Another day dawns sunny and hot over this beautiful city. We really do think that Aswan is a fantastic place, it is attractive, the people seem very friendly and it is easy and pleasant to stroll around. Today is a day to see a slightly different aspect of the area, with a morning "messing about in boats". The plan is to start with a ride on a felucca - the traditional Nile sailing boats - but, just our luck, a lack of wind means we have to be towed by a motorboat! Still, it is great to be on the water, with excellent views of city, desert and the monuments and tombs on the West bank. Our first stop is Kitchener Island, where the famous British general had a home and established the botanical garden that is still there today. A lazy stroll through the gardens and along the river includes one of the gardeners showing us some of the plants and letting us smell their leaves - ginger and sandalwood, two smells I really like as it happens. We continue on our way with a trip among the many rocky islands on this section of the Nile. We see a water buffalo (well, it's head above the water anyway), and other cattle grazing on the banks, as well as lots of agricultural activity. At one point, we are surprised to see a young kid hitching a ride on the back of the boat - in the river! He is using some kind of sheet of material as a makeshift "surfboard" and getting a tow as we cruise along. Another soon appears, this time in a small wooden boat and, once he has established we are English, starts to sing at the top of his lungs "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and "Aye Aye Yippee", joined by his (thankfully) more tuneful friend. Their enthusiasm and cheekiness earn them a bit of pocket money as they sing us on our way. Eventually, we circle back to Elephantine Island, where we disembark to look around the large Nubian village on the island (which you cannot get to from our hotel, closed off behind its walls at the far end of the island). Before reaching the actual village, we get a good look at some of their activities - boatbuilding and, especially, agriculture, as Magdi points out the different crops and we get to smell the leaves of the different fruit trees, as well as finding out about their irrigation systems. In the village itself, we see people going about their business, and quite a few children, although the school is closed for the holidays. Sally-Jayne has already decided we are coming back some time so she can visit an Egyptian school! All the kids seem so happy, playing in the fields and the streets with whatever they can find, no expensive toys to be seen but no doubt they are content. The houses are very interesting, most whitewashed and many with colourful paintings on the walls. The local mosque, in particular, is extremely well tended and, in some ways, more attractive than the ornate, grandiose, examples in the cities. Magdi takes us to a Nubian house for tea and local food sampling, as well as souvenir buying (we pick up more presents here). Apparently, the Nubians here like to keep small crocodiles as pets as a symbol of protection for their houses, returning them to Lake Nasser when they get beyond a certain size. The owner of this house has two, and we pose for the inevitable pictures. Tea is delicious and the local bread too. The sweet molasses dip is nice for a mouthful but too sickly for us, while I enjoy the salty cheese dip more. Returning to the boat, we sail along the island to the hotel for lunchtime. As we promised ourselves and the waiter, we head over to the Aswan Moon for lunch. Although the English translations on the menu are not fully explanatory, we order what we think sounds good and, to our delight, it matches the great surroundings. Absolutely delicious! Siesta time is followed by ice creams, a spell lounging by the hotel pool and a swim - I could get used to swimming in such warm air, with a view of the city's skyline across the Nile on one side and the desert on the other! Our evening is once again spent in the city itself - we decide to take a walk around the local's market area this time. This turns out to be a good decision - we really enjoy strolling along with the chance to look at shops and stalls without being harangued to buy things! We also stop at a local coffee shop for the first time, where I enjoy a mint tea whilst watching the world go by. Our stroll through the tourist market, needless to say, is a marked contrast, but we take it in good humour again. As we walk along the street away from the markets, we spy a familiar grinning face - Mohammed, the son of last night's carriage driver. He seems a really nice kid, and speaks excellent English. After giving us an update on their horse's welfare and calling me Rambo lots of times (not sure why, one of the market traders we saw while with them yesterday started it off), he and his little friend pull out some fake-papyrus bookmarks to sell us. Of course, we don't really want them, but it is worth a couple of pounds to see their grinning faces and spend a bit of time talking to them. By this time, we realise we have worked up an appetite. Unsure where to go to eat, we opt for the safe and familiar choice - a second visit of the day to Aswan Moon, where the food is just as delicious as at lunchtime. It is shame we are leaving tomorrow, we could happily spend several more days working our way through the menu. Generally, we will actually be sad to leave Aswan behind. Much as we are looking forward to the rest of the trip, we both love it here.