Oh dear, we’re falling woefully behind on our blog entries. Once again, I blame the suboptimal internet service in Egypt.
Our cruise down the Nile goes on at a leisurely pace. We stop in Luxor for the night.
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As the sun goes down, we go to the mighty Karnak Temple.
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This is a scarab statue near Karnak’s Sacred Lake. Tourist lore says that if you circle it x-amount of times, you will be granted a wish.
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Back in town, we stop at the centrally-located Temple of Luxor.
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The early sunset makes for dramatic night-time visits to these places.
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First thing next morning, we visit the temple of Queen Hatshepsut.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/28-hatsepshut-1024x649.jpg)
(We see the mummy of the woman herself in Cairo.)
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There was a serious terrorist attack here in 1997. Of course, there is no mention of it during our visit.
Nearby is the Valley of the Kings.
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Considering the great number of tourists that visit here year-round, it’s still an amazing experience to visit these tombs. Collectively, they are man-made creations of near-perfect artistry at a time when most people on the planet were still primitive hunter-gatherers.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/30-valley-of-the-kings-1024x683.jpg)
Needless to say, modern Egypt is slightly less rich in ‘creations of near-perfect artistry’.
We pay extra to visit the tomb of Tutankhamen. This happens to be the centenary year of its discovery.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/30-king-tut-1024x873.jpg)
This really created a splash at the time, as Tutmania swept the globe..
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The tomb’s trove of stupendous artifacts now reside in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/31-king-tut-1024x683.jpg)
In fact, the only object remaing in the tomb is the modestly-draped mummy of the Pharaoh himself.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/remains-1024x400.jpg)
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We visit four tombs. I’d love to come back at a future date and explore more of them. I believe this is the tomb of Merneptah. It’s over 3,000 years old.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/33-tomb-1024x683.jpg)
Several tombs have ceilings that represent the stars of the night sky. We’ve noticed this in other sites in Egypt.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/29-hatsepshut-683x1024.jpg)
Here’s the tomb of…dang, I forget. They’re all pretty cool.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/tomb-34-683x1024.jpg)
On the ceiling, looks like some god holding up the sky.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/35-nut-683x1024.jpg)
The search goes on for new finds, even after centuries of unearthed tombs. Local workers still dig in the old-fashioned ways.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/35-valley-1024x683.jpg)
Back on the tour. We stop for lunch at a restaurant on the other side of the Nile.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/37-boat-1024x683.jpg)
We hear about the winter conditions back home. Difficult to imagine from our current surroundings.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/38-boat-1024x718.jpg)
The next stage is a five-hour bus ride to the coastal town of Hurghada.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/37-hurgada-1024x683.jpg)
We spend two nights at this all-inclusive resort. My plan is to lounge by the pool sipping mojitos. Maria is more ambitious and goes off on a snorkeling expedition with some others.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/38-hurgada-1024x683.jpg)
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-boat-1024x462.jpg)
We plan to do more snorkeling in Dahab – that’s my excuse for staying behind.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/39-hurgada-1024x897.jpg)
Sight or Insight of the Day
We leave early the next morning for the long drive back to Cairo.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/40-boat-1024x683.jpg)
Eventually, the empty desert becomes more populated. Many buildings in Egypt seem to be the same tawny colour as the sandy surroundings.
![](https://randomrambles.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/41-cairo-1024x683.jpg)
Cairo is a city of ten million people. It’s, um, interesting to spend time there. More in our next entry.