Category Archives: R. Doug Wicker

August 20, 2025 · 5:35 am

Nile Cruise — Boating Lake Nasser to Philae Temples


Mohamad Salah and Ursula enjoying the boat ride to Philae

After departing Aswan High Dam, Mohamad arranged our land transportation to the anchorage from which our next adventure would begin. We passed through the gates picture below, ran the ubiquitous gauntlet of vendors selling everything from statuettes of various Ancient Egyptian royalty to pottery and jewelry, boarded a boat, and headed south toward Philae Island.

Philae Temple Anchorage

In case you’re wondering where this is in relation to both the High and Low dams, here’s a Google Maps image to orient you:

Google Map of the Philae Temple area

Along the way we passed by several of the island’s temples, including the Temple of Isis seen here:

Temple of Isis; Philae Island

After our boat was secured, we made our way across this foot bridge to arrive at the Philae Temple Complex:

Foot bride to the Philae Temple Complex

Whereupon we arrived at this guide to the complex:

Philae Temple foot guide

For the next two weeks I’ll be showing you images taken at the Philae Temple Complex, beginning with these:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

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August 18, 2025 · 5:35 am

Nile Cruise — Touring Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser


Cross Section of the High Aswan Dam

Our luggage was safely stowed aboard the Jaz Cruises‘ riverboat Jaz Celebrity in preparation for our voyage beginning the next day. But as for this day, Wednesday, 26 February 2025, we were out touring with our absolutely wonderful Luxor and Aswan Travel-assigned guide and expert in Ancient Egypt, Mohamad Salah. No. Not this Mohamed Salah, who spells his first name with an “e”:

Egyptian football hero Mohamed Salah playing for Premier League club Liverpool

Rather, I’m referring to this absolutely amazing chap, Mohamad (with an “a”) Salah

Tour Guide Extraordinaire Mohamad Salah

At any rate, Mohamad had two full days in the Aswan area in store for us beginning with a local tour of Aswan High Dam, Lake Nasser, and the Philae temple complex on this day; followed by a lengthy, all day excursion to the Abu Simbel temples the next.

Aswan-Lake Nasser-River Nile map

Our first stop was the Aswan High Dam. This immense structure, constructed with help from the U.S.S.R., was the tallest embankment dam at the time of its completion in 1970. There’s a lot to that story, not least of which were (primarily) Cold War politics and (secondarily) the recognition by the U.S. that completion of the dam would devastate Egypt’s agricultural industry, which depended upon the annual Nile floods to replenish nutrients to the soil. Today there stands a monument at the Aswan High Dam commemorating the ties between Egypt and the U.S.S.R.:

Aswan High Dam Monument to Arab-Soviet Friendship

Here are two images of the Aswan High Dam:

Aswan High Dam looking south over Lake Nasser
Aswan High Dam; River Nile side and the hydroelectric station

After our visit to the dam, it was time for a boat ride to a small island in the small resevoir between the Aswan High Dam and the Aswan Low Dam located some 4.3 miles/6.9 kilometers north of the High Dam.

River Nile resevoir between the High and Low dams

So, off we went with Mohamad Salah on this next adventure. Next stop would be the Philae Temple Comples:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

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August 15, 2025 · 5:35 am

Nile Cruise — Dining Aboard the Jaz Celebrity


Nile felucca in full sail

If you’re not that hungry, or if you’re just looking for something light to hold you until dinner in the main dining room, head on up to the Jaz Celebrity’s Sun Deck for an early afternoon snack of sandwiches and sweets:

Jaz Celebrity Sun Deck snacks — Sandwiches and cheese rolls
Jaz Celebrity Sun Deck snacks — Cake slices and cookies

And, of course, don’t forget the views that come with the snacks:

Jaz Celebrity Sun Deck view

The main dining room is quite the affair — elegant and enticing. Here you can see some of the various buffet-style food stations in the background:

Jaz Celebrity Main Dining Room

Yes, here you’ll self-serve at the buffet stations. But don’t think that means you’ll be missing out on some great dining. There are stations for bread, cheeses, fruits, olives, etc. But don’t fill up on that. Awaiting you are stations serving main courses of lamb, chicken, fish, and a plethora of vegetable dishes — both main and sides. The plated food you see in the following photographs are from our first day, and the menu changes daily.

Jaz Celebrity Main Dining Room

The cuisine if very cosmopolitan. You might find anything from blackeyed peas to tomato and mozzarella (Caprese) salad:

Jaz Celebrity Main Dining Room

A separate pasta station is a nightly fixture, but the choices vary daily. You get to select what you want with your pasta, and a chef whips it up while you wait:

Jaz Celebrity Main Dining Room

Next week we start our tour, beginning with Aswan.

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

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