Another restful one, all day spent on the boat cruising up the Nile, interspersed by the usual breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets. More beautiful and interesting scenery: banks fringed by rushes and flooded expanses; small towns with children by the edges of the water shouting hello; mosques and distant calls to prayer; tugs pulling big feluccas; banana plantations with a huge bunch of bananas visible from one tree.
Interrupting the gentle cruising was the passage through the lock between the upper and lower Nile. There were long waits with the ship moored up while we awaited our turn to pass through. Men in rowboats took advantage by rowing up to the ship selling scarves. They would throw up a selection and you kept what you wanted, haggling and throwing money back down to the vendors.
Lots of interesting bird life: martins, herons and some kind of white egrets - a whole flock of them on the marshy wetlands. Highlight was the pair of pied kingfishers (seemed to be a cross between a magpie and a woodpecker) flying around the boat and occasionally landing on the railings. The day ended with an amazing sunset as we approached Luxor.
Packed after dinner for an early start, before a beer in the bar watching a rather atrocious belly dancer and novelty whirling dervish (all fairy lights and tricks). The musicians were good though.
