We continue to visit fascinating places….those I’ve dreamed of most of my life.
Because of security issues all over Egypt, any tourist bus has an armed guard. You can quickly identify him as he is dressed in a suit and tie. In Giza, we had a young guard named Ibriham, a new father of a month old son. He told us he carried a small pistol in his pocket… very reassuring!! He shared with us that he was from a small village two hours away from Cairo. The tour guides teased him at lunch wondering where he put all the food he ate. We wondered if it was one of a few big meals he had had.
Our caravan of 15 busses left Safaga at 9:00am on Tuesday. We were in Bus #1. Our trip traveled through the mountains and desert of Egypt. Many say it looks like Arizona. As we got closer to the Nile, green appeared as we were in the farm region, lots of sugar cane (looked like corn to me) and palm trees abundant. Farmers in their long flowing robes and turbans affixed to their heads, they toiled in the fields. The Egyptians use donkeys to pull the carts taking hay to put on top of their roofs. Very 3rd world. As we heard from our guide, homes aren’t usually ever painted or finished in Egypt. Once completed, families had to pay taxes on them. So we saw many homes without paned windows or roofs. Straw is used on the top floors as a covering. I suspect these rooms are used a rooftop areas for a nice evening breeze to finish the day.
Our three hour drive finished in Luxor and we arrived at the famous Luxor Temple. It was just amazing to see all the carved statues and etched walls still intact from the 13th century BC. This was the first time while visiting Egyptian treasures that I really felt squeezed in. It was a closed in location with many people around.
After lunch we travelled to the Valley of the Kings and were able to enter four tombs. After all these years, the color was still on the walls. Many faces had been removed as the people that followed the pharaohs actually lived in these tombs, some protecting their kings, others robbing them. Those who lived there later chopped off the faces because it was thought that the figures with faces could come back to life and do evil things. Without a face, they could not come back. Lucky for us, many of the patterns were repeated higher up and the wonderful are remains for us to enjoy today. We were not permitted to take photographs inside the tombs, but the memories remain in my head. As we walked down into some of the tombs, handrails were available so I was able to walk safely and look up and around at the magnificent drawings on the walls and ceilings. I so wanted to touch the walls, but remembered Randy telling me of a woman he encountered at the NC Art Museum actually touching a Monet. Who would think of doing such a thing! I just couldn’t touch the walls of these burial tombs.
On our way back to our hotel, we had brief stops at the Valley of the Queens and the Colossi of Memnon. We certainly lucked up in our room at the Sonesta Hotel in Luxor. All rooms had a Nile view, but Crystal and I had a three balcony suite with whirlpool tub. After our room in Petra, this one was really special. We were fortunate to get into our room right as the sun was setting. How gorgeous!
Dinner that night was a special event for the 80 full cruisers. We were taken back over to the west side of the Nile near the Valley of the Queens and had one of the most memorable dinners in the Habu Temple. The lighting, beautifully set tables and the aria from Aida played powerfully as we entered the temple. We all felt very regal. It was a delightful evening with a trio playing for us. The topper was the full moon slowly rising over the top of the temple as the night wore on.
To be continuted…..
Because of security issues all over Egypt, any tourist bus has an armed guard. You can quickly identify him as he is dressed in a suit and tie. In Giza, we had a young guard named Ibriham, a new father of a month old son. He told us he carried a small pistol in his pocket… very reassuring!! He shared with us that he was from a small village two hours away from Cairo. The tour guides teased him at lunch wondering where he put all the food he ate. We wondered if it was one of a few big meals he had had.
Our caravan of 15 busses left Safaga at 9:00am on Tuesday. We were in Bus #1. Our trip traveled through the mountains and desert of Egypt. Many say it looks like Arizona. As we got closer to the Nile, green appeared as we were in the farm region, lots of sugar cane (looked like corn to me) and palm trees abundant. Farmers in their long flowing robes and turbans affixed to their heads, they toiled in the fields. The Egyptians use donkeys to pull the carts taking hay to put on top of their roofs. Very 3rd world. As we heard from our guide, homes aren’t usually ever painted or finished in Egypt. Once completed, families had to pay taxes on them. So we saw many homes without paned windows or roofs. Straw is used on the top floors as a covering. I suspect these rooms are used a rooftop areas for a nice evening breeze to finish the day.
Our three hour drive finished in Luxor and we arrived at the famous Luxor Temple. It was just amazing to see all the carved statues and etched walls still intact from the 13th century BC. This was the first time while visiting Egyptian treasures that I really felt squeezed in. It was a closed in location with many people around.
After lunch we travelled to the Valley of the Kings and were able to enter four tombs. After all these years, the color was still on the walls. Many faces had been removed as the people that followed the pharaohs actually lived in these tombs, some protecting their kings, others robbing them. Those who lived there later chopped off the faces because it was thought that the figures with faces could come back to life and do evil things. Without a face, they could not come back. Lucky for us, many of the patterns were repeated higher up and the wonderful are remains for us to enjoy today. We were not permitted to take photographs inside the tombs, but the memories remain in my head. As we walked down into some of the tombs, handrails were available so I was able to walk safely and look up and around at the magnificent drawings on the walls and ceilings. I so wanted to touch the walls, but remembered Randy telling me of a woman he encountered at the NC Art Museum actually touching a Monet. Who would think of doing such a thing! I just couldn’t touch the walls of these burial tombs.
On our way back to our hotel, we had brief stops at the Valley of the Queens and the Colossi of Memnon. We certainly lucked up in our room at the Sonesta Hotel in Luxor. All rooms had a Nile view, but Crystal and I had a three balcony suite with whirlpool tub. After our room in Petra, this one was really special. We were fortunate to get into our room right as the sun was setting. How gorgeous!
Dinner that night was a special event for the 80 full cruisers. We were taken back over to the west side of the Nile near the Valley of the Queens and had one of the most memorable dinners in the Habu Temple. The lighting, beautifully set tables and the aria from Aida played powerfully as we entered the temple. We all felt very regal. It was a delightful evening with a trio playing for us. The topper was the full moon slowly rising over the top of the temple as the night wore on.
To be continuted…..
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