Assuan

My second day on Pyramisa Island started more relaxed with a round in the Pool and breakfast. Afterwards I headed with my guide for the day tour of Assuan. First, we went to the high dam that was built decades ago on the Nile river to regulate it and control floods. 

Nile - upstream 

Nile - downstream

Downstream from the dam the Nile looks a bit like a lake and there we visited the Philae temple. The temple is another example of the saved buildings from the Nile. It’s original site is an island some hundred meters away that is now below the water. 

Philae Temple

The temple is dedicated to Isis and marks the place where the leg of her dead husband fell down to earth. To get there we hired a boat and covered the short distance. This was the first time I got the big explanation of the Egyptian gods and goddesses and the 30 dynasties in the Old, Middle and New Kingdom.

After lunch in the little café we returned to the parking lot and all vendors were gone to attend prayer. 

On the way back into the city, we stopped at a Papyrus „Museum“ aka shop and I got an intro on how it is made. Besides the touristy name cartouches, there are also paintings by local artists that are very nice. 

Getting my name on a cartouche

Afterwards you checked in on my ship for the Nile cruise - the Blue Shadow - and when I learned that we would leave only early morning, I left to explore the city: a church, the market and a spice shop. 

Later I met another AIESEC alumna for a boat ride at sunset. I had dinner on the cruise ship and called it a night.