In the evening we open the sliding doors but keep the fly mesh screens closed, the downside is you hear everything that is going on outside. So it was a big surprise to hear us depart from Beni Suef this morning around 3:00 when it was still pretty much dark outside. The itinerary said overnight and I had assumed we would depart around the same time as we did from Cairo.
Our stop at Beni Suef was a strange one, our guide told us that there was little there of interest but if we wanted to get off for a wander then there was all sorts of paper work that needed to be signed and a tourist police escort arranged. In the event we stayed onboard and entertained ourselves in lounge bar, nothing being provided by the boat on this occasion. I wonder if with a little planning they could have found a few musicians in Beni Suef to come onboard for an hour or so? Maybe it just wasn’t the best place to organise something like that hence our earlier departure.
This morning we had an hour long talk with our Egyptologist who gave us a little bit of insight to the up and coming few days. The timing worked well as the weather was a bit overcast first thing and as if by magic when we had finished the skies started to clear.
It’s fascinating just watching everything that is going on along the banks of the river, not just people and wildlife but the scenery as well. While you can’t take a photo of everything you see I have been looking for things that have some sort of visual impact.
Hopefully the next set of pictures will give some idea.
Another thing we have experienced on this cruise is our steward has taken the towel animal on the bed to another level. We didn’t take much notice the first night with our two swans but the next night a large peacock did catch our attention. But this morning after breakfast we arrived back from breakfast to find a large crocodile with a small child in its mouth. One wonders how he is going to top that.
One of the other men in our group also had the invitation to go and view the bridge this morning and meet the captain. Again it was a true experience to see what goes on behind the scenes. There are about 6 crew all living, working and sleeping in a small contained space. No navigation aids and just a knowledge of where to steer the boat to avoid any shallow areas. Much of the know-how has been handed down from generation to generation.
At 5:00 we arrived at Minya where we are to spend the next two nights. We pulled up alongside another boat called Nile Saray so we will need to walk through their reception to get off.
Tonight we have a cocktail party before dinner then hopefully a walk around Minya afterwards.