Nile Cruise, Day 2: Edfu Temple and Arrival in Luxor

Early Sunday morning at 5 a.m., just as the sun begins to rise, our cruise ship docks in Edfu. The light is still soft as we hop into a tuk-tuk and head toward the Temple of Edfu — the second-largest temple in Egypt.

Dedicated to Horus, the powerful falcon god, the temple is one of the best-preserved ancient structures in the country. Walking through its massive stone gateway and into the courtyard, it is easy to feel the scale and authority the place once represented. Like many major Egyptian temples, Edfu was built during the reign of the Ptolemaic dynasty (237–57 BC), founded by one of Alexander the Great’s generals. The blend of ancient Egyptian religious tradition and later Hellenistic influence gives the site a unique historical depth.

Back on the ship, during breakfast, the housekeeping staff had folded our towels into the shape of a monkey — a small, playful detail amid the weight of ancient history.

By evening, we arrive in Luxor. To reach our accommodation, we take a ferry across the Nile to the east bank. On board, we meet Ahmed — an engineering student who sells socks on the ferry to finance his studies.

Ahmed speaks excellent English and eagerly discusses both thermal energy engineering, which he studies at university, and programming. On weekends, he travels from another city to sell socks, using the income not only to support himself but also to help his family. He is also learning German, planning to move to Germany after graduation for work. Confidently, he tells us he knows students who have learned German in six months — so mastering it within a year should be no problem for him.

He turns sock-selling into a performance — joking with local passengers, entertaining the entire ferry, and drawing attention from everyone on board. People are visibly impressed that the “sock guy” speaks fluent English with tourists. When we hear the price per pair — just a few euro cents — it makes us wonder how much one can realistically earn from such a business. Still, his determination and optimism are unmistakable.

We wish him good luck and say goodbye.

Later, we finally reach our apartment on Luxor’s east bank.