Egypt and cruising down the Nile River

We left Cairo 11 March and flew via Aswan to Abu Simbel to view the massive statutes of RamsesII and his wife Neferitari. Mind blowing in size and incredible to think that they paid US$40 million to move them up out of the Nile valley before they flooded the Nile following the building of the High Dam and creation of lake Nasser.

We fly back to Aswan and join the boat the NILE PLAZA for our cruise starting tomorrow down the nile heading north back towards Cairo stopping at Luxor. We have a sail in a Falucca (traditional egyption sail boat) across to Elephantine Island - bit of a non event! Back to the boat and the quality of which we (and we find out later many others) are very disappointed in. Lucky if it was 2 star and the food inedible. We complain and consider leaving the boat, but are advised to stay put as everything is fully booked. We manage to get kids moved from their room, the floor of which is 1 metre below the waterline and stinks of diesel and is damp and musty!

We visit Philae temple on an island by small motorboat, the high dam (massive) built in 1971 with help from the Russians and Lake Nasser the largest lake in the world and then a factory shop making pure essential oils. We buy two small quantities and a glass bottle.

We cruised to Kom Ombo and visited the temple from which we saw the sun set over the Nile - magical. We cruise on to Edfu and visit the Temple Of Horus which is well preserved as it had filled with sand and lay undiscovered and accordingly not defaced or pillaged. Amazing structurehyroglyphics and statues

On to Esna a very poor town. I get off and go for a walk, but most people stay on board. Watch them extending the river wall to accomodated more boats - now almost 500 between Aswan and Luxor and growing all the time as they are all full! We wait our turn to go throught the Lock and drop 7.5 m down to cruise on the Luxor. Takes from 2pm until 5.30pm to get through, 2 boats at a time.

We cruise on to Luxor and visit the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank. We visit 3 tombs, Ramses III, Ramses IV and Setnakht. Very interesting in the Alabaster hills, dusty and incredibly hot at 32c with thousands of people everywhere. We then go to the Necropolis of Thebes - built into a massive alabaster hillside it is incredible. We walk up and discover howbig it is. The view across the valley floor and the green crops to the Nile is an amazing cntrast to the dusty hills. On the way back to the boat, we visit an alabaster factory and shop to see how they craft items from little boulders. In the afternoon we visit Karnak Temple, the largest temple in Egypt and right in Luxor. Very impressive with its rows of Sheep Sphinx, which used to run for 3 miles in a straight line all the way to Luxor Temple. We drive to Luxor and view what was built by Amenophis III and RamsesII. This temple had silted up over time by 12 metres being on the banks of the Nile. When discovered, it had a more recent city built on top of it, so most of the columns and statues had been cut off at 12m. We see the restored remains of a Mosque 12 m up still in the top of part of the temple - incredible.

We leave Luxor after two nights on the boat, with a galabaya party. Our group wins all the competitions but one and seems to be the most bonded group... fun fun fun.

We fly across the Red Sea to Sharm El-Sheikh a resort area still in Egypt. In the cusp of land where he Red Sea meets the Sea of Suez. Built on desert land between the hills and the Red Sea it is amazing. Our resort on the edge of the cliffs has good terraced access to the sea, coral reef and fish. Huge pools and grounds the rooms are massive - a nice change and a couple of days rest and access to the internet is great. Internet is very expensive in Egypt and hard to find outside of the hotels which charge 44 pounds (NZ$13 for 15 minutes!)

Tomorrow we will visit St Katherines. Mt Sinai, then the port f Nueiba to catch a ferry to Aquaba in Jordan. Will see how internet in Jordan.

THIS COMPUTER WILL NOT READ MY SD CARD SO NO PHOTOS TODAY.