We take a bus to the boat launch, then motor over to the island that houses the Temple of Philae, moved from its old location (which is now under several feet of water due to the damming of the Nile). The temple dates back to Greaco-Roman times and is remarkably well-preserved, considering the fact that they moved it to its present location after it had been flooded.

It is at this point that I begin to dread our guide's little interjections. While his information is generally good, his mannerisms are annoying to the point of violent response on my part. I begin to dread the phrase 'Excuse me!' I break off from the group as sopon as possible and start snapping photos - great morning light. Mel decamps to the cafe with a bottle of water in an attempt to quell the riot in her stomach. After about a half an hour we're herded back on the boat and back to the bus.

From there it's on to the Aswan High Dam. The drive includes a crossing of the orriginal Aswan dam, built in 1902 by the British and still functional. (Including the locks!) The High Dam isn't much to look at, but the rumors of anti-aircraft missile emplacements and the prohibition of video cameras have me hunting for interesting photos. Sadly, the stray dogs and the monument to Soviet-Egyptian Cooperation are the most interesting things around, and neither is particularly photogenic. We did learn that Lake Nasr is enormous - it extends over 150 km into the Sudan!

After only ten minutes, we're back on the bus. Next up, the alabaster 'factory'. One thing we learned quickly in Egypt is that there are many synonyms for 'store'. Factory, Institute, Workshop - all mean 'place to sucker tourists'. We enjoy a three minute demonstration of the shaping of alabaster vessels, followed by half an hour of sales pitch and shopping by our fellow tourists. We manage to convince the guide that we've already bought perfume and therefore don't need to partake in the next stop, the Perfume Factory. Ugh.

Next stop was the Unfinished Obelisk. Really, this is a clever name for a granite quarry with some shaped stone in the middle that might have been an obelisk that was abandoned for completion. Somewhat interesting, but midday Egyptian heat does not make for fun times, especially when one is touring a granite quarry. It felt like the focus point of a solar oven.

After the quarry, we headed back to the boat for lunch. We later wandered up to the pool to enjoy the sail to Kom Ombo, our next mooring point. At around 5:30 PM we disembark at Kom Ombo, a fantastically well-preserved dual temple dedicated to Horus and Sobek, the evil Crocodile god. High points included the nearly complete crocodile mummies and the no-longer-functional Nilometer, used to measure the Nile's height and also to catch crocodiles for mummification and offering to Sobek. It's almost sunset at this point, so the lighting is perfect for some stunning photos of the temple. It's hard to take bad pictures with this subject matter...

We head back to the boat, only it's not there. One thing it's worth mentioning is that there are many, many cruise ships - at the docks, they're frequently stacked five or six deep, necessitating one's walking through the lobbies of the intermediate ships if one wishes to reach shore. This also means that if one of the intermediate ships wants to leave, all of the other ships must move out of the way, resulting in a sort of waltz of the hippopotami while things get sorted out. We wait on the dock for the better part of an hour before we're able to reboard our ship for the Captain's Welcome Cocktail Hour.

Ths Cocktail Hour was a strange event - the crew all sits at the front of the room, and each is introduced in turn. The official videographer videotapes the entire event, which is a little wierd. We also take group photos with the crew, which I assume will be offered for purchase at a later time (they are). During this event they play the video from last night's entertainment, which appears to have been shot on High-8 about thirty years ago. Funny stuff at times, though - the Spanish contingent really gave the grass skirt guy a hard time.

Finally we head off to dinner, and what a fancy affair it is tonight! A real menu and everything. Of course, the food's a bit sketchy, but we appreciate the effort. Mel's feeling so ill she can't eat dessert, which should tell those of you who know her how bad she felt. Once the meal had ended, we head for the room - hopefully a night's rest will help Mel out. The boat stays moored at Kom Ombo for the night. Check out Mel's blog for the next installment: My Kingdom for No Horse.