Sailing Down The Nile

I’ve always been fascinated by ancient ruins and the stories behind long-lost civilisations. So, it was inevitable that one day Egypt — land of temples, tombs, and monuments — would find its way from our wish list into reality.

And today is that day — we’ve finally made it.

I’m leaning over the rail of a river boat – following in the footsteps of traders, travellers and fictional detectives – as it makes its way slowly down the Nile, in the land of the pharaohs.

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Photo: Felucca – a traditional sailing boat

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DESTINATION DECISION

If you’re going to visit Egypt, surely you have to go to Cairo to see the Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). Well, we’re not — at least not this time.

With only a one-week window available to us, we had a choice to make.

Yes, Cairo offers scale, intensity and bucket-loads of history — but also crowds, slow traffic and a non-stop pace. A Nile cruise – between Luxor and Aswan – promised something different: time, space, access to the densest concentration of ancient temples in the world, and the chance to sit, watch and observe real life.

Add a touch of Agatha Christie, some downtime between excursions, and the simple pleasure of watching the landscape float past – and the decision became fairly easy.

Next time Cairo!

PREPARATIONS – packing lighter

I’m always on the lookout for better ways of doing things, and packing is no exception.

I have a tendency to pack too much — “having a choice equals luxury” in my book — so this trip felt like a good time to try something a little different.

Enter the 5-4-3-2-1 packing method.

The idea is simple:

Pack –

• 5 casual tops
• 4 bottoms
• 3 formal tops (dresses for ladies)
• 2 layers
• 1 extra item

— colour-coordinated (obviously) so that everything works together. And then everything else (toiletries etc.) is packed as usual.

For an eight-day trip, it felt manageable — apart from the question of what to wear for the “casually smart” evenings.

Whether this was a good idea or not remains to be seen. I’ll let you know later.

SAILING DOWN THE NILE

At times it really felt as though we’d been dropped into a film set for Death on the Nile — although we never did get to meet Hercule Poirot.

From the top deck, the views delivered exactly what you’d hope for: ancient ruins, sand dunes, fishermen, traders, feluccas, and the ebb and flow of everyday life.

Photo: One of the many ‘yachts’ that ply the Nile.

And then there were the stops enroute…..

LUXOR – in search of the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut & Colossi of Memnon.

Valley of the Kings – a strange, almost desolate landscape, housing the late pharaohs in glorious splendour. The tombs revealing flashes of the colour, wealth and the might of their ancient kingdoms.

Temple of Hatshepsut – an imposing, three-tiered temple that seems to grow out of the living rock.

Colossi of Memnon – two huge statues, hinting at what must once have been yet another temple of massive proportions.

Photo: Entrance into a tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

Photo: Inside one of the tombs – nothing prepared us for the size, quality and vividness of the decoration.

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ESNA LOCK — it may exist for purely practical reasons – who knew that the Nile had different water levels in different sections? – but it also provides a certain amount of retail entertainment!

Photo: Travelling salesmen Egyptian style – hooked on to one of the fast-travelling cruise boats

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EDFU & KOM OMBO — visiting the Temple of Horus & the Ptolemaic Temple.

Temple of Horus – Well preserved, with massive walls, it still displays the attempts of zealots to destroy ‘pagan’ images.

Ptolemaic Temple – An evening visit to this illuminated ‘double temple’– dedicated to both Haroeris and Sobek – offered a different perspective with its intricate carving, water-well based taxation system and the tombs of mummified crocodiles.

Photo: Entrance to Temple of Horus.

Photo: Carvings in the Ptolemic Temple

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ASWAN — home to the High Dam, the ancient Egyptian granite quarries with their unfinished obelisk, and the beautiful Temple of Philae.

Aswan High Dam – the stuff of old geography lessons (now heavily guarded and still supplying a significant proportion of the country’s power).

Old Granite Quarries – major source for granite used in the construction of temples and obelisks. (There is still an unfinished obelisk left behind, having cracked under its own weight.)

Temple of Philae – rebuilt 60 metres above its original level, to save it from the waters of the dam

Photos (Left to Right): Soviet-Egyptian Friendship Monument at Aswan High Dam – Temple of Philae – Unfinished obelisk.

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ABU SIMBEL — a 4:00am start, but it was well worth it!

After seeing so many magnificent buildings, it was hard to believe that we’d be impressed by yet another temple. But we were wrong!

Whilst there were plenty of tourists around, we were hit by the peace and tranquillity of the site – even before we turned the corner to be met by the sight of colossal statues.

The scale of the statues is just off the charts.

The tourists resembled a swarm of ants walking around the foot of a huge tree.

Photo: Grand entrance to Abu Simbel.

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And finally back to LUXOR – to explore the Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor.

Temple of Karnak – a sprawling tangle of carved and painted columns and statues, stretching over 200 acres.

Temple of Luxor – smaller, but better preserved than Karnak, it’s really impressive with colossal statues of Ramses II flanking the entrance. (It’s hard to believe that the bottom half of this structure remained buried until late 1800s.)

(Both connected by the 1.7-mile Avenue of Sphinxes.)

Photo: The start of the 1.7 miles long Avenue of Sphinxes.

Photo: Final sunset.

LOOKING BACK

Our Favourite Moments

Hard to choose, but these three stand out:

• That first sight of the vividly coloured paintings and carvings in the tombs of the pharaohs – I thought that there would be some paintings – but not such an extensive range or of such colour.

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• Locals, selling to tourists by hitching their rowing boats to fast-moving cruise boats and then throwing their offerings up on to the top deck (4 levels above).

(The ‘Pirates of the Nile’, as the traders are often referred to, cram their small boats with tablecloths, t-shirts, cotton blankets and all sorts of craft items. Expertly bracing themselves against the bobbing motion of their craft, they hold out their wares for all to see, shout very loudly and bargain like mad before claiming their money via a small bag lowered from above. It really is an amazing sight.)

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• Sitting on the top deck – in quiet moments – watching life unfold on the banks of the river.

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5-4-3-2-1 Packing Method

I must admit to having some reservations about using the above, not least because of the ‘casually smart’ requirement on board. But it actually worked out quite well.

The use of zip-off trousers really helped — doubling as shorts during the day and long trousers in the evenings.

Another part of this strategy limits the number of pairs of shoes to 3. This was a bit of a challenge for me.

I obviously needed a pair of walking shoes and some sandals/flip flops — to allow my feet to rest — but what should I choose for the third pair: smart shoes for the evening or ‘smarter’ walking shoes to cover evenings and act as a back-up for exploration? I chose the latter and again it worked out okay.

Would I use this system again? Maybe.

The reason I say maybe is that, for a 2-3 week adventure, I’d have to look at laundry options…and if I have the room in the luggage?

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REFLECTIONS

Looking back, this travel option was the right choice for us. Whilst wanting to explore some of the wealth of Egypt’s antiquity — and there is so much to see — we had the chance to stop, reflect and relax.

We didn’t ‘just’ see the architecture, decorations and the magnificence of Ancient Egypt — we saw it in context.

We were able to see how the old fits in with the new and appreciate why the Nile has always been described as the lifeblood of Egypt (in both ancient and modern times).

I guess that, in many ways, this cruise down the Nile feels a bit like the transition into retirement; we can now add the ‘luxury of time’ to our desire for adventure, and see the world around us in a little more detail.

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Have you sailed down the Nile? If so, what were your favourite moments?

Would you have chosen Cairo instead? If so, why?

Share in the comments or email me at:

rookieretiree@btinternet.com

NEWS…

RE-SET GOALS: I baked my first loaf of bread of the year (although I did cheat a little by using a pre-mix!)

EXPANDING HORIZONS: We enjoyed our very first ‘Afternoon Cheese’ (afternoon tea but with a variety of cheeses and charcuterie)

ON THE AGENDA: I’ve signed up to fly a plane simulator

FUTURE BLOG CONTENT

In April we’re going to look into IT & Technology – dive in, dip a toe, or walk away?

Link to the previous post is provided below.

👉 Browse previous article here: [Part 13 – Other Voices]

Want more stories and insights on the Rookie Retirement journey?

👉 Browse the full series here: [Contents Page]

Every chapter explores a different side of life after full-time work — from personal stories to health, purpose, and travel.

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