Nile Cruise Day 2: Edfu and Kom Ombo. Late night and up at 530 ready for 6 breakfast and 7am horse-drawn carriage tour to the Edfu temple - another greek period temple. Jeannie hadn't slept well and we'd left the curtains drawn to watch the Nile sliding by in the moonlight, so she saw us berthing during the night. Edfu only 86,000 people quite poor in the town but the temple was magnificent - built by Alexander the Great's people (under greek ruler Ptolemy) to appease the locals. Ship was delayed by over an hour waiting for the group of young passengers to return who couldn't be arsed getting up early after partying on till late on the upper deck. Entertaining though - as the stragglers they had the absolute crap hassled out of them by desperate hawkers and pissed-off buggy drivers who they under-tipped. Almost a brawl on the dock involving locals - hawkers, carriage drivers, photo man and some heavy weight mustachioed organiser. Karma, dudes.
I provided my own entertainment later on - went stalking down to the hotel lobby - annoyed because the steward dragged me downstairs from the sundeck to the cabin to accept my laundry, then insisted I pay him cash (suspicious because everything else goes on tab against the cabin). Stalking righteously (and slightly woozily) down the stairs to reception, bill and cash in hand and missed the last step and face-planted on the carpet in front of the receptionist, trashing their security screen in the process. What I should record is that I commando-rolled across the carpet and cooly stood up Bond-style to present the bill. Unfortunately more like clambering arm on arm up the counter and presenting the shredded paper. The receptionist took it all in his stride with great aplomb- it had obviously happened before. Back on the river and a long run up river sitting up on deck. Mixed bag of passengers on the boat- several british couples, a british family we dined beside, young German family, young columbians, a mixed group of Asian and a heavyset young Pakistani in traditional robes who quite obviously did not observe Ramadan, a Dutch man traveling with his quite young niece, and some older columbians including one we initially thought was blind drunk but was actually just crazy, with only half the tools in his shed and all blunt. He harangued every hawker he came across including the canoe hawkers screaming at them until he was hoarse from the sun deck. We still miss the continual "hullo! Hullo!" from our limpet-like canoe hawkers from Luxor who'd untied themselves from our boat before the Esna Barrage locks, apparently because they'd be bashed by the lock hawkers if they hung on too long.
5 hours up river we landed at Kom Omby (Mound of Gold) - a magnificent double temple duplicated in every sense worshipping two god brothers - Sobek the naughty crocodile god and his good brother. Apparently they needed them both for prosperity in balance hence a duplicate temple. The temple is right on the river and the crocodiles would actually come into the temple precinct to sun bake. They had a museum with 25 mummified crocodiles (largest 4.3m) from a nearby crocodile mummy cemetery they'd unearthed.
Hawkers at Kom Omby were a real pack. Right on everyone from the outset. Exit from the crocodile museum to the ship dock was an absolute scrum. Needed a flying wedge to get through. Even more hawking struggles for any straggling passengers. Kom Omby was also first time we saw another cruise ship (2) (with actual passengers as opposed to the many many empty boats at berth) but they left while we were there. Shouting and shoving match between a temple guard and the German family's guide saw the guide replaced next day in Aswan. Back on the river and we steamed up toward Aswan. Had an Egyptian Dance night and it was a funny night. Jeannie was co-champion of the belly dancing competition. Yvonne was co-champion of the hilarious pass the bottle competition. Went up on deck for the last few hours cruising the river under the almost full moon. Brilliant. Seeing the lights of the towns, villages and farms go by. Saw Aswan coming from a long way out - two million people spread along the Nile and into the desert. Pulled into dock after midnight right near of all things, a MacDonalds - still open that late so people could break their fasts during Ramadan. As soon as the gangplank was down a number of crew were off with their bags heading home. And right behind them - blow me down - were two passengers - the heavyset young Pakistani and his young Asian girlfriend, making a beeline for HIS Mecca (or Macca as it were) - the MacDonalds restaurant.