DAY 5 – SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19: TEMPLES OF KOM OMBO (SOBEK) & EDFU, KARNAK TEMPLE AT NIGHT
Today was another bright and sunny days, with highs in the 70s. We are grateful to be this far south here in Egypt since Cairo had a dusting of snow today! Our ride north from Aswan to Luxor was an interesting cultural experience, driving through many small Egyptian towns and see how the common Egyptians live.
Kom Ombo Temple
We left the hotel at 8:30 after a relaxing morning and a great breakfast. We boated across the Nile River to get to our bus on the eastern side. We drove about 30 miles north along the Nile to get to our first stop, the Temple of Kom Ombo. It was constructed during the Ptolemaic Dynasty of the 2nd Century BC. The crocodile god Sobek, a god of fertility and creator of there world, was honored here. Hathor and Knonsu were also honored here. Among the impressive pylons and pillars were hieroglyphs displaying medical instruments such as forceps and clamps still used to aid birthing today. A Nileometer was also uncovered here.
Edfu Temple
We boarded the bus again and drove another 30 miles or so to the Edfu Temple. Also built during the Ptolemaic Period (specifically in 258 BC), this is the best preserved temple in all of Egypt. This temple was in honor of Horus, the falcon god. The impressive pylons here tower 135 feet high. The great detail preserved in the hieroglyphs was incredible. Like other temples, this one had a “holy of holies” room as well.
“Today Today we drove from Aswan to Luxor. Besides the two incredible temples we saw, it was so interesting and fun to pass through so many small Egyptian towns along the way. The level of poverty is outstanding. They sure do live simplistic lives here in southern Egypt!”
Luxor / Night Show at Karnak Temple
About 60 miles north is Luxor. The 1.5 hour drive continued to open our eyes to the simplicity (and poverty) of the common life of Egyptians. When we arrived at our hotel in Luxor, we enjoyed a late afternoon bite to eat. We also started working on completing our Entry Forms for Israel (we fly to Tel Aviv Monday morning). At 6:30 we drove to the Karnak Temple for a “sound and light show.” This temple is very large, with pylons, hypostyle pillars, and obelisks. The temple was built by a continuation of Pharaohs, including Thutmose III, Seti I, and Ramses II. A relief Pharoah Shiskak (1 Kings 11:40) is also displayed here.
Following the show, we returned to our hotel for a late 9 p.m. dinner and the completion of our Entry Form for Israel. We were supposed to get up early for a hot-air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings, but incoming wind and weather canceled this. We’re all bummed but this is understandable.
DAY 6 – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20: LUXOR: VALLEY OF THE KINGS, TEMPLE OF MEDINET HABU, COLOSSI OF MEMNON, TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT, LUXOR TEMPLE
