Since the travelling is a bit exhausting I decided to take a nice one day break at the side of Nile doing nothing just watching river and life go by, also type a bit of blog articles as I needed quiet time for once. Since last night I had feeling that I need to sit at river side so I went in search for such place starting walking at the East bank. As I walked the East bank promenade my eyes were glued to the West bank and I could not really turn my head away from it, which was way of intuition to tell me that I will find the great place on the other side. Since time is no problem here I did a bit more walking the promenade and being harassed by locals who trying to sell you everything starting with Hello my Friend on what I was a not allergic anymore so I just kept walking and looking at the other side as something was calling me there. Eventually I went with intuition and boarder the national ferry as only tourist I felt special 😊 and it was only 10 pounds return ticket, plus it was not the touristic, noisy small speed boat but lovely old rusty big Queen of Nile as I called it.

It is nice experiences and since this is government run service, police was everywhere and price was set so no negotiating needed, what a blessing. As this is Egypt, everyone try sell anything and even on the board was no difference as the guy sitting next to me started the usual “Hello welcome in Egypt, where you from” and after few polite words started to pitch me a bike rental service from his shop on the other side. I was plainly not interested and I was not really hiding my annoyance so he left and I was able to enjoy the crossing in peace, watching waves. Disembarked the ferry and again “sir taxi, sir good price” bla bla bla but eventually I took right turn to the river following my calling / intuition and he left me alone with some mumbling in Arabic which I would say was nothing nice, because I have not made business with him. Walked at the side of the river and watching the kids playing football at left hand side on the astro-turf pitch of what looks like school, wearing bibs as part of training. Slowly path changed from the tarmac with side railings to the usual dust road under the trees following the Nile and here, not further than maybe 50 meters from ferry I found a perfect oasis of local café / restaurant SUNRISE CAFÉ with chairs lazily resting under palms with dogs who barely bothered open eye when I was passing by. Person from underneath palms just said hello and sir don’t worry about the dogs and wished me nice day. This is some sort of my test of locals as if they start harassing and calling me mu friend I’m not interested but this one did not do that so after few meters and pause for photo I had returned and sat down on one of the palm chairs with view on the river and boats. Before I sat down I asked him if can I have coffee and coke “ Coca Cola” so he knew I was interested in this place 😊 He just asked if Nescafe or Turkish coffee so of course Turkish what else, asked what is the price and he said that coffee is 5 and coke 10 well nice price and the location a little oasis of peace and silence. Sat down pull out laptop and get into the photo sorting and typing to catch up as if I want to keep up this blog I have to have discipline since time is needed to be divided between sightseen and typing otherwise there will be just blank space worth $100 annually here instead of photos and letters and what I would read once the midlife crisis travels are over and I will enter the second teenage years with young girl and motorbike 😊 The Wi-Fi is not really strong to upload many photos at short time so I need one day to type and one more day just upload the photos to articles as minimum since the gallery upload is left for when I have better internet connection. Long story short this peaceful place was so nice and I was glad that I was lead to it, thank you God and Angels. I have stayed there till sunset as it was so nice not been hackled or talked to by anyone except the owner Ahmed who came asked if I wish anything to eat. We sat and talked a bit about life and he complained about those horse carriages what apparently drove tourist away with their aggressive approach so not many tourist take walk at promenade anymore. He said that most of business start moving to West bank slowly as there is more peace for tourist and apparently he moved too from East bank to West Bank and kept only small felluca on East bank as another business. Everything is taken with pinch of salt as all people here will complain how hard everything is to get more money from you but here I felt that he is genuine

PHOTOS OF SUNRISE CAFE

However the lunch was agreed as apparently he does not have kitchen here and needs to call his sister, who cooks at home and then deliver it here. Ordered chicken tajin and about half an hour later motorbike came with food containers and lunch was served in 5 min. Tasty chicken tajin with vegetables, rice, salad, tahini and fresh bread all tasty and eaten in company of small cat, waiting for left overs 😊 Desert was a cup of tea and sat this time on sun as it was getting chillier by the water. There were two nice boats as hotel or luxury Fellucas for people who wanted to have a bit of luxury when doing cruise in Egypt style. Apparently $ 200 per night is the charge for them and by the accent of tourist boarding the boat most were from the States, so no wonder they are paying it as they might not care about money or value of things and services in Egypt. However the boats were nice looking and some of the passengers were good looking too 😊 Well since the sun was going down I was clearing my bill which came to 120 pounds what we agreed with owner to reduce to 100 which is still way too much for coffee, tea, coke and lunch but I paid for privacy and peace I had all day, plus as Ahmed explained to m,e he does not have so many clients to reduce price based on amount of sales and I was not really in mood of arguing as I appreciated the place and I was gladly paying as all is coming round if you know what I mean. Plus I rather pay to some nice local person who respecting the customers and this way my money are going directly to local community. When you pay with love and happiness for service or good received, you opening channel to also receiving nice service and goods. As the bill was settled he mentioned that I could stay as long as I wish, it is just fact that he is going to his second business which is felluca trip for sunset at Nile what sound interesting and I agreed that I will return for it day after my trip to Edfu and agreed price of 150 pounds for it. Well it was getting chillier for flip flops and shorts at the water edge when sun was going to bed or as it was symbolized in temples when goddess ate it, I took off for Ferry get me back in hotel. Seen nice scenery of sunset at Nile so I took the photo from Ferry in case I will not make to Felluca.

PHOTO OF SUNSET from FERRY

Happy to be back in hotel and tried to upload some photos but the wi-fi could not handle it so gave up and had a dinner instead, since the owner started his dinner at next table and me salivating over his food was not nice sight, even if he offered to share dinner I rather ordered myself one too, same as he had. Chicken with rice, salad, tahini, bread and one vegetable curry style pot and one with tomato sauce all for 50 pounds but it was a lot. The only downfall was that I have got spaghetti instead of rice 😊 which I was not going to eat and when he came back and aske d how was the food I said great just that I don’t like spaghetti with it, on which his eyeballs rolled over. Straight to kitchen some loud words and he came back apologizes and that rice will be here soon. However I was nearly half way through so I finished all and when the rice came I was already 5 minutes after dinner. Went back to typing and trying to get wi-fi but unsuccessfully and therefore I stood up and packed laptop, paid for dinner and when picked up my things, owner and his companion were asking if I’m leaving because they were loud ? 😊 no no I’m just a bit cold sitting in shorts / flip flops so need to move and they laughed as apparently they looked at me and wondering how can I sit in flip flops and shorts and do not freeze up 😊 We had a bit of chat about five fingers VIBRAM sole shoes as one of them like them and was inquiring where to get them, how comfortable they are etc.. Eventually they google it and found them at amazon so he was happy to know where to get them as he was from Australia and apparently he did not see them there. Since he had the website and idea of price we parted our ways with wishing of good night.

Morning is here as there were unmistakably loud children’s voices filling the street under my window as opposite of the hotel is school. Especially one child was either possessed or was skinned alive as the cry he or she gave were chilling and never ending, no matter what the female voice tried to say. Eventually the cry slowly disappeared in the distance as it seems like the female lost patience and took him/ her back where they come from, based of the sound of the cry slowly disappear in distance like the passing fire truck on the street. Since I was up and my train was leaving in hour and half to Edfu, quickly got the exercise out of the way, than breakfast and lightly imitating Usain Bolt went to train station. Just as I entered the building and line up to get ticket train pulled in so I went straight there and boarded train to second class. Got seat at the back of carriage with two locals dressed in waistcoat and eating sunflower seeds what were immediately put in my palm with smile. They were the stewardess as later took their trolley and went selling food and coffee, tea… Ticket with penalty fee was for 27 pounds so no more lining up at ticket window for any future trains.

Edfu here I’m and no I’m not getting the tuk-tuk or horse drawn carriage to the temple as I have all day to explore it so here is the devilish mischievous plan how to avoid them….. Headphones…..bigger the better and they stop shouting on you 😊 So walked through the main strip near station where all the shops and tuk-tuk catching the tourist who dare to take train. Also I need to move my legs, since sitting is not good and the amount of exercise is not adequate. The walk took me through normal service streets and also some green fields.

PHOTO EDFU FIELDS

Btw. If you are going there and prefer walking as the mean of transport to temple, do exit the station on the side of river which is on the right as you arrive. You need to take overpass for pedestrians to get over all tracks and then out of the station through exit gate where you already see the River. It looks like it is going nowhere but when you get down the steps take left and continue along river until you came under the bridge and on you left are stairs for the pedestrians leading to footpath on the bridge. This way you will avoid tuk-tuk and all hassle and stretch your legs after train journey plus build some appetite . Walking to the Temple is maybe 45 min easy walk through Edfu itself as the train station is not in the town. You just keep going straight following the road as you get off the bridge and when come to T junction take left and then at another T junction right and after 50 meters you will see he fence of the temple.

Since I had learned the lesson regarding the food on trip to Dendera I was not going to risk it here and stopped at local bakery for lovely round bread / cake what was something like puff pastry with a bit sweet taste and after another 10 meters I saw a fresh falafel being made and sold with fries from Aubergine so could not resist and got myself a nice bag of six falafel balls, two handfuls of aubergine chips and some hot peppers, what locals tried to gesticulate to me that no no, too hot and I gesticulated back yes yes just keep filling the bag 😊 Have to say one of the best street food in Egypt I had so far. Walking and eating in 5 min I was at the site and kept going around the fence until there was a gate. Simple deduction, soldier with AK47 and few guys in civil clothes but with 9mm in back pocket is good sign that you have reached the touristic site 😊 As usual all the sites are surrounded by shops what are along the entrance / exit and have small fence all along so if you do not want to jump over it you need to walk all the length of patch to get in and out. For 140 pounds I was in and start walking towards the temple what was towering above the walls of mud what surrounding it. It is really impressive temple and the gate itself is about 9 stories high and whole temple is in the great condition. I would say that it was the best condition I saw, all walls intact expect a small part of the left side of the gate at very top, where the last line of stone blocks were missing. Inner and outer walls beautifully carved with hieroglyphs and statues as well as rest of the temple.

PHOTO OF GATE

There is shame that we cannot go to the gate towers and see them inside as this would be some sight. The priest was going to the top of the gate where he was signaling start of festivity from a V gap between both towers. Also roof is not accessible but that is a bit understandable as people of west have different understanding of health and safety that Egyptian and apparently in Dendera the access was granted to the roof until some tourist fall to her death. The Osiris boat was there at the end in the last chamber ready to take annual trip to Dendera to meet Hathor 😊

PHOTO OF OSIRIS BOAT

Have to walk around to the outer wall to get a nice photo of whole temple to show it is size.

What can be seen from the sort of garden or empty space between mud walls and temple itself, as the mud walls are first outline and they are impressive to see too as this was where the people lived back then, very thick walls and arches of maybe houses as they were not just walls they looked more like three stories houses like present day apartment blocks. I’m not historian so do not take my words for granted, that is just how I saw them 😊

Some people are doing day trip to Edfu and the other temple Kom Ombo but I had enough of temples and since I have no idea when the next train is coming I went back to station, this time by different street as they run parallel to each other. There was real Egyptian hospitality experienced as I smelled the freshly baked breads and sweets in the air from local bakery so as much as I was full of the falafel and aubergine fries I went to sniff and admire all the local sweets and the guy who just emptying tray of freshly baked good onto display tray gave me one chocolate croissant or what looks like it and refused money at all my attempts so I say Shukran and went with this little piece of delicious still warm, tasty heaven and munch it slowly to enjoy every bit of it. Either it was the fact that was a gift or it was really delicious but the taste was soooo goooood 😊 as they say finger licking good ! So crossed the bridge and got to the station, sat down, got a cup of sugar with tea as that is better description of how the tea is served here and did not even tried to move the spoon to dissolve the sugar as it was sweet enough without it. Sat there read my book on phone “Autobiography of Yogi” contemplating about my life based on the book and had some eureka moments I think. The train came after about 1.5 hour and we boarded, this time again second class but this was way nicer that the previous one coming here and paid 51 pounds for the ticket, which now was not written by hand on paper but printed from hand held touch screen device. Lowered seat and got some snooze as suddenly I was so tired. Back in hotel, shave “after month I decided it is time to shave “ and shower to make me feel better and rested in bed watching some movie with Luis De Funes, what I grow up on it. Kasia texted that she got the 18:00 train and that she is hungry for falafel so we arranged to meet up for dinner and talk about the day trips but her was way interesting…. But it is on the whole new blog article and since it was her story I will leave it to her to tell, unless you gave your permission Kasia and I will try to type it 😊 We were both tired and after the food our heads start falling down and our brains switched off so it was best to head out from restaurant and after little walk to Kasia hotel first to say good bye with a big nice hug and then slowly walk back to Happy Land …. No it is nothing to do with space cakes or any other happy substances but it is name of Hotel I stayed 😊

Good night all.