Yesterday was another busy day as our cruise winds down. We visited a Nubian village on the lake formed by the first Aswan Dam.

We then proceeded to the Philae Temple, another temple moved from one island in the first cataract to another to raise it above the new water level.

Next, we went to the Papyrus Institute. We weren't able to take pictures, but we did have a tutorial about papyrus making with an explanation of different varieties of papyrus. After peeling the stems and crushing the water out of the pulp, the strips of papyrus are soaked for several days to make the sugar level just right. The sugar becomes the glue which holds the overlapping strips together and gives the finished sheet the golden color. Very interesting!

After lunch back on the ship as it went downstream (north), we docked and headed walked to visit the Kom Ombo Temple. This temple is situated far enough above the Nile that it didn't need to be moved. One of the gods depicted in the carvings is the crocodile god; the people felt that, if they worshipped the crocodile, they might be safe from its harm. For the first time in our journey, the crowds were heavy; viewing the different rooms was slow and difficult. The many cruise ships on the Nile all dock for a few hours near this temple. It is an easy walk from the dock so very popular.

Norman's last picture here was of the Nilometer. This gauge measured the level of the water in the Nile which was used to determine taxes due.