Walk Like an Egyptian (Part 1a)

We had the nice couple, that went to the Citadel with us, over for dinner. The ones whose son lives about two blocks away. And they've had us over to their home for a cookout.
As we waited at the airport in Cairo, for our luggage and our group to assemble, we chatted easily. Travel interests and family expanded our circle of common interests past the coincidence of geography. Sharing the threat of imminent death from the cab ride to and from the Citadel, that evening, bonded us as survivors.
The four of us are planning a trip to Machu Picchu in April of 2009.

The next day (12/8/07) started early. Really, really early. 2:30am wake-up call early. We needed to catch a flight to Luxor. Standing in the airport waiting room for our flight's departure, we struck up a conversation with a woman traveling with her daughter, a flight attendant. We learned that the security at the Cairo airport was lax. I did get through with an opened bottle of water, although at 3:30 in the morning Cairo time, security wasn't foremost on my mind. We boarded the plane and landed without incident in Luxor.

We checked in at our cruise ship for our trip up the Nile - SERIOUSLY! The boat was smallish, and there were close to a million of them! Our cabin was small, clean, and well maintained. Onto the tour bus! Then the day began in earnest! Our guide was a scholarly Egyptian women with a wealth of knowledge and experience. We began at the Valley of the Kings, and the Valley of the Queens. These are the excavated tombs of the Pharaohs and their wives. A couple of thousand years old, this was the burial custom when pyramids became passe. It seems that the ancient Egyptians spent their whole lives planning and preparing for their deaths. This preoccupation with the afterlife makes perfect sense in a society with a vital belief system. Imagine what "Christians" could accomplish if they really took their faith seriously.

Now, the obligatory stop at the local trade establishment to unload some of that desirable American currency! Today it was an alabaster "factory". We did buy an urn. The salesman was very persuasive, patting Tall One's "belly" and remarking, "We are the same!". I apparently have very beautiful eyes. So beautiful, in fact, that we were given the alabaster bowl we picked out for "free", and two "free" alabaster necklaces. No one was fooling anyone, but it was fun, and we do treasure our souvenirs.

On to the temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir-el-Bahri. This queen was actually Pharaoh for about 22 years. Her mortuary temple has been restored to a much larger degree than the other ruins we saw, something like 60% restored/30% original. A huge building with columns and statues, and the actual remains of a mighty cedar, one of a pair that Hatshepsut had brought from Lebanon and replanted.

We made a stop at the "Colossi of Memnon". Two gigantic seated figures of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, out in the middle of nowhere. Very cool, very huge, very old. After this, we crossed from the West bank of the Nile, in a very small boat, to the East bank. West relates to death, thus all the tombs and mortuaries. The East is life, so we were preparing to see some Temples. We saw our first camels! I really like camels!

That afternoon, we saw Karnak temple, and after dark went onto Luxor temple, which was amazing and beautiful all lit up, with sphinxes lining the broad avenue leading up to the entrance. Karnak is the most intact temple, with each element of design and construction represented. It is incomprehensible that the colors used in decorating these temples and tombs is still visible and vivid. Everywhere we drove, not just at the archaeological sites, there is evidence of excavation. Pieces of buildings and statues piled everywhere. We walked back to the boat. It's rather jarring to see such antiquity next to McDonald's.

The vendors are relentless. They deserve their own post. We ate our meals on the cruise boat. Lots and lots of vegetables, which is normally great with me, but everything was flavorless, nothing noteworthy except for the pita bread, which was excellent. Even in a Muslim country, we managed to procure a nightcap in the ship's lounge.