December 29, 2018

Last night, our first night on our Nile cruise, I slept better than I have since the beginning of the trip! I loved my bed in our stateroom and the temperature was not too hot nor too cold (although the people in the staterooms across from ours did complain that their rooms were too cold), and it’s not stuffy like hotel room air. The pillows are perfect.

There were two choices for breakfast: the buffet in the dining area, or an omelet made to order out on the deck (of course, we could combine the two).

We spent the first half of the day cruising the Nile on our way upriver to Edfu. It was a relaxing morning.

Besides fishermen, we saw large cruise ships…

…and a heron on an island of flotsam.

Most of the time, the sails of the Aida were not unfurled; a dahabeya does not have a motor, and using only the power of wind would require the helmsman to tack, zigzagging across the river, which would cause delays to our itinerary. However, they agreed to put the sails up and we got into the tug boat so we could see the Aida with its sails raised. We were able to take photos from all angles.

More cruise ships and freighters:

When we returned to our stateroom before lunch, the steward had created towel art in the form of a lotus flower.

Lunch was a colorful buffet.

The scenery along the shore became more urban as we approached the city of Edfu.

Finally the Aida approached the dock at Edfu where we would disembark to visit the Temple of Horus.