We only spent 45 minutes at the temple as we had to catch the convoy to Luxor, although that was sufficient. Elizabeth and I bought more film at the temple as we had started to run out of film again.
When we got to the police checkpoint we found that the convoy for the morning had already left and we had to wait until 1pm for the next convoy. While waiting we met another tour group, from the Oasis Overland group. They were taking a large truck, and were an even more inexpensive tour. They saved money by using the truck instead of a bus, and not providing tours at the different locations and cooking all meals. They turned out to be heading to the same campground as we were going to in Luxor, the Rezeki camp.
When we got to Luxor, Sameh asked if anyone wanted to go to McDonalds. There was an enthusiastic yes to that suggestion. The only nayers were Chara who wanted to save money and me who is not a McDonalds fan, I never grew up with them and I get spoiled by my own hamburgers. As it turned out I ate there, but didn't get a hamburger and Chara picked up something else. After McDonalds we arrived at the campsite, where the Oasis group had arrived before we had (they don't eat out lunch). Sameh said that if we want the camp can arrange the rooms for an extra 15 LE as before. This time several of the group decided to use the rooms. It was very hot and several of them wanted the air-conditioning. We who stayed in the tents managed to put up our tents alongside the Oasis group's.
Elizabeth wanted to get a swim suit so we went downtown to the shops to see if they have swim suits. So far she had only seen swim suits for small boys. She asked at the camp and someone said that she could go to Benneton and gave the street it was on, station street. We went down some streets and, not finding it we asked someone. They said it was far away and called a service taxi that was heading that direction. He said the taxi was 25 piasters for each of us. We got out when the taxi driver said that we were there. There was a couple clothes shops. One was closed and the other was a mens clothing. The men's clothing merchant suggested the shop that was closed. We went to that shop again and double checked that it was closed. He then suggested the way to Benneton was two blocks west and one block north. We set out, walking long blocks. On the way, Elizabeth who didn't take a water bottle, stopped by a booth and bought a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice for 2 LE. I was concerned about the sanitation so I declined.
Finally we got to the station street, it being by the Luxor train station. We found the Benneton store but it was closed. Next door was a Safari shop. We went in there, but they did not have any bathing suits.
Unsuccessful and not sure where we were now, we decided to take a Kalesh back to the campsite. Not sure if they knew where the rezeki campsite was, I suggested getting a ride back to the Luxor museum which was only a couple blocks from the campsite. We paid only 4 LE for the ride. We then walked back to the campsite for a rest before supper. Supper was rice, pita, potatoes, zucchini sauce, vegetable salad and watermelon. I was getting tired of the limited variety.
After supper Mark, Jade, Chara and I went to the phone station. Jade wanted to phone home. With my advice she bought a phone card and tried to use it on the phones. During that time Chara and Mark disappeared, they apparently went to another store and didn't meet up with us. The attempt was not successful on the phones because there was no answer at her parents place so I suggested that she could use the card at a phone that was close to our campsite.
We then went to visit the duty free store. She bought a bottle of scotch, I noticed a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label for $91US. This, I remembered was $325CA at the liquor stores at home. Impulsively I decided to buy it, as I wanted to bring home something good. When I took gave it to the attendant to put in the basket, the dealer said that I was going to buy two of them. I said, no I wanted only one as it was very expensive. He said no, I am buying two. I then said OK. I remembered the last time we were here, and what he said to Elizabeth. Now one of the men that were outside asking us to buy some liquor for them was inside, even though they were not suppose to be. I realized now what was happening, the duty free officers would help the people outside buy bottles by getting tourists to buy extra bottles. It happened that I was buying the most expensive bottle in the store. It would look strange if someone bought a $91US bottle with a $7US bottle. Adding another $91US bottle would validate it for any inspectors. And I would not deny I bought a bottle. When we paid for the bottles Jade paid for hers, I paid the $91US and the money and bill disappeared into a room, a man came back with two bags, we left the building, the man with his one bottle one direction and ours with our 2 bottles the other direction. Later Sameh suggested that he was most likely going to sell it on a black market of some sort.
We went back to the campsite. One of the group, Janine got quite sick during the felucca and went to the hospital in the afternoon. She came back after being treated for an abscess on her leg. She could only hobble on her legs. Later Jade and I went to the phone booths close to the site and she managed to reach home with no difficultly using up the phone card very quickly.
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Friday, May 22
Luxor: Valley of the Kings and Luxor temple
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We had to get up at 4am today in order to finish the visit to the valley of the Kings before the afternoon. The rooster was still crowing, but since we had to get up anyway there were not many complaints. We received a breakfast bag of chips, bread, cheese, SAMBA chocolate bar and jam. They provided a spoon to spread jam and/or cheese onto the bread. As usual there were no napkins so we had to lick our hands clean if we got anything on them.
We walked to the Nile dock to meet a felucca to take us to the west bank of the Nile. While going to the felucca I noticed my wallet was missing. I had also left my money belt in my bag safely stored inside the tent, so I had no ID or money. I was worried about my wallet as it had almost 200 LE and a credit card in it. I thought that I might have dropped it somewhere in the campsite.
When we arrived at the west bank we met a collection of donkeys in a field next to the bank. We were each assigned a donkey, got on and started down a highway on the way to the Valley of the Kings. Donkey riding is not as difficult as camel riding, and we are closer to the ground so it was quite comfortable. The donkey bounced up and down all the time so I realized why Sameh warned the girls to wear sport bras if possible. Janine and another girl took a taxi, as they couldn't go on a donkey back.
When we arrived at the entrance to the Valley of the Kings they had a gate closed. This gate was intended for cars as it was just over the height for the donkeys. The guard was confused of what to do, and he moved the gate a bit. As soon as he did the lead donkey tried to go forward knocking over Yvette who was on his back. She was almost trampled by the rest of the donkeys that were trying go get through. Fortunately nothing more happened. We then got off the donkeys and walked to the restaurant next to the gate. The donkeys gathered by thereselfs in a part of the parking lot. After a rest Yvette was OK but still a bit upset. By this time Janine and another girl joined us from the taxi.
After a rest Sameh arranged for us to take a shuttle car which couriered people from the restaurant about 200m to the entrance of the valley. We were suppose to walk the distance but I suspect that they did this as a compensation for the accident on the donkey. I though thought the shuttle cars were a bit chinsy as they were brightly labeled with advertisements. It looked like the sort of things one might find in Disneyland. They didn't fit the mood of the site.
At the entrance we met the same Egyptologist that showed us the Karnak temple. We had to pay extra if we wanted to take pictures inside the tombs. We were not suppose to use flash, but a some people had 'accidental flashes'. Camera tickets costed 5 LE per tomb and video cameras 150 LE. I asked Sameh why so much and he said that the Egyptian Government were use to the old video cameras which had bright light attachments and are charging for the damage done.
We visited the tomb of Ramses IX, the most elaborate paintings on the walls. We then visited Ramses VI tomb just above Tutankaman's tomb. We could see why Tut's tomb was preserved. The workers just emptied the rock outside the cave onto the entrance of Tut's tomb. Ramses VI was interesting because it showed a space in the middle that was not finished. As soon as a ruler dies the workers stop working in the tomb and they start the next rulers tomb. The partially finished parts showed how they made the paintings. It seems that there were a lot of workers working in an assembly line, so many marring the walls, so many carving, so many painting.
The third tomb we visited was Horenbeb which was done very quickly as he ruled for a very short while. Ramses IX was the most elaborate in part because he ruled for a long time and so the workers spend many years working in his tomb.
After visiting the tombs, the girls who couldn't go on the donkeys went down the hill to catch the taxi to the next stop, the workers city. We climbed to the top of the hill overlooking the valley and met the donkeys. We encountered souvenir salesmen on the top of the hill. One of them tried to sell me a carved cat for 5 LE. I said that I only had 2 LE, which Elizabeth lent me as well as the 6 LE needed for the extra visit to the tombs of the workers. He said ok, and I bought it, with some reservations as I didn't really want it. I ended up giving it to my father, I thought he would like it.
During the donkey ride Ester fell down. She hurt her hip but not enough, eventually she got back on. I also fell down when the donkey's saddle slid off when the donkey was going down a step. The donkeys also got lost. They went down a path that let to the end of a cliff. It was scary for the people on the donkey. When we went back along the right path, the path also narrowed to not much wider then the donkey, on the edge of the cliff, so it was a little scary for us, but I guess not for the donkeys as they were use to it.
We passed on top of the hill the temple of queen Hatshepsut. This is the temple on which there were several hundred tourists last November and 65 were killed. There were no more than 3 or 4 even now 7 months later. Sameh said last year there was 15,000 people in the whole of the Valley of the Kings on an ordinary day. In this whole morning I think there were no more than about a hundred. I felt a sympathy for the people of Luxor. I felt no danger whatsoever, and all over there were armed guards.
We traveled with the donkeys until the path started to go down to the Valley of the Artisans. There we were asked to get off the donkeys and walk with them down the hill. The donkeys gathered in the parking lot where we joined the tour Egyptologist and the girls who arrived with the taxi. The Egyptologist gave a talk about what to expect in the two tombs. She could not go in with us. When we went in, inside the tombs were very humid, where outside was very dry. I can see why they close the tombs and they are concerned with the ventilation. Perhaps they could bring in de-humidifiers in the tombs to help. The Egyptologist earlier mentioned that the Luxor temple was missing an obelisk that was taken to Paris The matching one in the Luxor temple is perfect condition. The one in Paris is being damaged by the moisture and pollution. |
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