Luxor, Egypt

It took 17 years, but I finally made it back to Egypt! We arrived at the port of Safaga just after sunrise Thursday morning and were quickly loaded onto our 12 buses for the 3.5 hour drive to Luxor. We were required to travel in a police-escorted convoy and I'm not sure if that slowed us down or sped things up! The drive was very interesting – Safaga is surrounded by barren and rocky mountains without a leaf of vegetation in sight, but the landscape was very beautiful in its own way. Gradually the scenery changed to sandy desert as far as the eye could see. Our progress was impeded by numerous security checkpoints complete with gun-toting guards in high towers. After about 2 hours we reached the lush Nile River valley. What a contrast to the desert! Now we drove past small towns surrounded by farmers' fields and date palm trees. There were donkeys everywhere, pulling carts loaded with agricultural produce, transporting men and boys or waiting patiently in the shade of the trees for their masters to put them to work. A wide canal running beside the road provided irrigation for the crops of corn, wheat, sugarcane and various fruits. All along the highway were beautiful flowering bushes in shades of pink, magenta, white and coral – not the typical vision one has of Egypt! Finally just before noon we arrived at the city of Luxor and our first stop – the Temple of Karnak. As we wandered down the Avenue of Ram-headed Spinxes and among the enormous columns, we could only stare in wonder. Words cannot describe the beauty and the intricacy of the carvings which decorate the walls and pillars of this complex. We felt as if we had taken a step back in time. Even thousands of years later, you can still see the colours used in some parts of the temple, and many of the statues are in wonderful condition after all this time. All too soon our time was up and we made our way back to the bus past numerous locals hawking souvenirs of Egypt. After doing our part for the economy we boarded the bus and headed to a local hotel where we enjoyed a buffet lunch. Then it was back onboard for the 40 minute drive to the Valley of the Kings, crossing the mighty River Nile along the way. Unfortunately cameras are strictly forbidden within the valley and had to be left on the bus to prevent sneak photos in the tombs. We boarded a small tram at the Visitors' Centre which took us deeper into the valley where the tombs are located. This is a very stark region with tomb entrances dotting the hillside in all directions. What a thrill to finally see it! We were able to enter the tombs of Ramses I, III and IX. It was exciting to walk down into the tombs and view the magnificent paintings and hieroglyphics on the walls and ceilings. The colours are wonderfully vivid and it's mind-boggling to see how well they have survived for thousands of years. Simply breathtaking. It must have been so exciting to be one of the archaeologists who excavated these sites. As our tour was drawing to an end we made photo stops at Queen Hatshepsut's Temple and the Colossi of Memnon which stand 64 feet tall and are all that remains of Amenhotep III's temple. We loved every minute of our tour, but it was HOT!!! The sun beat down mercilessly upon us, and for two people used to northern temperatures it was an exercise in survival! I don't know how many litres of water we consumed and sweated out, but it was considerable. Next time I come to Egypt I'm going to start my tours at sunrise and come in January and not in May! Still, we wouldn't have missed it for the world and can't wait to come back again.