Tonight, while we slept, the ship continued its journey down the Nile to the south.
At 6:30 we got up, and while we had breakfast in the dining room window we docked at a port: Edfu.
Right after, we went out and Surprise, to go to the Temple of Horus, we expect about 15 gigs (like our horse-drawn carriages) in which "we fit" in fours. The trip is very peculiar, a string of 15 carriages with which cross the entire city in about 20 minutes, plus those of other groups of different boats. Both in this way round as in the back, we see the routine of the inhabitants of this city, which mingles old tradition and the bustle of trucks and other vehicles peculiar modern.
After the ride, I get off the coach but the sensation of bouncing lasts me a couple of minutes. When the whole group back together in the courtyard entrance to the Temple of Horus, Pepe gives us our tickets and walked to the ruins that are 100 meters the main entrance.
The guide takes pride in his explanations, but we're most excited about shooting pictures of the huge pylons that welcome to the temple.
From what I remember of the explanation is that the temple was dedicated to the falcon god Horus and is one of the best preserved of all Egypt, and that is not the oldest. Its construction began under the rule of Ptolemy III 237 BC, but it was not until 57 BC when fully completed.
As I said before, impressed by the measures input of the pylons, 80 feet wide by 36 high, on whose walls are giant figures of the pharaoh represented sacrificing prisoners of war and giving them an offering to the gods Horus and Hathor. On each side of the gate between the pylons, there are two black granite statues of Horus, about 4 meters, where we have to fight with a group of Japanese to ask the corresponding picture.
After entering the majestic gate, we see huge colonnaded courtyard with another statue of Horus and a room on each side.
then entered the pillared hall, impressive and cover, unlike those we seen the previous day in Luxor and Karnak.
is not a single inch of wall, column or ceiling without engravings which show different phases of construction of the temple, offerings to the gods and so on.
On the walls of this room, more rooms, are recorded from top to bottom, that precede the heart of the temple, the shrine of Horus.
the sanctuary do not pass, so there are hundreds of arms and heads looking for a place to admire the small but spectacular room. In the center, a solar boat on a pedestal and a little behind, an altar where he was the image of the god Horus.
After a visit inside the temple, we visited an outdoor hallway that separates the outer wall of the temple itself. In such walls is, among other things, the legend of Isis and Osiris. As not remember quite well, I've searched the web and have filled the gaps in the story to make it more or less understandable.
Legend of Isis and Osiris:
"Son of Geb, the Earth, and Nut, the sky, Osiris married his sister Isis and became pharaoh Egypt.
This ruling just taught men to cultivate the land and make the bread and wine.
Egypt became a prosperous country, but the brother of Osiris, the god Seth, was jealous of him.
Returning from a long trip Osiris, Seth and his associates organized a party in his honor during a banquet, Seth ordered to bring a box he had been making, the proposal is to offer it to anyone who can enter inside.
When Osiris enters inside, close the lid and Seth throwing the Nile send
Instead of sinking into the river, the chest floats adrift, led by the current and goes to Mediterranean.
Isis, his wife, in search of her husband to give him a burial fit for a king and his body is in the port of Byblos, Seth upon hearing the news takes over his body brother and cut into 14 pieces, which then dispersed throughout Egypt.
Moved by her love, Isis runs through every part of the kingdom, and finally manages to find all the pieces except for the penis. Isis gathers the pieces and, with the help of Anubis and Nephthys, embalming the body. Osiris
regains life but since then it will not reign on earth, but in the realm of the dead, but not before conceiving her son Horus.
Seth succeeded his brother at the head of Egypt, not knowing that Osiris and Isis had a son.
His mother concealed their existence until it grows strong enough to avenge the murder of his father.
Horus asks the court of the gods, presided over by Ra, inherit the throne of his father.
The god of the ibis-headed Thoth, Horus defends, but Ra is set aside for Seth, who at night helps you fight against Apophis, (A terrible serpent).
Isis wishes to speak in favor of his son, but forbids Seth, she mocked the ban by a complicated scheme, and makes the court will side in favor of Horus, who eventually becomes king of Egypt, like his father.
Seth does not accept the opinion of the gods and makes him and Horus are converted to hippos, and sentence: "Those who stay three months in the waters of the Nile is king."
Isis with a spear wound to Seth, and Horus is recognized king.
From then Ra Seth trusts the task of scaring away evil spirits. "
After telling this story, we have 20 minutes to walk around on our own and build the temple to take the photos that we could not do before.
Leaving not before almost forced to take a look at the seats to the exit of the temple and return to a huge park with carriages in which we have to find the coachman had previously brought us from the boat. As I look, we realize the sorry state in which they have the horses, many with bloody claws and remains feces everywhere.
When we found our coachman, we went and started his way back to the boat. Half way, someone comes to our gig, talk about something with our driver and gets to take the reins of the carriage. Nothing could be further from reality, the only intention was to sell us something that brought Albal wrapped. Given our negative, shows the contents (all imagined) and shows some "herb of happiness." As we passed it, is low and looks forward to another gig that will prove lucky again.
Arriving the ship, we discussed it with the rest of the group and found to have been the only ones we had tried to sell more than souvenirs. It's 10 am and the ship sails back to the south, next stop: Kom Ombo.
Until lunchtime, it had a few hours that we had nothing to do, so there were people who went to the room, others were a dip in the pool at the boat (or puddle as he called me), and others that we were relaxed in deck chairs or occasionally playing table tennis.
These 3 or 4 hours before we ate, were the most relaxed of the trip. When I scorched a bit of lying in the sun, I moved into the shade, but as I was bored I was doing some pictures of the Nile, where he saw children playing with artisanal fishing rods, their parents working in orchards that were glued to the river or cattle "abandoned" in islets in the middle of the Nile
Time for lunch, and after the dance and tribal chants every day, we returned to the deck.
The heat was quite annoying, so I took the opportunity to give us a mini nap in the cabin until we finally reached our next stop en route.
The temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the worship of the gods Sobek and Haroeris. The conservation status has nothing to do with the temple we visited this morning, but it is also extremely rich in engravings. In addition, the time that we visited, the sun was setting when it makes the golden light gives you a magic key to the temple.
What catches the attention of this temple is that it is symmetrical. It has two entrances, two halls and two sanctuaries hypostyle.
Many of the other rooms are shared, and is curious to see prints on the walls surgical area utensils similar to those used today and reliefs in which explains how to perform various operations.
is also very interesting to hear the tour guide on a solar calendar of 365 days that are represented on one wall, and in which the stations are perfectly detailed, time of planting and harvest of crops, etc.
Near the temple, there is a Nilometer, in predicting the flooding of the Nile, and another building where you can see the mummified remains of several crocodiles.
After leaving the temple, we reached the pinnacle of the posts located at the outputs of the temples. To return to the ship, you have to walk about 300 meters from a promenade of about 3 meters wide along the Nile and on the other side has a row of more than 50 stalls full of suits "typical" you offer to the costume party that night there on the boat.
The girls are the worst pass it, because sellers literally grabbed and shoved them to try on several dresses, and if not, they threw about 6 or 7 dressed up to make them stop and look at your store. There were very few positions of typical figures such as pyramids, sphinxes, obelisks, etc., All you saw were kilos and kilos of fabric hanging from the huts. While the women had applied harassment and demolition, the quieter guys leave us, and take the opportunity to buy a phone card and call from a pay phone in Spain.
The tourist police, enjoy the spectacle of evasion and elusive flying suits by tourists, laughing in the face clean while some girls are unmistakable signs of strain. After this gymcana finally return to the quiet of the ship, which I take to buy a hijab for the costume party for 4 €.
Before dinner, the guide offers a package of extra visits, including Abu Simbel, Cairo Museum and the Alabaster Mosque, all for 120 €. We accept, though a few that we wanted to go to Abu Simbel had a plan B in case the guide not offered us that extra check because the price of the travel agency was not included. If anyone wants to use that plan B is just to find a taxi or go to any of the hotels are on the seafront the day Aswan arrive and hire the visit and transport to the temples on your own. Is much cheaper, but you have to organizártelo you, with the danger that the time you get to Aswan day searching for the hotel and bespeak the visit, or that the taxi driver does not appear to be hired when that you will be with him.
After get the costumes, we went to dinner. The last dinner on the boat is very quaint, very traditional costumes and few curran it minimally, but it allows for laughs. During dinner, turn the congas and singing, keep up is more complicated than in previous days, because the robe I wear ankle mobility is much smaller legs and several times I am about to end up soils.
After the dinner, we say let us go to the main hall of the ship to begin the feast of costumes, but one of my friends down to the room. When he returns, he tells us about how we get down, we have to do one thing.
The plot drags us down the stairs and when we opened the door to our room, we found a stowaway on cabin. The first reaction was the first that came into the room and found the doll made of towels on the bed was, logically, be given a good scare, but the best was yet to come.
went to the next room and had their particular doll towel, so we assumed that all rooms had done the same with towels over dinner. In one of the comings and goings from one room to another, leaving a room two of the crew members responsible for making us the beds and towels leave us with a crocodile, flower or above the ship bed every day. We are being asked to keep the secret and with them hope that someone down.
After 5 minutes, a girl in the group down to his room, and accompanied her without saying anything about the "surprise" to be found. The cry he gave was small, but nothing compared to our laughter and the creators of the puppets. Thus, little by little every time down the pilgrimage from room to room by accompanying knew nothing grew in number.
Actually, there were some artists and some of the towel dolls that were very good and quite realistic. After about 40 minutes of fun at the expense of scares others, got into the costume party that was about to begin.
The party consisted of a tribal dance, a guy running around like the promotional ad for Turkey and a woman doing the belly dance, but in reality it was Lorza dance, because the poor had more guts than Barney The Simpsons. When he finished the show, made a game like the chairs in which all participate and that was to follow the music and join in groups of women x x men animator as shown when the music stopped. The game lasted thing and we did spend a lot of fun while also being able to enjoy an impromptu fashion show by to female costumes look authentic doing some queens of the Nile After
and despite warnings from our guide about the early start awaited us the next day I went to the daily unmissable and ping pong, where and waiting for the waiter with his palette ready to win, but again failed to beat any of those that we face it.
Around 12 pm we went to bed, while the ship was sailing to Aswan, where in little over 2 hours going to take a bus to traverse the desert road to Abu Simbel.
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