Philae Temple and Shopping in Aswan

Today we arrive in Aswan. The city feels completely different from the cities we have seen so far. Luxor is a very touristy city, quite polished and small (about 500,000 inhabitants). Aswan, or Aswan, has about 1.5 million inhabitants and a distinct Nubian influence. It is quite laid back, especially compared to Cairo or Alexandria.

In the morning, we visit the Philae Temple, which is located on an island. The temple was dedicated to Isis and was in use until at least the 4th century AD. After that, it was converted into a church by the Romans. Unfortunately, they not only expanded or supplemented the temple, but also made huge efforts to destroy all existing images of the ancient Egyptians. They have come quite a long way, many of the depicted faces are no longer recognizable.
By the way, the whole temple used to be in a different location but had to be relocated due to the construction of the Aswan Dam.

After the temple, we visit a small factory for the production of essential oils and perfumes. When I woke up in the morning, I couldn't smell anything anymore, fortunately, the sense of smell comes back in time for this visit! We get an insight into the production of essential oils and then each of us is quietly assigned a person to 'advise' us. In short, it's about business. But the oils and perfumes are fantastic, so none of us leaves without making a purchase. Our guide also buys something there, so even the skeptics among us are convinced. Basically, you can also create your own personal favorite fragrance or tell them which perfume you wear. They then create the blend of essential oils. I try it with my current perfume (baccarat rouge) and the scent is the same. Only it does not contain alcohol and it is much longer-lasting than a perfume. I didn't buy it because I still have a practically full bottle of perfume.

Leaving behind a delightful cloud of fragrance, we return to the ship. But even after these scents, we are not satisfied and in the afternoon we go to the market in Aswan. There is not enough time to explore it fully. The market stands offer a mix of goods for locals or tourists. That means, in addition to statues of Osiris and Isis made in China, you can also buy pickled fish or fresh garlic. In the end, we all went to the market for the same reason: we want to buy spices here. They are slightly less expensive than in neighboring countries. Especially saffron can be bought here at a better price. Here too, helpful 'consultants' are at our side. :) I can hardly restrain myself with the many spices, but in the end, I spend the most money on the coffee blend, which is heavenly. I can't get enough of the coffee here - maybe it won't taste as good at home, as is often the case.

Back on the ship:

I watch the 'Nubian Show' from a safe distance and rightly so: I like the singing and the music, it's a mix of Arabic and African sounds. But of course, nothing happens on the tourist ship without the participation of the audience, so some have to dance and sing, completely stiff compared to the Nubians, through the ship. Cringe!, as the younger generations would say...

It's the last evening on the ship and I think these 4 nights are enough. You can still see the Nile and the landscape for much longer, but the downside is the tourists and the buffet food. It's good that a change of scenery is on the agenda tomorrow.