Jewels of the Nile
The frontier town of Aswan lies by the river Nile and has been southern Egypt’s commercial gateway since antiquity. From here local governors, known as the Guardians of the Southern Gates, would oversee trade of gold, ivory and granite with Nubia.
In more recent decades, this settlement has transformed into a gateway of a different variety. From here, cruisers ferry up and down the Nile carrying wide-eyed visitors to some of Egypt’s more underrated relics. As I step aboard the opulent Sun Boat III for a boutique four-day cruise, I gaze out at the dock: the lively mariners, the waving children, the palm trees swaying on the banks. For all its modern development, this hive of activity continues an age-old ritual of trade and transportation on the Nile, the lifeblood of Egypt, Sudan and countless other African territories.
Once Aswan is left behind, a felucca drifts starboard side. We hop onto this traditional Egyptian sail boat, its wooden deck draped in ornately patterned linens, and are whisked away to the archaeological sites of the nearby Elephantine Island and the pink-bricked Agha Khan Mausoleum. We also make a stop at Lord Kitchener’s botanical gardens, an islet oasis of exotic trees, flowering blooms and meditative calm.
That evening, back on board, a gourmet feast awaits. Fleshy king prawns, tender lamb kofta and spiced okra, complemented with a selection of fine Egyptian wines. By the time a troupe of dancers enters the central lounge to surprise us with a traditional tanoura dance, their frocks are not the only thing spinning.
On the third day, our Egyptologist shepherds us to the Valley of the Kings, a vast city of the dead where magnificent tombs carved into desert rocks were once filled with pharaonic treasures, gifts for the afterlife. Crossing desert plains, we arrive at the counterpoint Valley of the Queens. The Temple of Hatshepsut appears to rise out from the encircling limestone cliffs as if the arid land itself had coughed up this extraordinary piece of architecture in the age of plagues and miracles.
We reach our final destination of Luxor the following morning. From here I set off to discover the embarrassment of riches scattered across this ancient open-air museumopolis.
This travelogue originally appeared in Living Wow magazine issue 2.