10 March 2017 – Nile Cruise (Aswan to Luxor) Philae Temple, High Dam, & Flueka Ride

Can you believe we are cruising down the Nile right now?  It is hard for me to actually grasp the idea – I am in Egypt, soaring down the legendary Nile River, with ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Ruins all around me.  Our guide has been wonderful and we have learned so much (too much) about the thousands of years of Egyptian History.  We started our day with a boat ride to the beautiful island of Philae, home of the ancient Egyptian God of Isis.  This Temple has some of the best-preserved Hieroglyphics in all of Egypt, and is absolutely stunning.  We learned about Pharaoh Ramsey II, King Tut, Cleopatra, Cheops, and so many other great Egyptian Pharaohs. Tombs, temples, and pyramids filled our day with secrets & marvelous wonders.  In the afternoon we continued on the High Dam where we learned more about the Nile River. The Nile is the only river in the world that flows from South to North (opposite from all other Rivers). It starts near Victoria Lake in Uganda and flows all the way through Kenya, Ethiopia, and Sudan before reaching Egypt and emptying into the mediterranean Sea.  Currently we are in Aswan, which is only several hundred miles from the Sudan Border – quite incredible if you actually think about it… Aswan and Luxor (where we will be traveling tomorrow) are both located in upper Egypt, with Cairo located in Lower Egypt.  After a delicious lunch a traditional Egyptian & Western Fare, we continued on for a traditional Flueka Ride down the Nile River.  A Flueka is a traditional Nubian Boat that only uses sails and wind to maneuver down the river.  We sailed past Nubian Homes (traditional Egyptian People), botanical gardens, beautiful tombs, ancient temples, and much, much more… By the time we got back to our boat we were all exhausted and excited for some rest.  I took a lovely nap and woke up just in time for dinner!  The food was amazing – Tameya (Falafel), Ful (Fava Beans), Kushari (Egyptian Spaghetti), Mulukhiyah (Curry made with a local Green Vegetable), Kebabs (Grilled Meat), Baladi (Egyptian Pita Bread), Basbousa 7 Kanafeh (sweet pastries), Dolma (stuffed grape leaves, dates, Mango juice, and many, many more… Tomorrow we are going to have a big Traditional Egyptian Feast on the boat – and I am so excited!  Right now I am about ot head to a Nubian Dance Performance – so Catch you after!