After checking in at my hotel in Luxor (one of Egypt's past capitals) I had time to check out the Luxor Temple which was nice.
I had just enough time to speed walk around and take photo's, I was very satisfied with the days achievement (3 large temples). If there were some aspects of this exceptional day that I could change it would be to lower the temperature 20 degrees from 45 down to 25, and rid the streets of some of the hustlers. Luxor is well known for the relentless pestering by men who are trying to make money from the tourist, there is always the option of calling the tourist police.
On the next morning a van driver picked myself and 8 other tourist up at the hotel for a tour of the Valley of the Kings. I had no idea what a workout day this was going to be but I knew that it would be close to 50 degrees. We crossed the Nile and proceeded about 5 kms. to the Valley of the Kings where we all got out at the gate. We were given 3 tickets each for admission to the tombs that a guide was going to take the group to. I asked the van driver what time we were to be back at the gate and he did not understand what I was trying to say. After a few minutes I found out that we had 2 hours of shuffling along with the tour group before leaving. I said "okay, I will be back in 2 hours", pointing to his watch; off I went. I sped walked around and chose my tombs to view, a couple had line ups so they were probably the tombs of Ramses Vl or Tuthmosis 111. There were also cordoned off areas where archaeologist researchers were busy discovering ancient treasures. The tombs were fantastic, some of the most preserved and famous tombs in the country; the hieroglyphics were superb.
After viewing the tombs I headed up the mountain, it was so hot. Once I got to the top I was a bit dizzy but rewarded with a panoramic view of the entire Valley of the Kings.
Not only did I get that view; when I looked down the other side of the mountain I was directly above the Temple of Hatshepsut.
Hatshepsut was one of the 13 female pharoahs that were thought to have ruled this ancient civilization. This was yet another view that gets me excited when I reminisce about the experience, a camera does not do the captured images any justice. There were 2 grey fox on the mountain, I startled one while another startled me. Once I got down to the gate my clothes were drenched with sweat, the other tourists could not believe that I could get up there (not that difficult I thought to myself).
After the Kings Valley we went to the Temple of Hatshepsut where I climbed up to tombs (that were closed), so I got a picture of the temple from a different angle; this temple was nice.
After this site we went to the Valley of the Queens where we got to go into 3 more tombs that were very nice. I actually took just over 1,000 photo's in Egypt, none with me in them. The structures which contain ancient paintings and carvings are really something to be seen, I feel blessed. After the Valley of the Queens we headed back to the hotel where I stalked up on water and sat down in my room for about 20 minutes before heading out myself to discover more of what Luxor had to offer.
I walked to the Temple of Karnak which also houses the Temple of Mut, the Amun Temple, and the Avenue of Sphinxes. The enormity of this place is jaw dropping. There are hundreds of huge columns, many in poor shape, but also many in good shape that clearly tell a story through the hieroglyphics etched on them. I tried to cover ever square inch of this complex and take in the scenes as best I could.
For the last hour that the Temple site remained open there were very few tourists so I could just sit by myself and relish the experience. I went back to the hotel for a rest and when I returned to the street I turned around and went right back to my room with the air conditioner; I passed our early.
The next morning I woke up about 3 am, it was going to be my last day in Luxor. I hit the streets; even at that time there were guys trying to rent me a bicycle or take me for a boat ride, or taxi me around. I loaded the 2 pound (20 cents) ferry and crossed the Nile. It was so early so I walked around a small village where I met some local kids. There were some tombs at the top of the hill behind the village so a couple of young girls escorted me up there, I give them a few pounds. There was a woman (mom of the one girl) who was trying to sell souvenirs out of her home, I told her I would come back later when I was done with my day.I went to the Habu Temple which was pretty good, then to the Siti Temple, finishing off at the Merenptan Temple; which was basically old ruins. I visited 3 tomb sites; Tombs of Mena, Nakht, and Al Khavkha, they were in very good condition.
When I was finished with my day I returned to the woman's home who was selling souvenirs that she had on a small table in her living room. This ladies name was Fatma and her story told me a lot about the future for women in Egypt; she told me that she wanted to go to school but her husband said no. When I first met Fatma and her daughter she was very relaxed and happy, they were alone in the house. When I returned to Fatma's her brother in-law was there and he was so controlling that it was abusive. I could not understand the language but I saw he was very aggressive and she was afraid of him; even if he was the husband he really crossed the line with his abuse. Once I picked what I was going to buy then he went out of the house and Fatma looked so relieved, she was a very nice lady and I am glad I bought many things from her.
I mentioned the stifling heat and I mentioned the relentless buggers who were hounding all of the tourists; even taking those two aspects into consideration I would have to say that Luxor, and the surrounding area, is just incredible.
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