Monday - Temple of Horus at Edfu

This is another Roman (Ptolmic) temple, this temple, like many others was actually buried in sand for 2000-3000 years until their discovery in the 19th century.  This was primary in their preservation, since subsequent rulers and invaders typically destroyed or at least defaced the previous ruler's temples and burial chambers.

This is the falcon god Horus

 

Time for a break from the temples.  The longer we are here, the more adventurous we get with eating.  Here is where we stopped for lunch, yes, we did need help with the menu.

Finally, a great bumper sticker

Monday - Kom Ombo Temple

Four temples today.  We won't bore you with a bunch of details, just a few pictures.

TEMPLE OF KOM OMBO

This was built by the Romans in the 2nd century BC in the Egyptian style of architecture.

We forget many times that all of the temples and tombs were brightly painted, many parts overlayed with gold.  The gold was romoved thousands of years ago and most of the paint has weathered, only in the most protected areas is there some semblance of color remaining.

Sunday - Sailing on the Felucca

Writing this from the felucca.  Will add pictures when we land today or tomorrow.   Started sailing yesterday at around 2PM.  Twelve of us total, on two feluccas.  Basically it is a wide single sail boat that drifts down the Nile. Nice people on board from Canada, Germany, Japan, Argentina, and US.  All in their 20's 0r 30's.

Most are on many-month journeys, We are the only ones that have a schedule that involves weeks, not months.  One couple we have gotten to know is in there mid 30's retired from the Napa Valley wine industry and have decided to travel the world.  They just came from several months in Turkey, Jordan and Syria.  The other two on our boat are from Japan, these gals bought round-the-world plane tickets and will be gone from home for about 6 months. 

We were scheduled for a three day journey, have asked to shorten it to two.  After sailing until after dark last night, we are barely outside of Aswan, (hardly any wind), and haven't seen anything of worth. Food is OK what there is of it, and sleeping conditions are sparse. (I have been up since 3AM), too cold, not enough blankets.  So, we hope to hop off today, (with many others who signed up for just one night, two days and head off to Luxor.  Many had come from there so we found out which temples and museums to hit and which ones to skip.

About 7AM now, sun is up, a bit warmer, smells like breakfast is about ready.

NOTE:  It is now Monday Night, we got off the felucca soon after breakfast of pita bread and jam, they didn't really go all out for us, glad we decided to bag the second day and night.  A few pictures follow:

One of the two feluccas

 

Lunchtime

Gloria getting some sleep, (sorta)

Sunday - Quick Update

Left for Abu Simbel this morning at 3AM, in convoy with other busses and taxis for security reasons!?

Can't upload photos today, I am at Aswan's newest restaraunt, McDonald's! Free WiFi!, but no time to download my photos to post. We leave in a few minutes on our felucca for 2 nights, 3 days. We bring our own water, they provide food, and bathroom facilities are "undisclosed", (we were told to go now, and then hold it for the next three days). Hmm.

For now you will have to Google Abu Simbel and felucca, photos when we arrive in Luxor on Tuesday?

Cheers!

Saturday - Temple of Philae

This temple isn't unique in that it was built by the Romans around 400 BC, however, it is unique in that it was built in another location then where it is now!

When the two dams were built to harness the Nile in the early and mid 1900's many temples and archeological sites were to be submerged.  This temple and about 60% of all historical sites were going to disappear.  They were literally cut up, moved to new locations and reassembled!

This is a picture of our guide explaining some of the hieroglyphics to us.

Oh, here is an interesting historical note:  She explained that the typical Egyptian temple consisted of an outer courtyard, an inner holy place and then a very holy place for just the holiest holy man.  She went on to parallel this to the human body.  The outer courtyard was the arms and legs and surrounding the holier places.  It's entrance symbolizes the "opening" between the legs. (stay with me here!). 

The holy place is where the common priests worked and is like the body with the heart, lungs, intestines, etc. and the holiest of places symbolizes the head with the openings for the gods's to communicate with the highest priest.

Now, some of you with a little Old Testament background will recognize the interesting similarities with the Israelite  Tabernacle/Temple and a typical Egyptian temple.  Feel free to discuss this among yourselves!!

We finished the afternoon with a sunset ride in a Felucca.  Similar to what we will be on for the next three days sailing on the Nile to Luxor.

We did hook up with two other American's and an Aussie on our trip to Philae.  After deciding to skip dinner with them, since we have to be in the taxi at 3:30AM tomorrow for our trip to Abu Simbel, (Aussies rarely get to bed before 3:30), we were flagged down by our local guide, Essmat.  He was enjoying the evening at his local tea/water pipe bar.

First of all, (I think) we were honored to be invited to join him.  Secondly, I did ask him if women ever come here and he just laughed.

So, here we are sipping tea with Essmat with all of the water pipes around us, and no other women in site.  He did, however, show us family photos of his wife and four kids.

Saturday - Train Ride and "The Unfinished Obelisk"

We survived the sleeping train!  We discovered what "First Class" means in Egypt.  This photo doesn't really do our experience justice.  Our seats were #1 and #2, we thought that meant we would be in the front of car #7.  Actually that meant we were in the back of the car, right in front of the door to the car behind us and we learned quite quickly that people smoke between cars, and people are constantly going between cars all night long.  So.... we had the door opening and closing all night long and people talking and smoking all night long.  And to top it off, the car was so cold you could have hung meat in it if you wanted to.  Hence the picture of me wrapped up.  Oh, did I mention that the ride was 13 hours long?   What an experience, what a memory!

Anyhow, we got to Aswan at noon.  Had an hour to freshen up then into the taxi for our ride to the "Unfinished Obelisk".  This was carved about 4000 years ago and was to be the largest obelisk eve created (1,200 tons and 134 feet high). Well, the sculptors soon found that it was just too big, it developed some flaws and cracks and they abandoned it.

It was truly amazing once you realize that they cut this dense granite with a flint-type axe making holes every several inches, then they would stuff wood in them, soak the wood and let it swell to crack the granite, then continue.  That "moat" around the obelisk is about 3 feet wide and over 10 feet deep!  The next step, that they didn't complete, is the do likewise below the obelisk, thus releasing it from its bed.  Then they had to elevate it and move it to the Nile.  Indeed, they haven't found another obelisk this size anywhere in the Nile.