We had aimed to be in bed at approx 9pm as our pick up for the flight to Luxor was at 04:30am and we had to be up at 03:30. We got into bed about 10ish. I was woken at 12:30 by Stephen getting a text message. Stephen slept through it (and the subsequent beeping) so I was forced to get up and switch it off. I wasn’t feeling brilliant as the food hadn’t settled and at 2am I was throwing up everything I’d eaten for a week (or so it felt). I drank water and dragged myself back to bed for a hours sleep before we had to get up.
The airport was orderly chaos, but we were shepherded about and down to departures to wait at the gate. I managed to eat a croissant and some water before the flight as my stomach was cramping. I had cramps all through the flight, but they calmed down when we got to the bus (thank goodness!).
Luxor was amazing! The traffic was chaotic…people driving the wrong way up roads – in cars, buses and on donkeys, and goats being herded down the street – altogether fascinating and very alien to me. Our first stop was the Valley of the Kings which is a searing dust bowl containing some fascinating burial chambers. We went into 3 chambers and they were seriously stunning. It was hard to imagine that these paintings had not been retouched and restored, the colours were so vivid. We had been warned not to take photos inside and it was a warning worth heeding as some bloke passed me surreptitiously snapping (you could hear the click) and seconds later a guard was hot footing it down after him and taking him outside for a chat. The bloke was denying it, but I think everyone in earshot knew what he’d been up to…a large fine would be heading his way.
Before we got to the exit our guide took us to one side and explained that we’d have to pass through a bazaar in order to get to the bus. It was like something from a Japanese game show!! We were descended upon by hordes of men trying to flog stuff to us. It really was like running the gauntlet! I found the best tactic was to smile, keep moving and keep saying no thank you. I got through pretty quickly, but Stephen got caught up and the guide had to go back and escort him the final few feet in order to get him out!! As we agreed on the bus, if they were less in your face (literally) and allowed you to look you might actually buy something, but as it was its quite irritating/intimidating and you just want to get through it as quickly as possible. Some don’t take no for an answer!
We went to an Alabaster factory which was fun – they had a little routine which they put on which was funny. They were showing us the difference between alabaster ornaments and the ones they try to flog you on the way out of the Valley of the Kings… “Its not alabaster…those are alaplaster”. We bought a bust of Nefertiti as a little souvenir – after much haggling over glasses of mint tea (which Stephen surprised me by drinking!). Afterwards we headed to the Temple of Hatshepsut. This was another interesting place – but one I failed to enjoy so much. The heat in Luxor was something else – certainly in the high 40’s C. I’d drunk a bottle of water in the Valley of the Kings, the one I’d left on the bus was almost hot enough to make tea, but I’d drunk that too…but I was still dry as a bone. Obviously throwing up had left me dehydrated before we even started on the walking about in the baking sun for hours. We got to the temple, made it up one flight of steps and I had to go find shade as I couldn’t have made it up another flight. I could barely summon up saliva! S ran around taking photos and then we headed down to the coffee shop for more water and coke as we were both flagging. The waiter offered Stephen 60 camels and a wife swap…which was a pretty good deal as S started negotiations at 2 camels! I’m guessing that Egyptian men like women with big boobs as there have been a few offers of camels so far!! I have not been called beautiful so much in a while and I have noticed the twins get a lot of attention (even when I’m the most covered up person there!) I don’t know whether I should be happy that S hasn’t traded me in for the camels or offended that he started negotiation at only 2….
After a brief stop at the Colossus of Memnon we went for a cruise down the Nile before lunch. It was lovely - a real break from the traffic and the heat!
Lunch was a low point. There wasn’t much left when we got there and the rolls etc were stale. The chafing dishes were all open too so I basically picked at a spoonful of rice, a spoonful of pasta and a spoonful of undercooked potatoes. Mmmmm delicious! My OCD tendencies were rather challenged by the toilets too… I was glad when it was time to head to the Temple of Karnak.
This place was incredible! Our Egyptologist took us round and explained the significance of the various cartouche and hieroglyphics and the history…a lot of which was sadly lost on many of us as it was 45+C, she picked the sunny spots to impart her knowledge and we were all half dead with heat exhaustion! We got some time to take photos and S was running about, handing out small bills and being rewarded with information on the best places to stand to get photos and being allowed to climb up on things!. I took a few desultory snaps (some of which were lucky) and took my water to a shady bench to wait for him…or death, whichever came first! That was about it for me! I didn’t tour the perfume factory, the papyrus factory or the Temple of Luxor. By that point I could barely stay awake, I felt like I was coming down with a cold and my chest was wheezy…all of which is not good! I had drunk about 5 litres of water and only had to wee twice the whole day. I think we were all suffering from the heat and dehydration come the late afternoon.
The flight back was interesting. For a start we taxied out to the runway at near takeoff speeds! It wasn’t until we swung round a corner did I realize that we weren’t on the actual runway! And the landing was fun! Stephen told me later that the pilot was either ex-military or used to flying Cessna’s as it wasn’t how you’d normally land a 757 – something to do with rotation and stalling speed. Anyway, he plopped it down and had to slam on the anchors hard as we were already quite far along the runway. The Russian lady next to meet was jabbering away in a concerned way when we’d peeled our faces off the seats in front! We were back at the hotel in no time. I flopped into bed and Stephen went down to dinner on his own (poor thing – but I couldn’t have made it). I was enjoying the luxury of more than a handful of hours sleep when the Luxor Lurgy hit…not pleasant and requiring of Imodium to stop it. I guess it was all a bit much for my system to handle…
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