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Published: August 8th 2007
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The tour we were booked on this morning didnt turn up. After hassling the guy in the hostel for a bit - he wasnt bothered that we had paid already! - he spoke to someone on the phone then wandered into the street and flagged down the first passing minibus full of tourists. This he claimed was our tour, but... still, it was going where we wanted to go.
We drove about 7km from Luxor until we reached a bridge over the Nile. Then of course, we had to drive all the way back again as the tombs we were going to are pretty much across from Karnak.
We went to the Valley of the Queens first, a bit of a misnomer as there are not only Queens buried here but also high officials and royal children, and went into two tombs. The first was the tomb of Amun-Hir-Khopshef. He was given a royal burial and portrayed as a prince even though he died in infancy. As well as murals, hieroglyphics and a sarcophagus, there is a glass case with a shrivelled foetus in, supposedly his mother lost it in her grief - weird! Next was the tomb of
Queen Titi, wife of one of the Ramessid pharaohs (XXth dynasty). The murals are faded and/or damaged.
Next was the Valley of the Kings, set in the dry Theban hills away from other parts of the necropolis. The tour took us to 3 of the 64 tombs, and we didnt get to choose which ones. First up (down?!) was the tomb of Ramses IV with plenty of colourful inscriptions and Roman and Coptic graffiti. Next was the tomb of Ramses III, long and very impressive. Awesome murals on the walls of the long corridor. Lastly was the tomb of Amenophis II, one of the deepest tombs in the valley. It got very hot and stuffy once we got down to the lower level which contained the sarcophagus and some excellent hieroglyphics. To distract grave robbers there was a false burial chamber and a deep pit - now bridged so we could all cross.
As this was a tour, we were then rushed to an alabaster carving factory, but werent really given a hard sell. I dont think anyone bought anything!
Next was the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepshut, the only (?) woman to have reigned in Egypt as
pharaoh. A very impressive temple, but by then it was getting really hot out.
On the way back to Luxor, we stopped briefy at the Colossi of Memnon, a pair of 18m high enthroned statues.
We decided to change hostels that afternoon. There was nothing specific wrong with Hotel Venus, we just werent comfortable there. I quickly went round to the nearest cheap hostel, Hotel Nefertiti, rated in the guidebook but listed as more expensive. It turned out to be the same price, and much nicer, so of course, we moved.
In the evening, we met up with another couple from todays trip, and watched the sunset from the roof "bar" of the hotel. It overlooks Luxor temple and the Nile. We tried two 'typical' Egyptian drinks - non-alcoholic - and both were really nice and refreshing. Karkaday - a deep red infusion of hibiscus flowers, and Sahleb - a milky drink with nuts, raisins and seeds (hot, sweet but not sugary, with few nuts or raisins).
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