Laxing in Luxor

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From the airport our friend Nadim's coordinator, Ahmed, takes us to our exotic accommodation in Luxor - a felucca moored on the bank of the Nile river. The Nile Breeze is a classic Nile river sailing boat that sleeps up to twelve people. It's companion motor boat is used for ferrying, as a kitchen and is complete with a chef and a boatman who doubles as a waiter. Already set up for us is a romantic cabin on deck. Perfect.

We spend a couple of hours lounging and planning our attack on Luxor, before meeting our local guide Heba. We start on the east bank of the Nile where she takes us to the remains of Karnak and Luxor temples both built over three thousand years ago and situated in the middle of the city. They are impressive with lines of sphinxes (or is that sphinxi?), huge statues, obelisks, rows of massive columns and lots of beautifully carved hieroglyphics, some still with the original paint.

We visit Karnak temple again after dark for the Sound and Light show. It is surreal standing under the stars in front of the rows of sphinx and the huge entrance wall listening to the call to prayer from numerous mosques around the temple. When this ends the sound system kicks in, the floodlights come on and the show begins. Lighting effects, images projected on structures and an accompanying voice over provide a unique insight into the history of Luxor as we move through the huge temple complex.

The next morning we are up early again excited about another new experience, something that none of us has tried before. It's transport without motor, flight without wings and involves even more hot air than usual. A ride over the Valley of the Kings in a hot air balloon, and it's even more amazing than it sounds. The pilot has great control and takes us up high over the Nile and down so low we brush the tops of the sugar cane. The views are superb. Green fields clustered around the river, ancient temples, burial chambers and excavation sites scattered through the hills and extending as far as the eye can see, dusty dry desert. Wow. The landing is more gentle than we expect with the many hands of the local ground crew holding the basket steady until the balloon is deflated.

We spend the rest of the day exploring the west bank of the Nile with another local guide. This is where royalty and nobility were buried in the time of the Pharaohs. It's hot outside and even hotter as we descend into the burial chambers in the Valley of the Kings. The walls and ceilings are beautifully carved and painted with elaborate scenes from the after life. Although the guide explains much of the history it's a lot to take in for us novice Egyptologists. Fortunately you don't need to understand the hieroglyphics to be fascinated by it all.

Nearby under towering cliffs the temple of Queen Hatshepsut is being restored by the Egyptian government. As in some of the other temples, here there is evidence of different religions using the site with ancient 'graffiti' and faces deliberately erased. However this is all part of it's history and it still has many superb carved and painted hieroglyphics.

We have time to see present day local art too when we visit an alabaster shop. It's interesting to watch the craftsmen at work and hear how the rocks are transformed into delicate pieces. Keith has fun trying his hand at part of the process.

You'd think we'd be all templed out by this stage but we visit one last temple, Habu, and are pleasantly surprised by the stone work. And as at all the temples there are numerous 'guardians' spread about, providing amusing interaction opportunities as they attempt to herd us into 'special' tombs or encourage us to touch good luck hieroglyphics. Of course money is demanded for this service and we become quite adept at spotting these touts and deflecting their advances.

It's been an action packed day and we are grateful to be whisked back across the Nile to yet another lovely home cooked meal on our boat. The water is calm apart from the wake of passing ferries and we watch other feluccas glide by as the sun sets across the Nile.

We'd love to stay on but the Red Sea is calling, so it's off to Hurghada. Keith was here when the town was small but now it's packed with hotels and difficult to access the water front. We head out on a charter boat for two fun dives, enjoying the warmth of the water and the company of beautiful reef fish with a bonus visit from a pod of dolphins.

Before we know it it's our last day in Egypt, the first day of the local Islamic feast. The tradition is to home kill livestock this morning and we see this in action from our hotel. Luckily the feast holiday means the roads are empty so we make good time back to Cairo for our flight out.

Although it's been a very short visit to Egypt our seven days here have been action packed. The hustle and bustle of Cairo, the languor of the Nile, the heat of the Valley of the Kings, the cooling breeze of the Red Sea and through it all the weight of thousands of years of very evident history. Yet again it's made a huge difference having a generous local friend and we've been helped by numerous friendly locals.

Next stop Kenya.

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Photos

The Nile Breeze
Our home on the Nile

Before and after
Alabaster urns

Detailed columns
Habu temple