Second Day in Luxor - Ballooning and the Valley of the Kings

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The entire day was spent on the west bank.

Ballooning over Luxor

We rose very early, long before sunrise, to take a ferry across the river. Tea and cookies were provided. From here, we took a shuttle bus to the hot air balloons. There were many more balloons than I expected, showing how popular this activity has become.

Climbing into the balloons was an adventure of its own. Each balloon basket had 4 compartments, each of which could hold 4-5 people. I helped my mom into one, but somehow she ended up with one leg up and the other down in a ballet split! After getting in the balloon, we learned we would have to squat during landing. I felt very glad I have kept up with my yoga practice.

Although it was cold outside, the balloon's gas fire kept us pretty warm. I wrapped my mom's scarf around my head to keep my ears warm. We started to soar over Luxor, with the sun rising across the Nile. From here, the distinct line where the green, fertile fields met the brown desert and hills was very clear. We could see all sorts of ruins. But the most fun part? Soaring over an Egyptian farmhouse, and watching a little dog climb about on its walls. We also got to see the tops of many houses, some with lovely roof decks. It was like peering into a dollhouse. I remember a very similar feeling when I did para-gliding over the rooftops of Lima, Peru.

Valley of the Kings

After the balloon ride, we met up with the rest of our tour group to tour the valley of the kings. Now, I had been imagining it the way I had seen it in countless National Geographic specials - cresting over the hill on a donkey, as the sun rises, with an empty valley stretching before us, having to find the dark tunnels where the tombs are. But it's more like going into Disney World's version of Egypt. There is a big bus parking lot. Then you can take the tram to the tombs - we chose to walk. With your ticket, you can visit up to three different tombs. Unfortunately, ours were predetermined by our guide, even though he didn't enter them with us. He seemed to choose all the ones with really long lines. Entering them was like...like going to the New England Aquarium during school vacation week. You walk in, face pressed up to the glass, behind which are the carvings and paintings. Everything has a nice hand rail and the downward slope has little steps to help you gain traction. Anything interesting is naturally blocked off from access. I'm sure this is all for the good of the tombs, but it doesn't exactly make you feel like Indiana Jones!

Alabaster Factory

Did you really think we'd escape without another factory tour? Of course not! We had to learn about alabaster, something I had never even thought about prior to visiting Egypt. I was still pretty sick, with my nose constantly running and feeling like I wanted to just lie on the floor. So I was less than enthused about alabaster. The only thing that interested me was an alabaster ceremonial dagger, that I probably couldn't have gotten back through customs.

Queen Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple

This would have been really cool too, had it not been covered with millions of tiny people. It's a huge huge site. There's a tram here too because most fat-ass people can't be bothered to walk the short distance from the parking lot to the site. I'm sorry if I sound cynical but this is how I was feeling that day. The crowds are unbelievable and everyone is in a huge tour group. Our small group of 15 is dwarfed by these other groups, and their giant flags and clipboards with which they lead their cattle around. I was so overwhelmed by the tourists that I couldn't enjoy the ruin. You couldn't stand and watch something without people pushing around you, surging like a tsunami. It was impossible to feel any real peace in what should have been a very peaceful place.

It was however very cool to learn about Queen Hatshepsut's life, including her trading expedition into sub-saharan Africa.

Remainder of Day

I was very very sick, so we ended up spending the rest of the afternoon on the cruise ship, reading in our cabin. I had no idea at the time how very long i would be on the cruise ship. Overall though I didn't know what else I could do in Luxor. I didn't want to go all the way to the West Bank, even though I would have liked to have seen the Valley of the Nobles. Our guide, in passing, said there was nothing there, but in fact, there are some really cool everyday life paintings, plus the valley of the nobles is not overrun with tour groups. But it's easier to say "there's nothing there" I suppose. Overall, I was disappointed by Egypt at this point, disappointed by my experience because I had expected so much for my whole life.

We did meet a cool felucca captain, whom we chatted with for a while, despite my illness and talked about philosophy, religion and travelling. He had been all over Europe and his goal was to go to Alaska someday. I told him he could run a boat there as well.

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Photos

Balloons rising over Luxor
Hot Air balloons at dawn

Egyptian dollhouse
feels like you could reach in and move the people around...

Intrepid Explorers
That's us! Yes, I completely lost my fashion sense in Egypt. Snuggled up in my mom's oversized fleece pullover, I look distinctly not at all like myself. And yet, there is a distinct comfort with this look - it's how I dressed in high school.

Hatshepsut's Mortuary temple
rest in peace....NOT.

Look, over here!
Check it out, I found ONE corner of this temple that doesn't have people in it!