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| Colossi of Memnon |
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| Colossi of Memnon |
LUXOR
Arriving in Luxor in the evening in cooler temperatures made it easier though it was still a balmy 40 degrees centigrade; hot for a Northwesterner! A handsome honey-eyed man appropriately named Hani happily and smilingly greeted and whisked us away. Outside the airport terminal building thousands of singing birds and a few dozen men in caftans sitting in the grounds waiting to help with your luggage trying to make a living. We were clearly in a different place; on our drive into town there were no women on the street though lots of activity of cart pulling donkeys, caftan dressed men on scooters, honking trucks, and other vehicles competing for road space. The highway into town nicely lined with bougainvillea and Myrtle, giving the impression money had been recently sunk into tourism.
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| Steinberger Palace Hotel |
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Felucca at sunset on the Nile
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The next morning Begat our Egyptologist guide and Amir the driver collected us at what they considered early, to get ahead of the intense heat. Eight thirty was not early enough! We crossed over the Nile to the West Bank towards the mountains. The transition from fertile green farmland and desert is abrupt. Begat began to tell the story of the Valley of the Kings, of the sixty two burial chambers, built deep into the mountain, of the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, of Pharonic times, facts and numbers that it was mind boggling! Someone had 102 girls and 96 boys in his brood, in 1922 Howard Somebody found Tutankhamun's tomb, 100 plus tombs have yet to be found, 42 representatives judge at the gates to the afterworld. can you guess which of these numbers are untrue?? Begat's enthusiasm for history was remarkable though I had a tough time keeping up with all the facts and figures!
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Entrance to the Valley of the Kings
NOTE: no cameras are allowed into the site so this is IT! |
Begat studied eight years post graduate Egyptology, speaks four languages displaying great passion for his chosen career. Clearly well respected in the field as many of his colleagues stopped to ask him specific questions along the way. Making the most of our time, he chose three tombs for us to investigate; giving a lesson then letting you explore it.
Our next stop was an alabaster shop for a quick cool drink and opportunity to spend money - everyone does it, so we obliged ourselves.
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handmade alabaster process
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Before heading to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut; the only woman buried in the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut is depicted as a man, dressed as a man and ruled powerfully as a man. The temple was certainly a tribute to her rule, her strength, her fortitude to succeed on this male dominated society. Many of her likenesses were destroyed by a jealous husband who quickly took over after her death, erasing all evidence of her existence.
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| the falcon, symbol of strength |
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Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
Begat our guide and Egyptologist
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