple was the area used to give offerings. This area was divided into two rooms, one for each god. However, in between these two rooms was a hollow wall where a priest could stand and whisper into the chambers…. Apparently the priests used to play practical jokes on those giving offerings…pretend they were the god and demand money. Egypt’s early scam artists.
After our tour we were given a half hour to look around and explore. Ben, Evan, and I looked around for awhile and then headed towards the surrounding village. We poked around looking at the shops, but eventually fled back to the ship to avoid the bloodthirsty peddlers.
Dinner time arrived a half hour later and we went downstairs to feast. There was a beef dish, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and pasta. Pretty good. The desert was awesome.
Anyways afterwards we adjourned to Ruben and My room. Mike loaded some episodes of The Office on my zip drive and we watched a few episodes while drinking the last of the beers. Watched three episodes, just relaxed. Mike/Ruben/Shiyu/and I have to be up at 3AM the next morning and decided to call it a night.
Packed up my bag and went to bed.
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