Nile Cruise

Most Nile Cruises are offered for 3 nights or more and as my time was limited I looked for a shorter option. As I learned on the cruise ship, the actual cruise only takes a day and all nights are either spent in Assuan or Luxor and then you do the day trips from the ship instead of from a hotel. 

View from the ship on the Nile

We started around 4-5 o’clock in the morning and arrived in Kom Ombo at eight. There, the guides for the different groups on our ship waited for us and explained us the temple dedicated to the local  crocodile god Sobete and Horus the Elder and the hieroglyphics talking about medicine and operations. Next to the temple is a darkened room where the mummified crocodiles are showcased. 

Kom Ombo

Back to the ship, we were greeted by hot wet towels and a mint tea and we continued the cruise. Most passengers spent the time on deck in the little pool or in the shadow. 

Pool on the ship

At lunch time we arrived in Edfu and headed out on horse carriages after we had filled our stomachs. A different array of guides waited for us and told us about the temple that had been used by varied religious groups through the centuries and millennia. 

Edfu temple

outer walls

The temple was dedicated to Horus, the son of Osiris and Hathor. Inside the temple there is a replica of the barque that was used to carry a golden Horus statue in processions. The original is today in the Louvre.

Horus guarding the entrance

Ancient Wifi symbol:-) 

From Edfu, we started on the last part of the cruise to Luxor passing by dessert lands and small oasis.

Around 6 o'clock in the evening we reached the locks of Esna where the ship was lowered to continue the downstream journey. In the meantime, vendors offered us towels, blankets and dresses - they tossed them high on to the ship for us to take a closer look and decide if we want to buy them. We threw them back if we did not want. Of course, some ended up in the river and had to be fished out.

Locks of Esna

Esna

Sunset on Nile

Late in the evening, we arrived in Luxor and there I saw how big the Nile Cruise industry really was and how much business was lacking. There are about 240 cruise ships like mine and only 30 operating in summer when it's low season. Probably double work in the high season. In Luxor, the ships were parked in rows of 2-5 ships and also we had to cross another ship to leave ours.

two ships moored next to each other

ships by night