She's back!

Sorry for the delay in updates, but I have been wandering for the last few days and haven’t been able to log in. After two heavenly days at the Dead Sea, Amil and I parted ways at the airport in Amman (actually, at the Starbucks in the airport at Amman), and I flew back to Cairo.
Saturday night I took the so-called ‘Sleeping Train’ from Cairo to Luxor. Like everything else in Egypt, the sleeping train inevitably runs late yet at the same time requires one to get up at an ungodly early hour in the morning (it arrives in Luxor around 7am, meaning breakfast- if you can call it that- is served at 6). Thankfully, the facilities didn’t cause me to relive my nightmares of similar trains in China.
My first day in ancient Thebes was relatively uneventful. In the morning I made a quick visit to the souq, after which I took a quick peek at Luxor Temple (it would almost take more effort not to see it, as it is in the center of town), then had a nap before going down to the hotel dock to wait for the felucca that would take me, in Cleopatra-like fashion, to the riding stab les (I had booked a three-hour sunset ride through the desert, including a visit to some temples).
The souq in Luxor only differs from all the other souqs around the Middle East in its location. Otherwise, you will find the same t-shirts, Egyptian cotton scarves and pjs, and what I can only assume are meant to be belly dancing costumes, that you would find for sale in Istanbul, Damascus, Cairo, or Amman. Still, the souqs avoid being boring mainly due to the creative and always amusing machinations of the hawkers, who manage to combine offers of discounts with marriage proposals, all with the same ease with which I might ask for cream with my coffee or milk for my tea (‘Good morning. I am single!’, ‘Good price. Will you be my wife?’, and ‘Cotton scarves? Egyptian husband?’ being some of my favorites from this morning).
The ride did not disappoint, although I think the guide was surprised when I was more excited to see the ancient monastery than to see the temples and ruins. Riding up to the monastery, which, while ancient and isolated is still functional, was like something out of my imagination. At first I imagined that my experience (on horseback) would have been very like that of pilgrim of ages past, but then my need for historical accuracy interfered (someone correct me if I am wrong, but Thebes is too far west for the pilgrimage routes?) and I had to settle for less glamorous, but more plausible, imaginings. I concluded that my options were limited to being a harlot attached to a crusading army or (heaven forbid) the monastery itself.
The felucca ride back to the East Bank was a treat as it was after dark and the captain let me sit on the roof until we ran into the police boat. And, when I got back to my hotel room, I found quite a show going on below my balcony.

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Part of trip: Egypt and Jordan (and who knows what else?)

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