Floating the Nile with OAT

As my wife Fyllis and I sat on an outside sun deck overlooking the surrounding scene, many of the fabled attractions of Egypt came into view. There were the towering Pyramids of Giza guarded by the Sphinx whose face, believed to portray a former pharaoh, sits on the body of a lion.  We saw monumental temples that were dedicated to the worship of gods, and commemoration of pharaohs.                 

These included the temple complex at Karnak, on which construction began in the 19^th century BC, with walls covered by deeply etched hieroglyphics and paintings whose colors are as bright as when artists applied them thousands of years ago.

Another treasure was the temple at Luxor, which was a center for some of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs including Ramses II, whose reign lasted 67 years, and Tutankhamen (“the boy king”), who took the throne at the age of about eight and died nine years later.

These iconic gems were among many that became assessable as the boat on we Fyllis and I were passengers made its way along the Nile River. We were aboard the Nefertiti, a vessel owned by the Overseas Adventure Travel tour company to ply the waters of one of the most famous rivers in the world.  Our stateroom was sizeable and comfortable, and on-board meals were as diversified and delicious as any we ate at restaurants on land.What makes a Nile cruise so inviting is that the river passes close to a number of the must-see archaeological gems that have been attracting sightseers since ancient Greeks and Romans came to Egypt to goggle at its structural riches.

While land-based day trips during our week-long voyage took us to a number of the most prized places, our time spent on the boat provided introductions to equally fascinating aspects of the people, life and culture of Egypt.Whether peering through the oversized glass door that led outside our comfortable cabin, or seated on our private deck, we were able to observe people going about their daily lives.  We passed by tiny towns of modest mud brick and concrete houses where women were grinding seeds into flour between two stones, much as their ancestors did. We saw farmers working in fields using tools that might have been passed down for generations. We watched fishermen in tiny rowboats pulling in their catch, and helmsmen steering felucca, traditional wooden sailboats used to ferry both good and people.Men sitting in the sun sipping tea and smoking a sisha (hookah) pipe waved as we passed, and children playing at the river’s edge jumped with joy and called out greetings, which we returned. After washing clothes in the river, a woman gathered them into a pan, balanced it on her head and headed for home. We came to understand the importance of the Nile in the history, growth and everyday life of the people who live along and around it.   Without the river, there would be no fertile land, a scarcity of food and little electricity. Given the scarce rainfall in Egypt, the Nile nourishes a narrow stretch of verdant growth along its banks, which quickly gives way to barren desert.  It’s little wonder that over 90 percent of the country’s population lives along the waterway, on 3 percent of its territory.
Seeing the dramatic difference between the ribbon of green that winds through an otherwise arid wasteland, and observing villagers whose lifestyles have changed little over centuries, would be reason enough to visit Egypt. Throw in its rich history, and magnificent monuments to that past, and it’s clear why the country ranks high on many a “must visit” Bucket List.

Fyllis and I have visited several of our Bucket List destinations with Overseas Adventure Travel. The company offers “Small group adventures on the road less traveled” to some 80 countries around the world.  OAT closely follows its stated goal of offering “Learning and Discovery” as part of their tours, and that manifested itself repeatedly during our trip.  On-board lectures and other presentations introduced us to various aspects of Egyptian history, life and culture.  These were dramatically brought to life during performances of a traditional belly dance, which had its origins in Egypt, and a whirling dervish, an Islamic mysticism ceremony performed in an effort to achieve religious ecstasy.
For information about Overseas Adventure Travel see their profile page here on Travelstride.