The traveling manatees by Nancy French: Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Aswan, Egypt

Temple of Horus

After an overnight cruise from Luxor, we arrived in Edfu. Following breakfast, we headed out with Ali to line up for the horse and buggies assembling at the dock and providing transport to the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus (aka the Edfu Temple). Built along the west bank of the Nile between 237 BC and 57 BC of sandstone blocks, the temple was built to honor the falcon-headed god, Horus. The temple had fallen into disuse in 380 AD when Egypt was a part of the Roman Empire. The Edict of Thessalonica banned non-Christian worship. Many of the temples' carved reliefs were destroyed by Christian followers. Over hundreds of years, the temple was buried in shifting desert sands. It was identified by a French explorer in 1798 but was not unburied until 1860.

Ptolemy VI, Cleopatra I, and Sobek

Ancient medical devices

Heading back to the Crown Prince, we enjoyed lunch as the boat moved further south. Our next destination, the Kom Ombo Temple, was built between 108-47 BC and is located on a bend in the Nile where sacred crocodiles are said to have basked in the sun along the shore. The eastern portion of the temple was dedicated to the crocodile god, Sobek, with the western portion dedicated primarily to Horus. One of the earliest representations of medical and surgical instruments is revealed in one of the engravings. Scalpels, forceps, and scissors are depicted, along with two goddesses in birthing chairs. Beside the temple, a crocodile museum houses dozens of mummified crocodiles that were discovered on the property, some as long as 20 feet!

Friendship Lotus Flower

Returning to the boat, we went to the pool deck to enjoy our final sunset along the Nile as we headed to Aswan. The High Dam at Aswan was first on our itinerary the next day. Construction started on this mammoth project in 1960 and was completed in 1970, though electricity was first generated as early as 1967. The project was funded by a low-interest loan from the USSR, along with their technical input. The Arab Soviet Friendship Lotus Flower and heavy security greet visitors. The dam has been a boon to agriculture by allowing the planting of 2-3 crops a year by providing a regular water source for irrigation and protecting against droughts and floods. Massive areas were flooded by the creation of Lake Nasser, the artificial water reservoir. Numerous temples and monuments had to be moved including Abu Simbel, and many others lie beneath the roughly 8 miles by 300 miles of water. Over 150,000 Sudanese Nubians and Egyptians were displaced by the project. According to our guide Ali, prior to the High Dam, electricity was not available to the majority of the Egyptian populace. Previously, only commercial interest and the wealthy had access to power.

Temple of Philae on approach by boat

Next, we moved on to the Temple of Philae. Built between 386 and 362 BC, the temple was dedicated to the love goddess, Isis, the giver of life. Ali negotiated with a boatman along the launch area where numerous boats vie for customers for the trip to Agilka Island. The Temple was moved stone by stone during the 1960s to its current location prior to the completion of the High Dam. Isis was the wife of Osiris, the god of the afterlife, and mother of Horus. These three dominate ancient Egyptian culture with their dramatic story of love, murder, resurrection, and birth.

At Temple of Philae

On our return to the boat launch area, we noticed the area had been cleared, and there was an increased security presence. Ali mentioned that the Egyptian president was scheduled to come to Aswan to speak at the Arab and Africa Youth Platform conference, and security around the entire township was intense. On our trip to the dam, which is also the route to the airport, we had noticed security personnel stationed every few hundred yards on the entire route. Our afternoon trip to Elephantine Island was canceled because of security concerns. The military police were essentially shutting the city down and wrapping a protective barrier around everything to ensure no incidents would occur during their hosting of this event.

Throughout the country, we had experienced regular security checks. Our car was stopped on entry to certain areas, the trunk was checked, credentials reviewed, and backpacks were scanned before entry to any monument. Tourism is an important source of income in Egypt and the

View from plane on our departure, desert and
more desert with the Nile in the distance.

country is just starting to recover from the blow to tourism dealt by the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, and terrorist attacks over the years. During our visit, locals repeatedly asked us to communicate to our friends that Egypt is safe. As with any international visit, common sense needs to be followed, and there are definitely some parts of Egypt which should be avoided by independent travelers, but we enjoyed exploring the ancient sites and learning about a culture that is thousands of years old, and we always felt safe.

Now it is time to head back home for a while, but we'll be traveling again soon!