onicox's blog

It's finished. We are going back home.
After packing our bags we all met on the upper deck to play an ultimate game of UNO.
At 12.15 we said goodbye to Mervat and the rest of the group who were continuing their voyage.
As our mini-group travelled together we felt on holiday until the arrival in Paris where we said goodbye to each other after luggage reclaim.
In the aircraft I had the possibility to take pictures of the Nile and desert. It was splendid. The desert is far from being flat. When the Nile is seen, you can distinguish perfectly the valley with green field and the desert. It is surprising to see a so frank rupture. I wonder even how certain pieces can be green whereas they are surrounded by desert.
Christelle and I went to the Invalids to sleep to one of my mother's friend whom I didn't see for a very long time. I was really happy that she can lodge us. Sunday morning, we left for London and I was in a hurry to meet my men.
Arthur saw Christelle first and smiled nicely to her. When he saw me his smile was multiplied by ten and remained in this position for the 20 next minutes. I think that he was happy to see me again. Since then he has a bad time to see me leaving when I bring him at Fiona's and he follows me everywhere in the house. He has problem to fall asleep when I put him in bed. I think that he is anxious that I will leave again, but next time that I leave it is with him and his dad. Promis.

However he had fun with his dad, until the last day!

Alarm clock at 7am, the weather is beautiful and the wind seems to have fallen down a little (it was two days that there was wind).
At 8 am departure for the temple of Karnak .

We could have a lay-in that morning so I slept until 10am. During this time we passed the lock of Esna and Christelle took some pictures. At 1pm, we left to Luxhor to go for a walk in a barouche.
We saw the temple of Luxhor, of Karnak and we cross a copte village. We stop in a copte catholic mission to speak about the copte life in Egypt and to give our impression on what we saw and felt when we passed in the village. Many people (me included) were shocked by poverty. But like Mervat points it out , the children are happy, quite chubby and they have all running tap water and the electricity. After more thought, I realised that we find them poor because we look them with our eyes of Westerners and what makes them poor is our merchandising society. They have a roof on their head, they are in family, the children play, the teenagers are walking with mobile phones, I don't think any more than they are so poor than that.
Back on the boat, we play Rumicube with Laurent and Marie-Jo. Then I went my massage appointment. It was less painful than the first time, he massed me the legs and I felt very light afterwards. It was great (news resolution: to do that more often in Oxford!)
After dinner, we play UNO at 11 players, it was great. We laughed a lot, even if to pose a card is a miracle. I love the rule of the 7 and the 0.
We nevertheless went to bed at 10.15pm!

Réveil à 7h, mais je ne me sens pas bien du tout. La veille s'était Christelle, maintenant c'est mon tour. Maladie du touriste pour ne pas nommer le vrai problème!
Le matin nous sommes allés visiter le temple de Philae à Assouan.

Levées à 6h et départ pour le temple gréco-romain d'Edfou (temple d'Horus). Il est gigantesque et les dessins sont magnifiques. On se sent tout petit face à cet édifice. Les hiéroglyphes sont très bien conservés, de véritables bandes dessinés. Les grecs quand ils ont envahis Égypte se sont intégrés à leur culture et ont écrit des noms grecs en hiéroglyphes. Cette langue a été employer par certains coptes (chrétiens égyptiens) jusqu'au 16ème siècle!!
A 10h30 nous sommes rentrés au bateau qui partait pour Kom Ombo. Et encore une surprise sur notre lit nous attend!.Pendant la navigation, j'ai lu dans notre chambre pendant que Christelle prenait un bain de soleil sur le pont supérieur.
A 16h30 nous sommes arrivées à Kom Ombo. Nous sommes au pied du temple de Sobeck et d'Haroeris. La vue du bateau est magnifique. Nous partons à pied en direction du temple. Tout est en double (2 entrées, 2 chambres sacrées, mais 1 salle hypostyle) car ce temple représente deux dieux. Le tout est magnifiquement conservé.
A 18h le soleil se couche et nous profitons des éclairages qui mettent en valeur ce magnifique temple. Après la visite, nous nous promenons dans le souk. Atmosphère tranquille dans les arbres en fleur. Nous tombons sur des bébés dromadaires, leur propriétaire nous donnent des herbes pour les nourrir. Christelle achète des tuniques, puis nous rentrons sur le bateau pour aller vers Aswan.
Le soir nous nous couchons tôt car le lendemain il faut se lever à 3h, mais bien sûr je n'arrive pas à m'endormir avant minuit!!

Pendant ce temps là à Wallingford, Marc et Arthur passent une bonne journée au parc et à la piscine.

Wake up at 7am, departure for the valley of the kings at 8am.

This morning we were allowed to have a lay-in, of which I did not deprive myself. Wake up at 9 am, breakfast at 10 and tidying up of the room which has to be empty at 10.30. Because we start our day at 11.30 am, we stayed near the swimming pool (too much cold to bathe). Christelle teached me how to play Rumicube, which is the same principle as Rami , but with pawns like domino or Scrabbles with figures. It's a cool game and I won the two games that we played (beginner luck!)
Then we left for the airport to make a one hour flight in direction of Luxor where our cruising boat waits for us.

After a good night sleep, we still woke up at 7am (who said that it was holiday?) to go to see the pyramids (FINALLY!)