There's one lock on the Nile, and we got to go through it. I'm pretty certain this is the first time Carol and I have ever been through a lock, and it's more interesting, and entertaining, than I expected.
It is the Esna Lock, which essentially connects the Aswan region with the Luxor region. It didn't open until 1998, which makes me wonder what they did for shipping and cruises before then. There is a water differential of nearly 26 feet. It takes six minutes to fill (or empty). Since we were cruising up river to Lower Egypt, our ship was lowered, along with a barge that followed us into the lock. It is 55 feet wide, and a robust 725 feet long.
Editor: You have no idea if a 725 foot long lock is "robust," "average," or "puny." Writer: It seems long, so I'm sticking with "robust"!
It was neat watching the water drain down so the lower gates could open. It seemed to start slow and then move very, very quickly once things got going.
The entertainment was provided by guys on little rowboats. They came right up to our ship, cajoling us on the top outside deck to buy colorful blankets. When someone showed the slightest interest in a blanket, they would bag it and heave it up the five floors to the people. These guys had NFL quality arms in terms of strength, although the aim was a bit scattershot.
By the time the blankets reached the top level, they weren't moving at a high rate of speed, so those people who were not paying attention were not hurt, just stunned by surprise, when they got hit by a flying blanket. People would look at the blanket, and if no one wanted it, throw it back down. Only one landed in the water -- most fell short into the front of the ship at the lowest level, where the workers would hand it back to the guys on the boat.
Neil made a sport out of catching the blankets, and was particularly adept at the tip drill. The blanket would ricochet off an unsuspecting passenger and Neil would snag the tip. It was pretty impressive. None came near me, so I was unable to impress any NFL scouts on the ship. Neil has a tryout with the Texans after we are back.
I was so amused watching them throw the blankets up that I didn't get any photos of the show they put on, but I will always have it in my mind's eye.
Editor: Fat lot of good that does your readers. Writer: Hey, they can (and should) take their own Nile River cruise!
I don't remember seeing the guys make a sale, but they worked their butts off. In the words of Garth Brooks, it's a hard way to make an easy living.
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