THE NILE The Nile is the lifeblood of Egypt.It feeds a narrow band of fertile land around it.It is the longest river in the world. It`s source is in the highlands of East Africa from where it flows to the Egyptian Delta, some 4189 miles (6741 km) away. At the Delta the river splits into several tributaries which flow into the Mediterranean Sea. From Aswan it flows northwards for 560 miles (900 km) until it joins the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Before the building of the Aswan Dam in 1968, the Nile would deposit a wonderfully fertile black silt on the land either side of the river during it`s annual flood. The floods resulted from an increase in rainfall in central Sudan which would swell the White Nile. Shortly afterwards the Blue Nile would also swell due to the monsoons in Ethiopia. These combined swollen river flows made their way up to Egypt and "fed" the land to provide two harvests a year for the Egyptian farmers. Unfortunately the Nile flood could not be easily predicted and the degree of the flood varied wildly over time.The ancient Egyptians built Nilometers to try to predict the floods and allow them to take what action was needed. Sometimes the flood would be insufficient to provide the nutrients that the farmland required and at other times the flood would be devastatingly huge and cause as many problems. Since the Aswan Dam was opened the Nile flow has been controlled and has led to some changes in the way of life of the modern Egyptians. As well as the Nile`s importance in feeding the land, it has also been an important means of transportation in Egypt, back to the Pharaonic times.The river was also home to many fish and birds that formed a part of the diet of the Egyptian people.Along the banks of the river also grow the reeds which are used to make papyrus. The river mud was, and still is, used to make mud bricks for building with. A modern boat transporting building materials along the Nile river. Another important aspect of the Nile is now cruises. Thomas Cook began taking wealthy, adventurous travellers at the end of the 19th century on trips along the Nile and continued to do so until just before the Second World War. After the war it was some time before Nile cruises began again on a regular scale. In 1954 another company, Eastmar, began running cruises along the Nile again.There are now hundreds of different cruise ships on the Nile, run by many different companies including Thomas Cook. They do differ in their degree of comfort and opulence, but still provide a leisurely way of seeing the wonderful scenery and many historic landmarks that lie on the banks of this majestic river. Two modern cruise ships docked at Luxor. A few ferry boats docked on the "east bank" at Luxor waiting to transport people to the "west bank". Below are some photographs of scenes along the Nile taken on my cruise in 2001. One of my personal favorite times to view spectacular scenery is at sunset. In Egypt the light of the sun setting in the west is magical. Below are a few photos taken on the Nile cruise and from the Winter Palace Hotel in Luxor at sunset.