Sunday 2/15/04 -Day 9
Because of the very windy conditions, we have a rough
sail by felucca to the Botanical Gardens. Later our ship sets sail for Kom Ombo
to see the double temple of Sobek (the crocodile god) and Horus. That evening’s
entertainment was the…Galabeya party
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Paul
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Jana
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Nunzie and Rita
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Rita and Helen
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The Sheik
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Monday 2/16/04- Day 10
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The temple of Horus at Edfu |
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At Esna, we cross the lock. |
Make no mistake
about it. On the Nile, Reis –who pilots is the lord of the riverboat.
Tuesday 2/17/04- Day 11
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Cruising the Nile Finally the winds moderate. The sun is
warm; We relaxed this afternoon and docked in the evening. The river and
banks are a beautiful blue gray. What a glorious clear voiced call to prayer.
It’s night on the Nile. The sun sets and the evening chill begins. |
We reach Luxor. It is time to leave our shipboard home and check into the Winter Garden Hotel. There are many British tottering around on canes. This must be a winter escape for them.
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Luxor museum |
School Days |
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Luxor Temple at Twilight
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Avenue of the Sphinxes
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Thursday 2/19/ Day 13
Valley of kings and queens
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Amenophis’ Colossi of
Memon
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In the valley of The kings, The stones look like Kings waiting to get out |
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Final
sunset felucca cruise on the ship of Captain Ali Blue Eyes. It is a much calmer
sail than our one to the botanical gardens at Aswan.
Friday 2/20/04 day 14
We fly back to Cairo
Our afternoon excursion to old Cairo was a
special treat. We visited a Coptic Christian Church. It is interesting to think
that religion has a link to the old religion of the Pharaohs.
The City of the Dead an amazing solution to
a problem of homelessness.
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Sadat Memorial |
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Thank
you to our fearless leader, Rita, and Akmad, leader of the other group
traveling with us. We had a wonderful trip.
It
is sad to have the vacation over but the long flight allows plenty of time for
reading and thinking.
There
is a total contrast
Between
the
Life
of the people
And
the wealth of the few.
On
the return flight I pass the time reading William Golding’s “An Egyptian
Journal”. He says
‘The
trouble with a storyteller is that he cannot even grieve without watching
himself grieving.’
In
defense of a poet – ‘all the same,’ you say, ‘he has a voice.’
Also
from William Golding’s ‘the
unmistakable voice of the man who was supreme poet and teacher, whatever else
he may or may not have been.’
Such
a long flight home—I think about turning my watch back but can’t give up
Egyptian time
Maine
Winter
2/25/04
Another
day
Is
gone with the setting of the sun.
I
take the time
To
look out at the purple sky
