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Before I embarked on the feluca, where I was to eat, sleep and live for the following two days while sailing down the Nile, I had the pleasure of being the guest of a homestay on Elephantine Island.

A “homestay” is literally what its name implies: a local family open their doors to you for a very good price, and let you live with them for a while. I was placed in a large salon, with a curtain for a door, and I slept on a mat laid out on the sand floor. I was given two blankets to keep me warm, as it was an open air room.

In the main room, I was greeted by a little girl who was afraid of the baby crocodiles her daddy kept in an aquarium. She was even more scared when I was prompted to pick one of them up.

Her father was an excellent cook and host.  For both breakfast and dinner, we sat on the floor of the main hall and ate delicious lentils, fried chicken, rice, and stewed vegetables. The rest of the time was spent taking in great views from the rooftop terrace of the sun setting on the Nile.

Now living on the Feluca itself was an adventure. Our feluca, operated by the same family,  was really nothing more than a large, floating mattress, with a small,gas burner for cooking and an experienced sailor directing our sails. It was very windy, and I was once again given blankets to keep warm at night. Bathroom stops consisted of pulling up to the shore and finding a bush or tree that would best keep your privacy. Showers were not an option unless bathing in the freezing and polluted Nile appealed to you.

It was amazing sailing from Aswan up the Nile towards Luxor. We ended the adventure by disembarking at Kom Ombo to see the great Nubian temple of the crocodile god Sobek.

The feluca definitely provided an interesting twist to “camping under the stars” and was the most memorable experience of my trip to Egypt.  Since I love being on boats or near the water, it was a great way to witness Egyptian life.

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