Through the night we sailed to Edfu. On Saturday morning, December 2nd, the 6 of us met our tour guide Mohammed at the Semiramis reception desk and then proceeded out to the street to get in a horse-drawn carriage for a short ride to the Edfu Temple.
As we arrived, we could see workers moving wheelbarrow loads of rubble from an adjacent excavation. Archaeology in Egypt is always ongoing. If memory serves, the Edfu Temple is dedicated to the God Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis. The layers of gods in ancient Egypt are confusing at best. However, the temples are magnificent.
While we were at the temple, we got a picture of, from left, Mark, Lynne, Chris, a couple not in our group whom we had met on our boat, Olga, Anita and I.
On the way back to the boat, we got a few pictures of typical streets in Edfu. Naturally, the carriage drivers were keen to be tipped but luckily our tour guide had told us previously that the drivers had been paid and tipped already and not to give them more. Tipping is big in Egypt.
After lunch, the boat continued up the Nile while we enjoyed the sunshine on the top deck. At dusk, we landed at the Temple of Kom Ombo overlooking the Nile. It was built to honour the crocodile and the Falcon Gods. The falcon was a symbol of protection in ancient Egypt. Adjacent to the temple was a crocodile museum which contained about 15 mummified crocodiles discovered in the temple. After that, we walked back to the boat for an early night and good sleep while we sailed to Aswan.
As we arrived, we could see workers moving wheelbarrow loads of rubble from an adjacent excavation. Archaeology in Egypt is always ongoing. If memory serves, the Edfu Temple is dedicated to the God Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis. The layers of gods in ancient Egypt are confusing at best. However, the temples are magnificent.
While we were at the temple, we got a picture of, from left, Mark, Lynne, Chris, a couple not in our group whom we had met on our boat, Olga, Anita and I.
On the way back to the boat, we got a few pictures of typical streets in Edfu. Naturally, the carriage drivers were keen to be tipped but luckily our tour guide had told us previously that the drivers had been paid and tipped already and not to give them more. Tipping is big in Egypt.
After lunch, the boat continued up the Nile while we enjoyed the sunshine on the top deck. At dusk, we landed at the Temple of Kom Ombo overlooking the Nile. It was built to honour the crocodile and the Falcon Gods. The falcon was a symbol of protection in ancient Egypt. Adjacent to the temple was a crocodile museum which contained about 15 mummified crocodiles discovered in the temple. After that, we walked back to the boat for an early night and good sleep while we sailed to Aswan.
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