luxor

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30-11-7 walk to train station on quiet streets (friday) got tix for night train to luxor/aswan. mats on sidewalk in preparation. brief prayer session at noon. taxi to khan el khalili market narrow crowded filthy. multiple mosques, choking trafic chokig air. version of hell. yet frequent friendly hi and welcome. bad teeth abound and many men have calouses on forehead from praying. vey strange! internet search for couch in luxor and later metro to giza for train.
1-12-7 night train restful awoke to sunrise on cane fields and other crops. arrival station surprised by reggae couch surf bloke. to his hostel met three LA photographers to stars who got motorcycles after much effort, we went along and into luxor temple. ancient splendor still radiates from ruins. going to karnak temple, kate and i hanging on, lost on dusty third world back streets happened on off limits dig site of mut temple. guards let us in so we had it to ourselves - heaps cool. then kate and i went back to hostel for best food in egypt on roof with reggae and long chat, he a charmer and thinker aged 29. evening cafe and back to backpackers the camera guys there drinking vodka showed us pics of valley of kings. reggae disapproving of their raucous behavior. then they were gone - to airport for flight to cairo.

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