Day 19 - Wednesday November 12, 2025 - Lake Nassar - Visiting temples

 

This morning we had breakfast at 6:45 am and were off the boat and onto a zodiac to take us to the Temple Wadi Al-Sebua .  My stomach appears to be on the mend.  Sam, our guide, gave me something to take as the Arithromycin and the Pepto Bismol weren’t quite doing the job.  Never leave home without it.   Wayne still isn’t right in this department so he didn’t take the ride to the Temples, electing to stay on the ship.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site temple was also moved, block by block when the High Dam was built and flooded the area where the Nubians lived.  It is only 4 km from its original location.   And the relocation project was completed in 1979

As with the other temples, cofferdams were built and the temples were cleaned of their silt painstakingly and reconstructed to ensure the history of the country wasn’t destroyed.
The Nubians are black people who have lived in this area ”forever”.  We’re approximately 500 miles from Cairo and even closer to the equator.  When the dam construction started, the entire population of this area had to be moved as their villages would be submerged when the dam was completed.

These temples date back to about 3,300 BC.  Our guide has so much knowledge, and enthusiasm for his subject.  It’s a joy to listen to his stories.   I think the people of that era, Ramses II, were great storytellers making up stories about gods and the afterlife.   To me, they are so far fetched, it’s unimaginable that people worshipping the Pharaohs and their gods bought into these tales.
Pictures of the temples follow.
We finished at this first temple, and the second one was about 1 km away.  We could walk or we could take a ride on a Tuk-Tuk.  I took the ride.   The front end is actually a motorcycle and for this purpose , carrying six people, there are benches attached to the rear.  

We explored the second temple, the Temple of Dakka.  The temple is newer built in the 3rd century and is dedicated to the god Toth, the ancient Egyptian god of knowledge and writing.  When Christianity spread through the area, this temple was converted to a church with paintings of Saints.  They didn’t survive the rising waters of the Nile as the dam was constructed.

As we were boarding our small boat to go back to our ship, some local village Nubians were trying to sell their fish.  Sam, our guide, bought two large Nile Perch which the chef is cooking us special as part of lunch today.   

Sam gave us a talk at 11:15 this morning on Modern Egypt including the country’s issue with healthcare costs, price of education, compulsory military service,employment and unemployment rates.   We’ve had very interesting conversations with our tour guides in the countries we’ve visited and today was no exception.  Egypt is presently facing 37% inflation and college graduates unable to find employment.  Tourism was the number 1 income , next was income derived from the Suez Canal.  They are not rich oil like Saudi Arabia but do have natural gas reserves which brings income.  Like I said it was a great 1 1/2 hours of conversation and give and take.

We’re at sail until 2 pm when we’re to leave the ship for a tour of another temple.  I think I’m going to pass.   The temperature should be about 98 degrees and while I’m much recovered from Cleopatra’s revenge, I think I’ll enjoy lunch and sit on the top deck,4, and watch the world go by.
There’s a show at 9 pm tonight put on by the shop staff.  I believe they’ll be dressed I. Nubian attire.  I never went to the show.   It sounded like a few Nubian songs and then it launched into disco!  
Tomorrow is a big day with our arrival at Abu Simbal.  The tour of this temple is special with the entrance guarded by 60 ft statutes.  And tomorrow evening around dark, which is early, we go back for a light and sound show at Abu Sumbal and then back in the boat for dinner.