Traveling into the time during a cruise of the Nile river. Egypt travel review

When the nineteenth century, consolidated the first and true passion for tourism, those who could join them on one of the classic Grand Tour, namely: London-Paris, Venice-Florence-Rome-Naples .... or .. Cruise on the legendary Nile. Very often, an Egypt still to be discovered, these first "tourists" also became the impromptu explorers departed from England or the United States bringing with them the clothes the strangest (and inconvenient) within their own trunks.

In Egypt you can still feel this atmosphere .. motor vessels on the Nile flows very slow amid a landscape that is always different. The Nile is not just a river .. is a horizon full of vegetation, desert, populated by hundreds of people who consider it an indispensable source of life.

If you see the sun go down while browsing, you have the feeling that he had never seen a sunset before!! Slowly, the sun plays with the water of the river to scoparia into nothingness .. dissolving like a cloud reddish. Before such a spectacle so one is able to forget the grandeur of the palaces of Luxor and Karnak ..

... Continue TRAVEL DIARY DAY BY DAY ..

 

Perugia - Milano - Luxor

Traveling all night to arrive in Milan, but already feel an air of holiday ..

Within hours we are already in Luxor, the runways are surrounded by nothing, desert plains that seem to be lost forever, you are still unable to see the delicate landscape of the Nile.

Once on the barge, we expect presentations of ritual, we are a very small group, so we immediately felt relieved to avoid the chaos of business travel group to give us a dimension quiet and relaxing.

Council: the Italian speaking guides in motorboats often begin to spread unnecessary alarm in the tourists .. is really all a game of interests and not listen too much .. buy things wherever and whenever you want and dedicate yourself to peace and with individual visits ... Egypt is very hospitable and is used to record every day people of all nationalities .. there is no reason to be afraid.

Just arrived, we begin immediately to have the first glimpse of the ancient Egyptian civilization with the wonderful temple of Karnak and Luxor. If Temple of Karnak is impressive for its size and for the majestic and well preserved obelisks .. Temple of Luxor is a must for its atmosphere, the avenue of sphinxes at sunset is an incredible spectacle!

Slow and fantastic sailing on the Nile

What you ask for?
A full day of fantastic scenery that only the navigation of the Nile can give ... impossible to move from the terrace of the small motorboat that slips slowly .. becoming readily pass from his "cousins" the most luxurious and fast.

Every corner and every moment of this slow journey are truly unforgettable. The waters of the Nile, crystal clear, reflecting the colors of vegetation, the setting sun, the moon, silver, green lights of the minarets.

Edfu and Kom Ombo

Begin to get serious ...

We go to the heart of the great archaeological treasures of Egypt!
We arrive in a carriage to the temple of Edfu (one of the most beautiful parts) dedicated to the god Horus. The interiors are very well preserved, the images of deities carved on the walls are lit wisely and create an alternating shadows and colors.

What makes this temple is the essence of the room, where the walls are engraved with "recipes" for the preparation of essences and perfumes, usually made of lotus flowers and papyrus, which were offered to deities and forms part of the precious outfit funeral of kings.

We're back ...
and after a few hours of navigation we reach the temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the god Sobek, which takes the form of a crocodile.
Respect the beauty of Edfu, this time might go unnoticed .. it not for the engravings on the walls describing the knowledge and tools of Egyptian medicine. And then, the presence of an elementary legendary .. pool of Cleopatra .. But is it true or not?? I smell a bit 'of publicity stunt ..

Cruise from Edfu to Kom Ombo is one of the most picturesque, the landscape is rich with lush vegetation and small villages.

Aswan

This city is really beautiful, full of flowers, scenic and very quiet.

Wake up at dawn to visit the Temple of Philae dedicated to the goddess Isis. Does indeed think that the entire complex was disassembled and reassembled in this romantic island because beneath the waters of river.

The nice combination of structures that make up the archaeological site has created a small "oasis of beauty", every corner of Philae is enchanting.
The conservation status of the entire complex would be excellent if it were not for the disfigured faces of the gods .. were hammered by the first crisitiani, which transform the times in churches, and saw these strange figures a bad omen, so they decided to wipe the eyes.
Really a terrible mistake!

After a quick glance at the High Dam (not allowed to stay too long, is a military zone) visit one of the many laboratories essences to Aswan. As in all tourist places only, the prices are very high and sales strategies are evident. Despite everything though, it was really nice to browse through the rooms where the mirrors reflect the profiles of the sinuous and artistic glass bottles and was surrounded by all kinds of flavor.

To enjoy the best the city of Aswan, the ideal is a tour by felucca, a typical boat with white sails.
The other side of town, some villages still survive to the modern Nubians, I recommend to all a leisurely visit to the families of this ethnic group almost disappeared, which inhabit the hill. They are all very hospitable and solar, the only thing you must be careful that the camels are free to roam the streets of the village without the owners .. no problem .. even the camels are very nice here and we are after all their affairs ..

Abu Simbel

It starts at 3 am to arrive at dawn, in bus to Abu Simbel.
The sun rises over Lake Nasser gives the post, already in itself fantastic, a beautiful color.
And 'the best time to visit this famous temple, because later starts to get too hot and the crowds of the tour is completely organized and invade!
The interior of the temple maintain the original colors and really seems as if time has stopped for this colossal structure.
The intervention to save the archaeological site for the temple has built an artificial mountain close to the original .. entering the labyrinthine rooms and majestic, one wonders how they did it to disassemble and reassemble everything with such extreme precision.

We absolutely see this place!

Again at Luxor

After a night and a morning of sailing back to Luxor because there is still much to see.

Outside the tourist routes, a quiet village of fruit growers, populated by people from very simple and affable.
This place, away from the chaos of the city, is reached in about twenty minutes from the center of Luxor with the local boat that crosses the two riverbanks.

The Valley of the Kings and Queens

Hidden among the rocky mountains, authentic treasures of decorative art in Egypt. The tombs of the pharaohs, unfortunately, in the course of history were plundered of their wealth, however, remain intact in the impressive interior decorating.

I would have liked to visit the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens, but unfortunately, it is forbidden to enter the public, unless a special group of wealthy tourists are able to pay astronomical sums. Pity!

I console myself with a visit to the temple of Medinet Abu colored in this building, the original colors remained quite well, thanks to the sand that covered the entire structure.

At home again

... with the certainty, however, he left unfinished on our trip to Egypt ..

Lack the pyramids and the chaotic realities of Cairo .. we absolutely must go!

The cruise on the Nile is a real time travel, the mystery of unknown antiquity, the first passengers of the last two centuries, they left enchanted by the beauty of a country yet to be discovered.

To avoid the risk of rushing from one archaeological site to another without ever being able to expand beyond the horizon of the most jokes, I chose not to visit Cairo and spend more time in Aswan and Luxor.

Usually, the cruise of a week, which includes a visit to Cairo, interropono the fourth day, abruptly breaking the spell of the trip.

Council to spend the whole week sailing on the Nile, taking advantage of free time to visit the village folk who are hospitable, safe, and above all, an open window on the true life of the place.