Egypt February 2-17, 2025

Thursday, February 13, 2025 - Dahabiya Nile Cruise: Kom Ombo, Daraw, Aswan

We heard the call to prayer from a nearby mosque very early this morning. We went up on deck to drink coffee, watch sunrise, and chatted with Emad, who manages the boat. I told him that the wi-fi wasn't working, and he said they'd have it fixed by the time we got back from today's excursion, because they had to top up their account. The rest of the guests convened for breakfast. We had crepes, white cheese, falafel, bread, smoked beef, cheese, and orange juice.

The dahabiya moved a short distance from where we had moored overnight and pulled up to a set of stone steps. At 8 o'clock, we disembarked from the dahabiya and walked to Kom Ombo temple. It is located at a bend in the Nile where the current isn't strong, so crocodiles used to congregate there. (Since the advent of the Aswan Dam, crocodiles are now only found upriver of the dam, so they are no longer in this area). The ancient Egyptians were afraid of the crocodiles, so they deified them into the god Sobek for protection. This temple is unusual in that it is dedicated to two deities, and is split symmetrically, with the southern half being dedicated to Sobek the crocodile god, and the northern half being dedicated to Hrwr (aka Horus the Elder).

As we approached the temple, we passed an active archaeological dig. We climbed up a set of stairs and there was a black dog sitting perfectly posed on a plinth just like a sphinx.

Though not all of the temple survived, what did survive is in great shape, including some wonderfully preserved raised relief carvings. The temple dates back to around 300 BC and was built by the Greeks/Romans. Some of the columns were discolored for the bottom 12 or so feet, showing just how far up the flood waters would come during inundation in ancient times.

There were some interesting things in this temple, such as a representation of the ancient Egyptian calendar. We get our 12 month / 365 day year from the Egyptians (they had three seasons of four months each).

The temple has twin sanctuaries side-by-side, one for Sobek and the other for Hrwr. Today all that is left of these sanctuaries are two black granite pedestals which used to hold the divine barques of the gods. There was a secret chamber between the two sanctuaries where a priest would hide and act as oracle for both sanctuaries. We saw the Chapel of the Hearing Ear, where people would pray and the priest could hear them and deliver oracular responses. Ears are carved into the back wall under an image of the goddess Maat and two Eyes of Horus.

Part of the temple was used as a hospital in ancient times. Imhotep was an architect of the step pyramid, but he was deified as the god of medicine. There is a carving of King Ptolemy kneeling before Imhotep, and there are carvings of medical instruments such as forceps. There were images of Isis and her sister Nepthys on birthing stools. The ancient Egyptians were supposedly able to tell the sex of a baby in utero by having the pregnant woman urinate on wheat and barley. If the wheat grew faster it was a boy, if the barley grew faster it was a girl. Modern testing has concluded that this was an accurate way of determining pregnancy, but not the sex of a baby.

We walked along the outer corrider of the temple, where the public would wait for medical care. Amr pointed out game boards carved into the stone floor so that ancient visitors to the temple could pass the time while waiting for medical care. In this public area of the temple, we also passed carved depictions of enemy soldiers being held captive. The faces of these prisoners were gouged out, by being repeatedly hit with stones, leaving deep concave depressions where the faces used to be. This was likely a response from the public to the enemies of Egypt.

There is also an ankh-shaped pit in the ground via which the level of the Nile can be measured in order to levy taxes. Baby crocodiles would also swim in and be caught.

After exploring the temple, we visited the on-site crocodile museum that had huge mummified crocodiles on display. Around 300 mummified crocodiles were found in the area. Dr. Bob Brier had said in his Great Courses lectures that there were 3 reasons for mummification of animals:

family pets that the deceased wanted with them in the afterlife
animals raised as sacrifical offerings to a god (e.g. cats being offered to cat goddess Bastet)
animals who are viewed as manifestations of gods (e.g. the Apis Bull in Saqqara)

Dr. Brier says that the third bullet point is the least common reason for animal mummification. So we wondered what the reason was behind these crocodile mummies. They obviously weren't beloved family pets. I found a way to contact Dr. Brier on his web site and posed the question. Here is his response:

You ask an interesting question about the crocodiles at Kom Ombo. I don't think they were raised to be offerings. My hunch is that they were somewhere in between usual animal mummies. They were associated with the god Sobek, but they were also dangers in the waters to the average Egyptian, so many were killed. I think that the mummified crocodiles we see at Kom Ombo were killed in the Nile when they caused trouble, and then were mummified and left as offerings at the Temple.

- Bob Brier 3/22/25

We learned that crocodile god Sobek originally protected his followers from crocodiles, but later he became known as the Lord of the Waters. It was believed that the Nile came from his sweat. There is a creation myth in which he emerged from the mound in the primordial waters and laid eggs, beginning the process of creation. Male crocodiles were admired as virile for thir sexual prowess, and females were admired for their fertility (laying between 25-80 eggs at a time). Sobek was also known as the Lord of the Inundation. Egyptians believed that crocodiles could predict the height of the annual flooding of the Nile, since they build their nests above the water level.

Sobek was also associated with sun god Re. The daily activities of crocodiles mimic the daily journey of the sun (they come out of the depths of the dark water, bask in the sunshine during the day, and then retreat back to the water at night).

The largest mummified crocodile on display here is 4.3 meters long (~ 14 feet). Some of the smaller crocodile mummies were in their ceramic coffins with offerings of pottery. There were also mummified crocodile eggs. Also on display in the museum were stelae and statuary representing crocodiles.

After exploring the crocodile museum, we waited outside the exit of Kom Ombo Temple for our ride. We rode in a pickup truck with an enclosed back to a small camel facility in Daraw, not far from Kom Ombo. We approached a gate and entered into an empty lot between buildings. There is a nearby camel market on the weekend, and this is where the camels are cared for in between markets. These camels are trucked in from Sudan (males only - they want to corner the market and don't want people breeding camels themselves) to be sold in Egypt. A tag on the camel's ear bears its customs number. An older camel costs around $1000 USD. We got to interact with one of the camels, petting him, and leading him around. There was a little local 18-month-old boy here whose father placed him on the back of the camel. He was holding a little string with which he gently hit the camel, as if to encourage it to move.

After the camel visit, we took the pickup truck to the local vegetable market in Daraw. We had tea at a little tea/coffee shop. We tried two different types of tea: hargl (which is gingery) and halfabar (which is sweet). While we sat at an outdoor table sipping our tea, Amr gave us an assignment to buy ingredients that we would like to give the ship's chef to use as ingredients in our lunch today. He prepped us with some Arabic phrases and wrote down how Egyptians write numerals for help with prices. We felt like we were on The Amazing Race with a challenge to perform! At first we didn't know what to buy, so Craig felt overwhelmed. But then it hit me: hot peppers! We have not eaten any thus far on the trip, and they are one of Craig's favorite foods. He agreed that this was a good mission and we happily set out to find some.

As we walked around the market on our own, everyone was so friendly! They returned our smiles and hellos, the children especially enthusiastically. Everyone was saying "welcome" and seemed genuinely happy that we were visiting Egypt. It was not a touristic market; it is where local Egyptians do their shopping.

We found a seller who had red and green peppers for sale. We tried to use our few Arabic phrases to ask the cost, but we didn't understand the answer. So the shopkeeper called over a young neighboring vendor who spoke English. We asked which were spicier, the red or the green peppers. We were told that the red were spicier, and that one kg was 100 Egyptian pounds ($2 USD). The dahabiya crew had given us cloth shopping bags as they are trying to do their best to reduce single use plastic in Egypt. The produce seller almost insisted on giving us a plastic bag, but we held our ground and asked them to please just put them in the shopping bag. We are grateful that Amr gave us this little mission to get us out of our comfort zone. It was worth it!

With our mission accomplished, we spent some more time just enjoying the market. Some of the stalls were temporary, with shelving made from plastic crates and shade provided by cloth tarps. We saw all sorts of fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts for sale. Other shops were actual permanent indoor stores. We saw a hardware store which sold toilet fixtures and kitchen sinks, as well as a store that sold kitchen goods and plastic containers. We saw a shop selling baby items, including diapers.

Sides of beef hung on meat hooks outside a butcher shop. We went inside one butcher shop where they had live chickens and rabbits for sale. A man and his young son rode on a donkey cart carrying cylinders of gas. We got a photo of this to send to our godchildren in Ecuador. They are used to a huge truck which brings cooking gas cylinders to their community. We knew that they would appreciate seeing this means of delivery!

We met up with Mark and Jenn (who had purchased strawberries) and Amr. We took the pickup truck back to the dahabiya, and were given cool towels and the customary lime/mint/soda to drink. We presented our purchases to chef Mohamed. When we got back to our cabin, we found that our towels had been fashioned into an elephant today.

The internet was back, as promised, so I was able to catch up on my Facebook and Instagram posting. We had seen Jeanne and Karim and the boys at the market, but they weren't back yet. We hoped that nothing was wrong. They showed up about an hour after we did, which delayed the serving of lunch and setting sail towards Aswan. We hung out on the deck until they arrived. Then we set sail and lunch was served: lentil salad, cabbage and corn salad, hummus, veggies, the national dish of Egypt: koshari (served with tomato sauce and hot pepper sauce), chicken shawarma, braised beef, and bread. Jenn and Mark had specifically requested the koshari, as they had really enjoyed it earlier in their trip.It is a dish that contains rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, and fried onions. Craig and I enjoyed the hot pepper sauce (presumably made from our hot peppers), but Craig thought that it could be hotter. For dessert, we had fresh strawberries that Jenn and Mark had bought at the market.

We had been told that we would pull over at a beach for swimming and kayaking opportunities, but before we got there, we noticed that we were pulling over to a barge. This clearly wasn't where we would swim...wait...it was a "gas station"! There was a pump on shore with large hoses going to the barge. The crew filled up the tug boat's fuel tank and then we were on our way.

We then stopped at a sandy beach. Craig and I decided to go swimming again. The low humidity had dried our bathing suits which we had hung in the bathroom since yesterday (it was also amazing how quickly my long hair dried here!) There were some dogs at the beach and the crew fed them some leftover food. We disembarked from the ship and got into the water. The sand here was much finer than the more coarse sand at the beach near the sandstone quarry yesterday. The water was cold but refreshing. We live in New England, and the ocean water in the summer is colder than this, so we could handle it. As you got deeper into the water and lifted your feet off the riverbottom, you could really feel the current trying to take you downstream. You had to be careful not to be swept too far from the boat. The crew were keeping a close eye on us just in case anything happened. Jeanne came out to swim too, and she got some photos of us in the water.

As we were packing up and getting back onto the boat, the ever-vigilant Craig noticed that the crew were about to leave behind a blanket on the shore. He informed them, and they quickly scurried to retrieve it as we pulled away from the beach. They were quite appreciative that he had noticed it.

Once we all boarded the boat and it set sail again, we went to our cabin to shower after our swim. We knew that there would be a cooking class this afternoon before tea. We weren't sure of the exact timing, since things were running about an hour late due to the other group's tardy arrival from the market. While we were in our room, we heard a crewman ring the bell to announce the start of the cooking class. As much as we wanted to participate, we wanted to clean up after our stint in the river.

When we didn't turn up, they sent someone specifically to our door to knock and tell us that it was time for the class. Since we are rarely ever in our room, they wanted to ensure that we knew that the class was about to commence. We told them that we would be up on deck as soon as we could.

Craig showered first, then he went upstairs for the class while I took a quick shower. When I joined them, everyone was still making the first dish, under the tutelage of Chef Mohamed Assan and his assistant (also named Mohamed). I put on some latex gloves and dove into the process of creating mahshi, stuffing peppers and eggplants with a rice mixture.

Once all of the veggies had been stuffed, we watched assistant Mohamed demonstrate how to make babaganoush. We got to take a taste of what it was like before it had time to set, and we would be eating the finished dish at dinner.

We watched the sunset while enjoying tea time (a bit late today because of the cooking class). As it was our last day on the dahabiya, Amr asked us all for our impressions of the voyage; whether we had any suggestions or comments. Craig and I had nothing but praise for the Dahabiya Safiya. The crew was exemplary, Amr was an amazing guide, the food had been exquisite, and the excursions/activities had been top-notch. We were so glad that we had opted for a dahabiya in general and the Safiya in particular as opposed to a larger Nile cruise ship. The fact that we could moor practically anywhere had made it possible to visit small sites that the larger boats are not able to visit. Amr also gave us each two tip envelopes...one to be split among the dahabiya crew, and one for the guide.

We were lucky, because DAI had given us a tipping guide. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had any idea how much money to give to be split among the entire crew. Mark and Jenn asked what our thoughts were on tipping, and so did Jeanne. I was able to tell them what DAI had recommended as a range per person per day. They were quite appreciative, because they wanted to give a good tip, but had had no idea what was appropriate.

We arrived in Aswan just as it was getting dark and the full moon was rising. We passed some tombs on the West bank of the Nile. We could see stairs leading up to the tombs and people walking around on the mountainside with flashlights. We didn't know if this was a place we would eventually visit (it wasn't), but we thought that it didn't look like the kind of site you would want to be wandering around in the dark.

They moored the boat in an inlet on the West bank of the Nile in Aswan where we would be spending the night. There were dogs here on the riverbanks, whom the crew fed more food leftovers. We were moored in front of an outdoor function area where a big party was going on. Music was playing and people were dancing with sparklers. It seemed to be a wedding, and it culminated with a couple getting into a lit-up boat and departing from the party.

Amr pointed out the pink limestone Aga Khan Mausoleum overlooking the Nile. It is a beautiful building with crenolated walls and a dome. This is the resting place of Aga Khan III, who passed away in 1957. He was succeeded by his son, Prince Karim Al-Husseini Aga Khan (Aga Khan IV). I was in college classes with Prince Hussain Aga Khan, the third child of Aga Khan IV and his first wife, Princess Salimah Aga Khan. As it turns out, Prince Hussain's father, Aga Khan IV, passed away on February 4, and just four days ago, on Feb 9, he was laid to rest at the mausoleum. I didn't know Prince Hussain personally (I knew him by sight, but he didn't know me), but it is a small world that 31 years after being in college together in Massachusetts, we were both in Aswan within days of one another.

We went back down to our cabin to get ready for dinner. We deposited the tip envelopes in the room, thinking that we would give the tips tomorrow morning. But when we got to the dining area, we were told that we would be presenting our tip envelope to the captain at tonight's farewell dinner. So I ran back down to the room and quickly got money together for the tip and put it into the envelope.

Tonight's dinner consisted of lentil soup, roasted duck, hummus, okra, chicken livers, bread, and the mahshi and babaganoush from our cooking class. The babaganoush tasted significantly different than it had this afternoon, now that the flavors had had time to meld together.

As it is our final night on the dahabiya, the crew hosted a farewell celebration. They all came in to the dining room singing and playing percussion. They got us all to stand up and sing and clap while dancing around the dinner table. Suddenly we heard a woman ululating, and we turned to see that it was Jenn! Not many tourists are able to do this, and the crew was clearly impressed!

When we all sat down again, Emad introduced everyone in the 11-man crew, and we gave everyone a round of applause to thank them for the exemplary service. Amr asked if any of us passengers would like to give a little speech, and our fellow guests must have liked what Craig had to say at our little teatime discussion earlier, because they nominated him to speak on all of our behalf. He gave a very nice little speech, expressing how grateful we were for the first-class hospitality that we had enjoyed during the past few days.

We got a group photo of all of the passengers with the whole crew. Then we each went up to the captain and gave him a tip envelope to be shared among the crew. They brought out a chocolate cake for dessert.

It is bittersweet for our time on the dahabiya to come to an end. Guide Amr, the boat staff, and fellow travelers Mark, Jenn, Jeanne, and Karim have become like close friends in the four days we have spent together.

We are so glad that Karim and Jeanne made it to Egypt. Karim had been hit hard with Covid several years ago, and they didn't think he was going to survive. He was put into a coma, and woke up having had dreams of the pyramids. This was the impetus for their trip. They did the dahabiya at the beginning of their trip, and will be going to Giza next.

The service, food, hospitality, and camaraderie has been stellar. We love Dahabiya Safiya! What a great way to cruise the Nile!