November 30th 2023

After my couple of days in Cairo we flew to Luxor for three days filled with adventures, swimming, boating and flying through the skies. I still can’t believe it was only three days. We landed and relaxed in our hotel which fronted the Nile and watched sunset as the Feluccas (open decked boats) sailed past, reminding us to book a voyage for the next night. We ended up doing this twice as it is so good.

Then it was up early to Karnak Temple, dating from 2055BC, and according to ancient lore, the scene of the start of creation!  There we watched the sunrise, in the shade of the buildings to help us beat the searing heat. We were lucky enough to go inside the temple where the best-preserved statue of the Goddess of Sakmet, the daughter of the sun god Ra, stands and we got to sit in silence and absorb the mystical energy that emanated in this space. (Don’t knock it ‘till you try sitting in that space and drawing on the energy yourself!)

The temples stretch far and wide as each temple was added to from Pharaoh to Pharaoh, with many ruins laying on the side of the pathways and lines of lions, and sphinxes. You really need hours there to take it all in and I still feel I only touched the sides. That night it was a trip to the Luxor Temple, a truly magical sight when lit up, and a highly recommended experience. We were also there during a full moon which added to this truly magical experience

Then it was up at 4am the next day to catch a bus then boat to go hot air ballooning over the Valley of the Kings. You can take it as positive or negative, but due to the lack of wind at the beginning we were up high and were static for a long time until the breeze picked us up and took up over the rural gardens of the city. This added an extra hour to our trip as we took three attempts to land before successfully touching down.  Why three? Well, we couldn’t land at first as the owners of the block below wouldn’t let us. The second time the powerlines were too close, and the third time, despite their best efforts, the poor support crew wasn’t able to get to us to stabilise the basket so off we went again. Eventually we were able to land in a small private market garden, which we were so grateful for. I have to commend the pilot and the crew as we never felt unsafe or worried about our landing.

Next it was off for a tour of the Valley of the Kings and Queens (tired yet)? The sun was really hitting hard and it is bare dirt and dust until you get into the tombs. They usually have 20mins to explore and, as we were just outside of the main tourist season, we were able to have a pretty good walk around and absorb the tombs. Sadly, Tutankhamun’s temple was closed that day but it didn’t matter as there were incredible tombs to venture in, and when we got to the Valley of the Queens, Nefertari’s was the one we wanted to see most – the first great wife to Ramsses The Great.

It is so hard to comprehend the colours, the gold leaf, the skill in the artwork as you walk around and know that these have not been renovated/restored, touched up with colour, only cleaned to restore them to their glory. Realising Nefarti died in 1251 BC was hard to comprehend and I have to admit I walked out feeling a little numb. It’s just not possible to take it all in in one go.

Next was the Hatshepsut Temple and lunch at Al Moudira Hotel on the West Bank serving organic and seasonal foods. A quick rest, a sunset boat ride on the Nile and then back to Luxor markets for some haggling (cheeky laughter as I am hopeless and they are very persuasive, in a very fun and sage environment) and a late night dinner on a rooftop restaurant filled with locals.

I was so sorry to leave as I felt so welcomed and safe. This trip really just whet my appetite for a greater taste of Egypt. There’s still the Red Sea, swimming with the dolphins, an Oasis trip, and experiences with the Bedouin women to plan for.