Day 9 - Luxor

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Early start today for our adventure into The Valley of the Kings. After a nice non-breakfast box breakfast at the hotel we caught a boat across the Nile to the west bank where we waited a while as some our group had gone on a sunrise balloon ride. Once all the group were together we were sized up for our donkeys which would be our transport into The Valley of the King. The donkey ride is definitely in our top 5 favorite things we have done in Egypt! It was a morning filled with so much laughter and entertainment with people (Gray included) coming off their donkeys. Danae one of the many lovely Australians on our tour had the best fall of all with her donkey collapsing underneath her - she escape with little injury!!! Overall the donkeys were very well behaved and was experience thoroughly enjoyed by all!!!! At the Valley of Kings we meant up with Adel again our brilliant tour guide that showed us through Karnak Temple yesterday. He took us to three tombs including Ramses I and Ramses IV. The tombs were amazing especially the colours in the tomb of Ramses IV. Once again Adel filled us with lots of Egyptian history and information and it was sad to say goodbye to him as he has made Egypt come alive for us!!

After lunch and a shower we headed off to Aswan which was suppose to be an escorted convoy of buses of which we ended up being the only bus. We were a little concerned about the police escort initially as it was the first time in Egypt that we became a little worried about our safety but after our tour leader Shady explained to us that is was just a precaution following an incidence in 2004 we were okay. It was funny traveling along in a mini bus with a police car in front and one behind sounding their sirens. The escort only lasted about an hour into our trip before they ditched us with only one armed guard who traveled on our bus for the rest of way.

Arrived in Aswan safely and it one piece apart Graham who has some nasty donkey chafe from the ride this morning. After a group discussion of tomorrow’s itinerary and a shower we headed out to dinner for more Egyptian cuisine - very nice we had shish kebab. Went to bed as we have an early start tomorrow to visit Abu Simbel which is a 3 hour drive south of Aswan.

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