As promised Adel was at his family’s Aswan Hotel the next morning. My room was located on the rooftop, so I noticed him immediately when I walked out my room. He was already enjoying the breakfast I was soon to be enjoying as well. We chatted about the day before, and I told him all about my adventures and the fun I had with my handsome sailors. After breakfast we loaded ourselves on a boat which was located right out back from the hotel. We were headed to the Island Temples of Philae, where the presence of the Goddess Isis is said to be felt very strongly, especially in the inner sanctum, the Holy of the Holies. I love Egyptian Historical Fiction novels, and a huge fan of the author, Wilbur Smith. He has a fascinating book Series on Ancient Egypt, and I read every one of them. The scenery as we traveled down the Nile toward the Island was breathtaking. It brought to mind the beloved characters of his books. I swear it felt as though they were right there with me, smiling and waving from the banks.

Once we arrived and disembarked, Adel wasted no time leading me in and explaining the layout to me. As we began walking through different rooms, Adel shared a wealth of knowledge with me. What was so great about my solo tour was that after a while Adel seamlessly knew when to step back and when to let me wander, explore, and take it all in at my own leisure. He’d say something like, “I’ll be right outside whenever you’re ready.” I had a wonderful time that morning strolling through the temples and weaving my way around the big groups. However, solo strolling left me open for the “temple hustlers” lurking around ready to offer their services a tour guide. Two such men approached me with compliments and an offer, yet out of nowhere Adel appeared to respectfully reassure them that I was already with my personal tour guide. The exchanges were pleasant, and we took a picture together before walking our separate ways. I was fortunate to capture the whole “temple cats” scenario as well. Yes, there were temple cats all around, I found that to be endearing.

Adel and I had lunch on site at a very nice restaurant located right by the Nile. During lunch I pinched myself a couple of times. Was this real? Am I actually sitting by the Nile River sipping tea, on a gorgeous day?  The answer of course was yes, I was called to the continent of Africa by my ancestors, I felt from deep withIN that this journey, albeit unclear in the moment, was purposed and would be life changing. We finished up lunch and headed back to the boat for a pleasant sail back to Aswan. My bags were already packed prior to the morning’s excursion and Adel had arranged for a driver to pick us up at the hotel. We were heading to the cruise ship to check in for our 3-day Nile River Cruise. I took a selfie in the back seat attempting to capture my excitement during the ride over.

I counted four cruise ships along the docks, when we arrived. Adel was quick to point out which one was ours. The area for loading and unloading passengers and luggage was bustling with organized chaos. It was evident that over the years this main attraction of tourism and a major vein of the economy, had morphed into a fine well-oiled machine. Luggage was loaded by the gates of each entry.

I have taken cruises before, so there really wasn’t any particular expectation I was holding about the experience. I LOVED everything about the ship from the moment I stepped aboard. The finely oiled wood panels and shiny brass throughout, the spiral staircase, and all the handsome uniformed attendants ready to be of service had me feeling like I had stepped through a time machine. I sat patiently in the lobby while Adel handled a few particulars and paperwork at the front desk. Shortly afterwards, Adel informed me he was going to settle in his room, relax for a while, freshen up and meet me for dinner later. “I’ll text you,” he said. He handed me my key and a handsome young bellman grabbed my bags and escorted me upstairs to my room. Once inside, I smiled, fell back on the bed and giggled. This was going to be fun…stay tuned.