The Temple was begun during the reign of Nectanebu I (380-362 BC) but most of the main buildings were built during the later Ptolemaic period; the Main Pylon shows Ptolemy XII defeating his foes and making offerings to the Gods. Beyond the Great Court and the 2nd Pylon, the Hypostyle Hall was a church in Christian times, while the Sanctuary beyond once held the Sacred Barque of Isis.

The Temple of Isis The Temple Court & Main Pylon				Double-capitals of the columns of the Birth House dedicated to Hathor-Isis		The Great (Inner) Court & Second Pylon

				It's only when you walk around the site that you appreciate the truly incredible exercise involved in re-assembling over 37,000 individual stone blocks to recreate this entire complex. (far left) General view & (left) Trajan's Kiosk or "Pharoah's Bed"

Most of us would return the following evening for a wonderful "Interactive Sound & Light Show"!

After a short visit to top of the High Dam, where there isn't actually much to see, the tour called at the Granite Quarry to see the famous Unfinished Obelisk, dating from the 15th century BC, during the time of Queen Hatshepsut. Thought to weigh around 1168 tons, it would have stood 138ft tall (42m), if it hadn't split during the quarry process. It still lies embedded in the rock but its sides reveal valuable information about Egyptian building methods and techniques at the time.

The morning tour concluded with a visit to a Perfume Factory, which provided a welcome respite from the heat, as well as another "retail opportunity"!

The Unfinished Obelisk (Andrew's Photo)		Traditional Felucca Sail to Kitchener Island and the Botanical Gardens						The Botanical Gardens

In the afternoon, we donned our life-jackets again (or not, as the case may be!) for a leisurely sail aboard a Traditional Felucca, across the Nile to Kitchener Island and the Botanical Gardens, where we had some time to escape the crowds (not to mention the rather invasive video-cameraman from the boat!) beneath the shade of the luxuriant plants and trees.

Row, row, row the boat... The serenity of our sail-boat ride was not without interruption, however, as we were "serenaded" by one of a number of young lads who, with the aid of a slab of polystyrene, swam persistently alongside us all the way. He was such a happy little soul but his multilingual skills extended to just one song; "Row, row, row the boat...." and one or two of us (including me!) ended up giving him money - for his trouble, of course, or was it to just leave us alone?!

Returning to the boat, poor Lesley walked into one of the glass doors while stepping across from another boat, bashing her nose quite badly and giving herself a nasty shock. Fortunately, with a nurse, a hospital theatre technician and various others in our Group, she attracted plenty of attention and fortunately recovered, only a little the worse for her stumble.

By this time though, some of the other members of the Group were beginning to wilt from the heat and the change of diet and there were a few tummy upsets developing. Consequently, there was little enthusiasm for the after-dinner entertainment that evening, which included a "Belly Dancer". It was later reported, however, that Claire's rendition was considered better than the professional's!

Friday 29th October The Temples at Abu Simbel		General Map >>

The call today was at 3.15am, for our coach departure at 4am! That said, the 3-hour, 180-mile journey was quite comfortable; the road was good and we enjoyed (well, those who were awake enjoyed!) the sunrise over the desert, while munching the contents of our breakfast bags!

		The Great Temple of Ramesses II Of all the Nubian temples relocated by UNESCO in the 1960's, this is the most famous. The Great Temple was dedicated to 3 Gods; Amun, Ra-Horakhty and Ptah as well as to the deified Ramesses himself, while the Small Temple is dedicated to Hathor and Nefertari, his favourite consort.

Both temples were actually carved out of the mountain, making it all the more remarkable that from 1964-1968, they were systematically sawn-up into blocks and moved 213 ft above the river, where they originally stood, in order to avoid their loss to the rising waters of Lake Nasser, created by the Aswan High Dam.

Each temple is now encased in a concrete dome, covered by real rock - an artificial mountain! In 1992, when Andrew & I were here before, we were able to see inside one of the domes but unfortunately, today the risks of terrorism are such that this was no longer permitted.

One of the 4 Statues of Rameses II each one is 65ft high				Temple of Nefertari		The "new" temple site and artificial "mountains"

The facade of the main Temple is 114 ft wide and each of the 4 colossal statues of Ramesses II is 65 ft high. The statue to the left of the entrance is thought to have been damaged in an earthquake following its original construction in about 1265 BC and this is how it was relocated.

The main Temple was orientated so that twice a year, supposedly on the King's birthday and coronation day, the rising sun struck the rear wall of the sanctuary and the statue of Ramesses II. Now in its new position, the same thing occurs, but one day later than it was designed to!

We were given a good 2 hours here and surprisingly, even though this is south of the Tropic of Cancer, the temperature at 7.15 was quite pleasant. However, by the time we were ready to leave, it was getting much hotter - and much busier, with the arrival of many more coaches and crowds!

Aswan & the Temple of Philae
Returning to the boat in Aswan, Andrew finally joined the growing group of tummy upsets, while those remaining relaxed on deck, before the early-evening excursion to Philae, to experience the spectacular "Interactive" Sound & Light Show.

Illuminated by Floodlight The Island Temple of Philae		The Sanctuary of Isis		A Spectacular Sound & Light Performance

By "Interactive", they mean that the audience gets to move around the Temple precinct during the first part of the performance, pausing at various points for the dramatised narration and illuminations. I was a little concerned about the poor crowd-control and the possibility of losing my footing in the dark but it's all taken at a slow pace and in fact, everyone enjoyed it immensely!

		After dinner back on board later, we were treated to some local Nubian music and dancing, including a performance by a "Whirling Dervish". As if that wasn't enough, I was greeted by the sight of a 6-legged elephant on the bed in our cabin - courtesy of our steward Adir! (Left) The Nubian Show and the Whirling Dervish & (Right) A 6-legged Elephant on the bed!

Saturday 30th October A Day Cruising the Nile		General Map >>

Some of the Group were up early again today for an extra "Bird-watching" outing by sailboat, also visiting a Nubian Farm where there were some close encounters with baby alligators!

Angela with baby alligator!		The Nile at Aswan Elephantine Island & the Movenpick Hotel to the right		A Luxury Dahabiya		Another Dahabiya Nile Lily Launched in 2010 (20 guests)

Everyone was back aboard by 9am and m/s Stephanie then sailed - or cruised - northwards again, returning down the Nile towards Luxor. I was surprised how many traditional "Dahabiyas" there appeared to be on the river; generally for very small groups of 10-20 passengers, today these traditional-style sail-cruise boats offer a high level of exclusive luxury - at a price, no doubt!

Cruising the Nile & the Aswan Bridge Opened in 2002 - central span 820ft (250m)				Temple of Horus & Sobek at Kom Ombo stands impressively above the river

But there were no complaints aboard m/s Stephanie, as we relaxed on the spacious deck enjoying the view, as we passed beneath the Aswan Bridge, north of the city. Opened in 2002 by President Mubarak, the cable-stayed bridge is 3,205ft long (977m) and has a main span of 820ft (250m).

By 12 noon, we were tying-up at Kom-Ombo again, for the Italian Group aboard to do their visit. This time, it was much quieter ashore - and hotter; it was 110 degrees in the sun this afternoon!

Stranded Donkey		Disused Quarry & evidence of tombs		Man v Nature?		An everyday scene along the banks of the Nile

Cruising-on down river throughout the afternoon, we tied-up again at Edfu after dark, again for the Italian Group, and then departed again for Esna around 7.30pm, just before dinner.

			This evening was "Party Night", so I gave our Group their special "Lynch Cruise Club" pens and arranged birthday cakes at Dinner for Andrew & Gerry, plus one for Sandra, who would also be celebrating shortly! Tonight, Adir had left us a crocodile on the bed! (Left) "Happy Birthday" Cakes & (Right) There's a crocodile on the bed!

Sunday 31st October (Morning)
The Temple of Khnum at Esna
Having tied-up during the night, it was wonderful to be able to get up early and just walk ashore through the deserted souk, to be the very first visitors of the day at this temple, situated 33 feet below street level in the middle of the town.

Excavated in 1860, the 1st century Hypostyle Hall is all you can see today of the original temple built by Ptolemy VI around 181 BC and dedicated to the ram-headed god, Khnum.

situated 33ft below street level The Temple of Knum at Esna				Restoration Work (see the unrestored patch in the middle)		Inside the Hypostyle Hall

Given the temple's subterranean position and its proximity to the Nile, the main problem today is "rising damp". The building was also used as a church by early Christians and the decorations suffered but restoration work is today revealing some of the clarity of the original colours. (A small patch in the picture above shows what the wall was like before restoration.)

Returning to the boat for breakfast (!) we then took our position to pass through the Esna Locks.

The Esna Locks
The original barrage at Esna was built by the British from 1906-08 and provided irrigation to the surrounding area. However, it did not have any capability to generate electricity and it only had one small lock, which regularly became congested with the boats queuing, sometimes for many hours.

Passing through The Old Lock		Passing through the New Esna Locks

The New Esna Dam was built from 1989-94 and included a hydro-electric plant, a larger lock and a road bridge which didn't have to close every time the lock was used. However, the lock was closed twice a year for maintenance and this caused renewed problems. Since 2010, however, a second lock now makes passage through the barrage possible all-year round, while the Old Esna Lock remains as a sort of "open gateway" at present.

Cruising on through the morning, we arrived back in Luxor about 1pm, to stay for our last 2 days.

Afternoon & Evening, Sunday 31st October Karnak & Luxor

		Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak Ancient Egypt's greatest holy place for 2,000 years, Karnak grew to become the religious and political centre of an Empire; and at its heart was the Great Temple dedicated to Amun-Re, King of the Gods, the core of which dates from about 1520 BC and the reign of Amenhotep I.

With the joining of Upper & Lower Egypt, around 2037 BC the capital moved to Thebes (modern Luxor) and work began on the first temple at Karnak; over the next 1,600 years, successive Kings would alter and add to the complex, each leaving their own record of greatness. see Temple Plan >>

Ram-headed Sphinx		The Great Court & Temple Axis		The Great Hypostyle Hall		Hypostyle Hall the columns are 82 ft high!		Column detail Hypostyle Hall

At the entrance, you can see the remains of an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes but once inside the Great Court, which alone covers 8,000 sq m, you get a first glimpse of the great main axis. A single 69 ft (21m) column is all that remains of the 10 that formed the Kiosk of Taharqa, beyond which is the Great Hypostyle Hall, a "room" of 5,400 sq m and 134 columns. The 12 central columns supported a roof 82 ft (25m) above the floor, while the remaining 122 columns are a mere 46 ft (14m) high! Many of the reliefs and inscriptions on them are intact and you can even see the original colours on the underside of the roof beams - only about 3,200 years old!

Statue of Ramesses II		Temple of Ramesses III		Festival Hall and Sanctuary		Obelisk of Thutmose I 75ft (23m) tall & 143 tons		Obelisk of Thutmose I

The Temple of Ramesses III dates from about 1160 BC and leads off the Great Court while the Festival Hall was a temple added during the reign of Thutmose III (1479-1425 BC) and is at the other end of complex, beyond the Sanctuary.

At the centre of the site stand two Obelisks; the tallest was one of a pair erected by Queen Hatshepsut (1479-1457 BC), 97ft (29.6m) tall and carved from a single block of granite weighing 320 tons. The top of its sister lies nearby. The smaller obelisk is one of a pair erected by Thutmose I (1504-1492 BC); at 75ft (23m), it weighs only 143 tons! Other obelisks also stood in this Court but where they have not fallen down, they have been plundered to appear in various cities around the World. (Right) The Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, 97ft tall & weighing 320 tons

Our visit to Karnak took place in the hottest part of the day but it was also the quietest and we were able to meander freely without problems, although some of us took "time-out" for an ice-cream in the shade of a cafe within the ruins! By the time we left, it was getting busy and even hotter, so our visit to the air-conditioned Papyrus Factory was welcome. Here we had a demonstration of how they still make Papyrus - and another opportunity for some retail therapy!

		Temple of Luxor Once linked to Karnak by a 3 km avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, this Temple was dedicated to the Theban trinity of gods, Amun, Mut & Khonsu and dates from around 1390 BC and the reign of Amenhotep III. See the Temple Plan >> An 82 ft-high obelisk stands in front of the north-east Pylon but its twin now stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. (Right) Our Group "Horus"; time for one final Group Photo with our guide Amro

The Temple was considerably enlarged during the reign of Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) and the main Pylon is covered with reliefs depicting his great battles; especially his victory over the Hittites at the Battle of Qadesh in 1274 BC. Sadly, just two 51 ft-high seated figures of the King remain of the six such statues which once adorned the new Temple frontage.

Arriving just before sunset, the temple quickly became rather crowded but we had the added experience of seeing the floodlighting coming one, as the temple descended into darkness.

The Obelisk 82ft (25m) high		The Collonade & Colossi of Ramesses II The statues may actually be of Amenhotep III, 100 years earlier!				The Columned Court & Collonade

Of the 11 statues and 2 seated figures around the Courtyard however, some are believed to have been "usurped" by Ramesses II as his own, because at least 6 of them were erected during the reign of Amenhotep III (1395-1353 BC). In the north-east corner is the Abu al-Haggag Mosque, built above the then-unexcavated temple ruins. Subsequently rebuilt many times, its minaret is 11th Century.

Amenhotep III also built the Collonade as part of his temple. It's 14 columns, each 52ft (16m) high, lead to the Columned Court, surrounded by papyrus-bundle columns. This in turn leads to a smaller columned hall, beyond which are the temple shrines and cult chambers.

The floodlit Collonade & Abu al-Haggag Mosque	Alexander the Great before the "aroused" God Amun			Ramesses II or Amenhotop III?		The Obelisk & Main Pylon

One of the granite shrines is dedicated to Alexander the Great, who assumed the role of Pharoah when he conquered Egypt in 332 BC. Honoured more as liberator than conqueror, and was declared the "Son of the God Amun" and the various wall decorations show him making offerings to the Gods.

Luxor's Avenue of Sphinxes One of the most important archaeological and religious paths in Luxor, the excavation and restoration of 650 out of an estimated 1350 sphinxes lining this route, 2700m long and 76m wide, is proving highly controversial. At a cost of £7.5m, half of which is allocated for compensation, work is proceeding at such a pace that many have criticised the apparent haste, which is resulting in the loss of many other fine buildings and ruins.

We returned to the boat for dinner and to make our farewells to our guide Amro, who was leaving for Cairo that evening. After dinner, a number of us took the evening excursion back into Luxor, where we then took a "fleet" of horse-drawn carriages through the back-streets of the city!

Horse-drawn carriage ride through the hectic back-streets of Luxor				Angela & Stella (Gerry's Photo)		In the cabin Howler Monkey!

Our Horse-drawn Carriage Ride through the streets of Luxor proved to be quite an experience! We clattered down narrow streets thronged with people and brightly-lit shops, bars and clubs, witnessing scenes of everday night-life, including 2 weddings! Then, through the spice-market, our senses were assaulted by exotic aromas and perfumes. Once or twice, our carriages were approached by kids begging but they were quickly shoed-away by the drivers.

It was quite an experience and if that wasn't enough to frighten us, we had a howler-monkey hanging from the ceiling when we returned to our cabin!

		Monday 1st November A Balloon flight across the Nile! General Map >> The alarm-call was at 4.20am for those of us deciding to take this exciting treat on our last day. (Left) Balloons are already ascending as we cross the Nile at dawn by boat (Andrew's photo)

Heading into Luxor by mini-bus, we then crossed the Nile by boat to the West Bank, as we received our safety-briefing from Sindbad Balloons and considered the terms & conditions! See Photo >>

Balloons aloft! As we head for the ascent site				Inflating our balloon		The ascent site Up & Away!

With a pilot and 24 passengers in each basket, we were then introduced to the "landing position" before we began our ascent, which was remarkably quiet, apart from the roaring sound of the gas-burner. As the balloon followed the wind, there was no breeze and little sensation of speed.

Up & Away! Below us: the Ramesseum, Queen Hatshepsut's Temple & the Valleys of the Kings & Queens				Our Pilot (Andrew's photo)		A premature landing!

But as we rapidly gained altitude, a spectacular view opened-up as we all gazed in awe from our lofty vantage-point. Drifting slowly towards the Nile, there were amazing views of temples and statues we all visited earlier in the week and as we rose above 2,000 ft, we crossed the river Nile just south of Luxor, with views of Karnak in the distance, and the Luxor Temple below.

(Above) View from about 2,000 feet above the West Bank at Luxor; Queen Hatshepsut's Temple to the left and the Nile on the right

Crossing the River Nile Above Luxor, cruise boats moored beside the Luxor Temple Looking south, the Nile Bridge & our own cruise boat mooring				Coming into Land! As we descend, the pilot selects a suitable landing-site and we come down in a sugar-cane field!

		One or two balloons were actually seen to come down (and tip over!) while still over the West Bank, but with our skilled pilot we travelled further than most (about 6 miles), eventually coming down in a sugar-cane field! He also managed to keep the balloon up and the basket upright, as we awaited the recovery crew! To celebrate our safe landing and not being tipped-out by a deflating balloon, the ladies danced with the guys of the recovery team! (Right) The Ground Crew & Passengers celebrate our safe landing with a group dance!

Our actual flight was probably only about 45 minutes but it was all the most exhilarating experience, especially in such scenic and benevolent conditions! Our landing too, was quite close to where our boat was moored, so we were all back aboard for breakfast! Visit Sindbad Balloons.com >>

While Lynne & Clive had to leave early for their flight, for the rest of us it was a quiet unwinding day, as we packed and prepared to be taken to the airport at 3pm.

Monday 1st November (evening) Luxor to London Gatwick

Check-in at Luxor Airport proved relatively painless and while our flight was a little delayed, we made up time on the journey, while enjoying a stiff drink and sausage & mash for dinner! But we were all tired and in something of a daze, as the group finally broke-up at Gatwick and went our separate ways, an amazing week of sights and memories for everyone.

Cruise Mileage: 224 nautical miles
Total Mileage to date: 145,860 n miles