The secrets of a great river
A Nile cruise is the most rewarding, memorable way of experiencing the grandeur of Egypt
Forget the pyramids. Cruising along the still waters of the Nile, stopping at temples along the way, is the perfect and most relaxing way to get a real sense of Egyptian history. The journey down what is regarded as the longest river in the world offers an authentic sense of Africa in Egypt.
Modern-day Luxor was once the ancient city of Thebes, Egypt’s capital at the beginning of the 18th dynasty, and is where most cruises begin. After settling into our rooms on our ship, the M/S Mojito, we had the entire day to tour the town, before lifting anchor the next morning. After getting the schedule break-down from our own personal guide, Abdulla, we hopped into our own private mini-van and crossed the large city gates into the surrounding countryside.
In the ancient Egyptian cosmos, the realm of the dead lay beyond the western horizon. Across the Nile in western Luxor, a succession of New Kingdom rulers had tombs cut into cliffs. Here lie the tombs of the famous Tutankhamun, the legendary Queen Hatshipsuet – the only queen to rule Egypt during the time of the Pharaohs – and the celebrated Queen Nefertari, whose brilliantly designed decorated tomb is considered to be the most beautiful of all tombs.
After a brief stop to take pictures at the Colossi of Memnon, we arrived at The Valley of The Kings, one of the main attractions of the region. Here, nestled amongst gargantuan, rocky mountains, are more carved-out tombs, such as that of the renowned Ramses II, or Ramses the Great. The Valley of the Kings was beyond impressive – I was most amazed at the myriad of intricate and beautiful hieroglyphics, especially at the enduring vibrancy of originally used colours.
Carved from stone, the best example of the monumental art and architecture of Luxor can be found at the breathtaking Karnak Temple, which took more than 2000 years to build. This colossal temple was so fascinating that I was disappointed we had such a short time to explore it – I could have spent days wandering amongst the gigantic columns, sculptures, statues and obelisks, losing myself in the maze of ruins and in the hieroglyphics which glittered like gold in the afternoon sun.
Abdulla was excellent at explaining the importance of such temples. As mediator between the Egyptians and their gods, the ruler of ancient Egypt was the country’s highest priest and head of state. By building temples and making offerings he continually reconfirmed his devotion to the gods who, in response, maintained the physical world and its people. Such evidence can be clearly seen as one cruises along the river, history revealing itself in the form of ancient temples adorned with symbols and pictographs, their giant columns visible from afar.
By now, dusk was beckoning us back on board, where rest and dinner were to be had before our night-time traditional horse carriage ride through the streets of old Luxor. This popular drive is an excellent way to get a insightful feel for Luxor and its inhabitants. Hidden beauty can be found in even the poorest of places, and Luxor market is the perfect example: baskets of colourful spices and tiny Egyptian lemons, neatly arranged in rows, adorn the streetsides, beautifully laid out alongside racks of shoes, hanging clothes and multi-coloured materials. Motorbikes, bicycles, horses and pedestrians of all ages weave their way around narrow streets lined with basketed goods.
At the end of the night, ironmongers, shoe-makers and other merchants carefully put away their tools while groups of men huddle around roadside fires. It was an enchanting and unforgettable outing, well worth the $20 extra per person. My only advice: don’t get off the carriage or attempt to walk anywhere in town without your guide, or else you will be hassled incessently by locals wishing to sell you their goods or simply asking you for “bakshish”.
We didn’t have time to visit Luxor Temple the next morning, but we did watch it from a distance as we set off south on the first leg of our cruise. As we disentangled ourselves from the rows of cruise liners stacked next to each other like sardines in a tin, ready to join the parading fleet of vessels setting off, I started to notice the scenery changing. As we left Luxor behind, urban imagery was replaced by rural landscape. It is at this moment that I began to get a genuine sense of the Nile and really began to appreciate the geographical significance of this mighty river that Abdulla had been at pains to express.
From him we had learned that the Nile – from the Greek word Neilos, meaning river valley – supports nine countries, and in some areas along the river, it only rains every five years or so, for only a few minutes. No wonder most of the huts around us had no roofs! Desert country indeed, but this amazing river supports so much life and was the sole reason for the origins of one of history’s grandest civilisations. The Blue Nile, which rises from Ethiopia, provides most of this water, while the rest comes from the longer White Nile which rises in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa, from its source at Lake Victoria. In fact, the Nile flows some 6,695 km from the meeting point of the two rivers (which merge in Sudan) to the Mediterranean Sea. Now that’s long!
Watching cattle grazing lazily on the tall grasses of the river bank, while small fishing boats, piled high with stacks of sugarcane, dotted the beaches, I was reminded of Egypt’s past. The country was once a savanna roamed by wild animals, where humans hunted and gathered their food. About 7000 years ago the climate changed and all but the land closest to the river turned to desert. This is how two great forces – the Nile River and the surrounding desert – shaped one of the world’s most enduring civilisations. Settling by the river, people began to farm and form communities. Each year the Nile overflowed its banks and deposited a fresh layer of rich earth across its floodplain, nourishing its people. Now, thousands of years later, farmers still harvest the fertile surrounding ground, and the Nile was, and still is, used to transport goods to different places along its long path.
We passed several old villages, their cubic-shaped houses of mud and brown clay, occasionally painted in pastel pinks and blues, lining the coast. Barefoot children seemed happy, playing on muddy banks. Roofless huts made from yellow stalks, bunched and tied together to form sheltering walls, speckled the foreground, while in front of them groups of women wrapped in brightly coloured scarves gathered by the river, filling their containers with water and waving to us as we drifted along by.
Other women were washing clothes and carpets in the olive green stream, while men, dressed in long, loose white tunics, their heads wrapped in turbans, walked along dusty paths, balancing large baskets of goods on their head. Further on, in between villages, palm trees, filled with sweet and succulent dates, crowded the shoreline, while patches of dessert sand lay beyond. Everywhere I looked, donkeys and camels were scattered across the lush vegetation.
As we cruised along over the next couple of days, the Nile widened, then narrowed, then widened again, offering us an abundance of breathtaking panoramic views and contrasting scenery: clouds of smoke billowing out from amongst verdant fields, banana plantations covering the red earth, river weeds swaying in the wind, and in the distance, on the eastern side, clusters of date palms interspersed along the vista of beige, rocky mountains looming high above the occasional silhouetted mosque. To my surprise, at one point a speeding train whizzed by out of the stillness on a railtrack that appeared out of nowhere, rushing along to who knows where.
Throughout the whole journey, the only thing I saw actually swimming in the river was a large brown cow – and I never even knew cows could swim! Long narrow islets also kept cropping up in the midst of the river, upon which a variety of birds would perch themselves, resting on their golden sands. A nature photographer’s and wild-life enthusiast’s paradise, I soon appreciated the Nile as the perfect haven for foreigners wishing to escape the bustle of modern city life.
We stopped for a while in Esna, where we were accosted by a throng of merchants trying fiercely and relentlessly to sell us their goods directly from their rowing boats beneath our ship. They would throw up samples of material and ask us to throw them down some money. This bizarre and remarkable sight went on for hours!
We then headed south to Edfu, where lies what is known as ancient Egypt’s best preserved temple, dedicated to Horus, the falcon God. A horse driven carriage brought us to the entrance of Edfu Temple, where a chaotic mass of carriages, horses and screaming drivers continuously gather to drop off tourists who fear they will be trampled or lost in the mess. Nevertheless, Edfu temple – whose image can be found on a 50 pound Egyptian note – is worth the hassle. While exploring the interior’s impressive stone carvings, Abdulla told us that the hieroglyphic symbol referring to the sound “shhh” is equivalent to the modern word ‘writer’ (this being because writers worked best in silent conditions, thus “shhh” was a reminder to others to be quiet around them).
Further down along the Nile, we passed by the Temple of Kom Ombo, where, as with the rest of the places of worship visited during our trip, we were faced with ornate engravings revealing details of a culture that still inspires marvel.
We ended our cruise in Aswan, located in the region of lower Nubia. It was nearby here at the First Cataract, or rapid, that ancient Egyptians erroneously believed the source of the Nile to be. The city itself is a much larger urban centre than Luxor, with about a quarter of a million inhabitants, and most men dressed in modern clothes, as opposed to the more traditional jallabehas (floor-length gowns), although all women still cover their heads in hejabs.
Before flying back home from Aswan via Cairo, we visited the High Dam – the world’s largest – which controls and stores a copious amount of water, also producing electricity. The dam helps locals reclaim land and avoid relocation due to flooding. The neighbouring Lake Nasser, at approximately 500km x 30km, is the largest fresh-water, man-made resevoir in the world. To my astonishment, Abdulla explained that it is also filled with 36,000 protected crocodiles!
Despite the enormous size of this all, the highlight of Aswan for me was the short sail we took along the coastal town that morning. The felucca, a traditional sailboat, steered us towards Elephantine island, which takes its name from the ivory trade and the islet’s surrounding naturally shaped rocks which resemble elephants. Aswan is also known for its perfumeries, and at Essence of Life, where we stopped next, you can select different samples to buy from a plethora of oils and glass ornate containers.
On the whole, everyone we met was exceedingly friendly and courteous. The cruise boat itself was nothing remarkable, but the staff were pleasant and the food better than average. Perhaps the only real entertainment on board worth noting though was Oriental night, where guests came dressed up in traditional Egyptian costumes, were presented with a traditional buffet and entranced by the memorable swirling Sufi dancer. I also truly enjoyed the odd but delightful combination of flavours on the breakfast buffet, from freshly made orange and carrot jams to foules (fava beans), guava and pomegranates.
But of course, it is the actual cruise on the river, rather than the boat itself, which offers such an exquisite taste of the Egypt. As your ship navigates past palm groves, temples, sand dunes, villages, and monuments, thousands of years of history unfold before your very eyes. If the Nile seems never-ending so too does its history.
Yet, for something so immense, the Nile is strangely peaceful. It is a river with real presence – its character coming alive once you have cruised along its sparkling and tranquil waters. Like the hieroglyphics which are engraved on the walls of antiquity, the Nile will remain etched in the memories of those who have been fortunate enough to experience it.
Nathalie flew with Egypt Air : Larnaca to Luxor, and Aswan to Larnaca, all flights via Cairo.
One night accomodation in Luxor at the Sheraton Hotel, four night Full Board Cruise on the M/S Mohito (part of Star Cruises for Floating Hotels), flights, transfers, private guide and driver and a two night stay in Cairo at the Marriott – 550 CYP all inclusive. [NB: The cruises and tours in Egypt hardly vary, but you can select which hotels you wish to stay in in Luxor and Cairo and pay the difference]
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Nathalie J. Kyrou © 2008
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