Daraw’s Camel Market & Kom Ombo Temple

We tied up around 0200 near Daraw. When I woke around 0700, I was offered a simple breakfast after which I took a tutuk to the camel market. This is a Sat/Sun event (it isn’t too clear) but there was certainly a fullhouse of camels and camel traders on this Sun morning. Planning is essential for events like this.

This market was by far busier than that in Omdurman, a suburb of Khartoum. It is as good as the one in Imbaba in Cairo some 22 years ago on my first visit to the country.

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: My felucca.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

: At Daraw’s camel market; hobbled to stop them from running away.

: At Daraw’s camel market; I don’t know why camels froth in their mouth sometimes.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

: At Daraw’s camel market.

It was a further one hour sailing to Kom Ombo Temple and the Crocodile Museum (which housed numerous mummies of crocs, as they were seen as incarnations of the local crocodile god Sobek). I was the only visitor there. It’s pretty sad seeing all the trinket shops and restaurants there closed.

After my visit there, we had a super calm period and Ahmad had to row a little using a wooden pole. Eventually the wind picked up again later in the afternoon and we were on our way, finishing up in a place called Fares where a car/passenger ferry operated.

Ahmad made a dinner of fatta tonight, consisting of lentil soup with shredded bread. It was rather different compared to the sweet Yemeni fatta which I had been exposed to. Nevertheless, it was yummier than rice.