We sailed into Kom Ombo as the sun was setting over the west bank of the Nile, casting playing shadows on the walls of the temple. We did a hoppity-hop across various other boats to get to the shore, (got to check out the décor of those boats in the process! Nothing to report) and got to the temple just as the sun set, leaving our group in quiet environs, the temple bathed in the unearthly light of the sunset, just before darkness sets. The quiet and serenity of the scene was broken only by the sound of guides explaining the intricacies of the Egyptian calendar and other hieroglyphics (check out a sample) to us spell bound tourists. The cool breeze that began to blow was a welcome relief from the rigor of the sunny deck on Princess Eman just an hour ago...

Kom Ombo was built in the Ptolemaic period, around 80BC. Unlike any other monument in Egypt, Kom Ombo is dedicated to two gods rather than one: Horus, the falcon headed god and Sobek, the crocodile headed god. To avoid offending either god, a twin temple was constructed, with the left half dedicated to Horus, the right side to Sobek. Apparently, this is quite unique in Egypt, since most temples are dedicated to just one god. The temple walls have interesting reliefs, including a set of surgical instruments used in that period, birthing stools which were used by pregnant mothers for their delivery (pretty basic, almost like a potty), and of course, the Egyptian calendar, depicting 360 days divided into 12 portions of 30 days each. The difference was made up by having five sacred feast days at the end of each year.

Our guide Ayman, took our group (we were called Rameses) to the secret crypts and demonstrated how high priests in those days used it to advantage with visiting Greek noblemen, pretending to give "oracular advice" and making god speak, and cunningly getting these Greeks to part with huge donations! The temple complex also houses a shrine containing the mummified remains of crocodiles, in honor of Sobek.

We didn't have much time to spend here, and had to hurry back to the beckoning Princess Eman. Quietly did the boat glide towards its next destination, as we unwound on the deck with fresh breeze blowing softly in our faces, tall glasses of Mediterranean fruit based concoctions in our hand, languidly chatting and exchanging notes of the various exotic holiday destinations that each of us had visited. It was after all of us had gone to bed that the Princess sailed into Edfu.

© Vixabs Vacations Unlimited

May 01 2003