Millenia of history
There is so much to see on the river banks that hours pass by and we don’t even notice it. The wind hasn’t picked up since the first day making the paddling conditions perfect. When we rest on the boards, the current does the job. The mid day sun is hot, making a quick refresh in the water enjoyable. Today we paddle by Kom Ombo temple whose magnificient 2,200 year old structure overlooks the river. We pull our boards on the banks and walk to its entrance. It is a unique structure in Egypt because its ‘double’ design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and room duplicated for two sets of gods: the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world, and the falcon god Horus. What Shadé and Lou will most likely remember are the many crocodile mummies displayed in the crocodile museum. For me, even after seeing all these monuments in films and pictures since my childhood, I am amazed by how powerful it is to actually look at them, walk around their structures and feel their stones. What is even more amazing is that we get to see these monuments with hardly anyone else around. The first reason for that being the region’s political instability keeping the tourists away even though 90% of Egypt is very safe nowadays. The other reason is that while being on a boat and even more on SUP boards you get to the temples way before all the daytrip excursions.
