Sailing A Felucca Down the Nile

Lounging on cushions, Z high in the mast above, I watch a kingfisher flutter into a desperate hover, plunge deep into the Nile and emerge with a silvery fish.

And I think: “I like this life of ours. I like it a lot.”

Felucca sailing on the Nile into a blaze of sunlight.

Three days and nights on our own felucca and the Nile: pure zen!

As the river shades from blue to purple ahead of a dazzling sunset, egrets flutter home to roost in the tall rushes.

Sun setting over the east bank of the Nile from a felucca.

Rural life in this narrow strip of green that fringes the desert is calm, gentle, timeless…

Buffalo and donkeys graze on the riverbank. Fishermen sit patient with hook and line in a boat with a tiny sail.

A fishing boat by an island on the Nile.

Children leap from high banks, while their mothers wade into the river from the beach, abaya, shawl, scarf and all…

A baby crocodile paddles below reflecting rushes – the bulrushes of Moses? In Sinai we walked in his footsteps, and now we sail on the river that rocked his cradle.

Rushes reflected in the Nile.

Sailing is never silent. You have the wash of the Nile around the rudder, the whistle and pop of wind in the sails as you tack, the chop, when the river opens out, of baby waves against the hull, the feel, for a moment, of an inland sea until it flattens to millpond smooth.

But sailing comes close to silent. None of the chugging tugs that tow the dahabbiyas. None of the grimy smoke, bilge churn and engine hum of the cruise boats. And so you can watch the birds, and hear the birds.

And see some sights, of course.

Nile view from a rock cut tomb in Gebel Silsila: sandstone frames the river and islets.

At the quarries of Gebel Silsila, where billions of tons of sandstone were carved for ancient temples, shrines and tombs are carved into the rock, with windows where a wandering soul can look out across the Nile.

Palm tree and Nile islands.

There are islands to adventure on. Prehistoric rock art to track down.

And between times, you can just hang out.

Having a laugh on board a felucca.

At the end of the day, cooled and rocked by the Nile, comes one of the best sleeps ever, under stars almost as bright as the light in the Sinai Desert.

12 Responses

  1. Leigh says:

    Sounds like a fabulous time and now that you’ve done it I bet you’d enjoy reading “Down the Bile in a Fisherman’s Skiffy” by Rosemary Mahoney.

    • Theodora says:

      I think I very much would. I’m sitting on Amelia Edwards at the moment, but haven’t even started that.

  2. Barbara says:

    OMG, this brings back SUCH good memories! We were on a similar trip when my middle child was nine. LOL! I’m so glad to see Egypt has calmed down enough to remain its beautiful self. Thanks for your gorgeous pictures!!!!

    • Theodora says:

      It is beautiful. We’ve had some lovely times here. It’s just, somehow, always easiest to put paws to keyboard for the rage bits.

  3. Glad you’ve gotten to the sweet spot. You’ve earned the respite.

    (Z’s still wearing a white shirt?)

    • Theodora says:

      YES! Egyptian laundries are amazing. Still working out how to actually blog the cultural stuff. Because it’s amazing, but I can’t inflict a maelstrom of temples on everyone.

  4. Laurene says:

    Oh wow that looks calming. Beautiful!

    • Theodora says:

      It was very, very zen. Apart from our prehistoric rock art adventure. Which was kind of cool in its way, too.

  5. Wanderplex says:

    This looks immensely relaxing!

  6. Jeff says:

    My favorite memory of Egypt was my 3 day felucca ride. Definitely a must do in Egypt.

    • Theodora says:

      Yes, I would absolutely say so. And the negotiation part wasn’t too painful, either…