LUXOR, EGYPT—IMPRESSIONS (PART 2)

          ∙ Our tour today (4/5/12) began earlier than I would like (at 7 a.m.), but this proved to be beneficial since there was so much to see.  It also helped to beat the crowds and minimize the heat, to the extent possible anyway.  (And it still beat that 5:45 a.m. start to see the Taj!)
          ∙ We started the day with a return to Karnak Temple, so we could explore the complex by daylight.  An avenue of ram-headed sphinxes leads to the temple’s entrance.  From there, one finds Hypostyle Hall and its 134 enormous columns.  The complex also features the Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, the Temple of Amen-Re and the Sacred Lake.


          ∙ Next, we boarded a ferry boat to cross the Nile River.  In a mountainous region on the West bank, we found The Valley of the Kings (the “city of the dead”).  At least 63 tombs have been discovered to date, and excavations continue.  To protect the mineral and stone dyes used to create the elaborate works of art within the tombs, they wouldn’t allow cameras there.  We entered three of these incredible tombs where Egypt’s Pharaohs were entombed for nearly 3,000 years.  Their queens were laid to rest in an adjacent valley.  It started getting hot out, too.
          ∙ Apparently, no day on this trip could be complete without a stop for shopping – so we shopped for onyx and other stone products at a local shop.   (I am told these tour guides receive cash or other perquisites for bringing their clients to these shops.)
          ∙ From there, we went to the Temple of Hatshepsut, where 59 tourists were massacred in 1997.  Bill was glad I didn’t tell him until after we left.  The heat picked up yet another notch, though, so I gave up walking to look for shade at one point!


          ∙ We stopped quickly at the Colossi of Memnon – two X 64-foot statues of Amenhotep III, which once guarded the entrance to Amenhotep’s great temple.  These twin statues are all that remains of the temple.
 
          ∙ We returned across the Nile River, back to the East Bank, and stopped for lunch at a local restaurant where we ran into several other people from our ship.  The food was good!


          ∙ Finally, we visited Luxor Temple and the Avenue of the Human-Headed Sphinxes, which once connected Luxor to Karnak.


∙ THOUGHTS/IMPRESSIONS
          ∙ Luxor was spectacular! Having a great group of people to experience this with made it that much more fun!
          ∙ The Egyptians we met and spoke with – including our guide (Abdul) -- had a great sense of humor.  He spoke about the freedoms they now enjoy after the “revolution” last spring (e.g., to speak freely, to enjoy life without baseless arrest).  Yet, they believe Mubarak and his supporters still have an influence here and continue to hatch schemes to quell their quest for such freedoms.  Gasoline is plentiful, but being purposely withheld from stations, to frustrate and immobilize them.  Gasoline lines, therefore, stretch for blocks.
          ∙ I saw many more men on the streets than women.  They seldom failed to make eye contact or to say something, usually in a friendly (even flirtatious) manner.  Their charm is not subtle.  They blurt out flattery, ask questions (“what is your name?” “where are you from”? ).  Two even said that they wanted to marry me (jokingly, I think/hope).  Many sell in an harassing manner, but they were a friendly bunch, nonetheless.  Very friendly …

OTHER SIGHTS FROM LUXOR

LUXOR, EGYPT—IMPRESSIONS (PART 1)

∙ WHAT WE DID/SAW/EXPERIENCED
          ∙ Time in port: 32 hours  (Overnight*)
*This was an unscheduled overnight, due to the Captain’s speedy passage through “Pirate Alley” (to avoid any unpleasant Pirate encounters).
          ∙ We were originally scheduled on a long (15-hour) single day tour with the ship, which would cost $329 each.  When the overnight was added, I considered joining HAL’s new overnight tour – which would avoid driving six or seven hours all in one day.  But they weren’t going to the sound and light show!  Ah man.  Then, some friends planned a trip for eight of us (Mel and Pat, Sam and Sally, Andre and Marie, Bill and me), which combined the best of both, including the sound and light show last night, an overnight at a nice Luxor hotel, and a full day tour of the sights today – all for $295!  We traveled there on day 1 and back on day 2.  And we used a very good tour company in Egypt, Ramses Tours!!   (I bring this post in two parts, to hopefully minimize delays in uploading.)
          ∙ Our driver picked us up at the dock and drove us through Safaga (which doesn’t offer much by itself), then along a 3-hour fascinating stretch through the Egyptian desert.  Police stations ran the distance of our path, with armed guards to assure there is no trouble.  After sunset, we observed an amusing “exchange” between the vehicles, using their head lights (and their various settings) to communicate with one another.


          ∙ We arrived just in time for the 8:15 p.m. English-version of their Sound & Light Show at Karnak:  the world’s largest temple complex.  Oh my!  Our first glimpse of Ancient Egypt and its larger-than-life structures came at night, with billowing voices telling the Pharaohs’ stories while structures illuminated in synced rhythm.  Standing there, being there, seemed unreal.  Time to see The Ten Commandments again!

 
          ∙ We stayed at Steigenberger Hotel, where our balconies overlooked an outdoor patio/dinner/entertainment area.  There, dancers entertained until 10 p.m., and our group hung out (far past 10) for cocktails and chit-chat to celebrate the fabulous day – and the day to come!

 
Continued with Part 2 . . .

SAFAGA (LUXOR), EGYPT (Port No. 27, 4/5/12)

∙ GEOGRAPHY 101
          ∙ Land Mass/Continent: Africa (Continent No. 6 of 7 on our journey)
          ∙ About Safaga: Safaga is a small port on the coast of the Red Sea and a tourist town leading to key parts of Ancient Egypt (including Luxor) by paved road
          ∙ Estimated Population: 487,896 in Luxor, where we’ll spend our day
          ∙ Distance From Home (San Diego, CA): 7,906 miles
          ∙ The Water That Got Us Here: The Red Sea

MOSES PARTS THE RED SEA AND THE ISRAELITES PASS, ESCAPING PURSUING EGYPTIANS

SPHINX-LUXOR

∙ ITS PLACE IN HISTORY/ INTERESTING FACTS

          ∙ Currency: Egyptian pound (EGP)
          ∙ Official Language:  Egyptian Arabic, but English is widely spoken
          ∙ Local time: 
          ∙ Ancient Egypt was concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River (the longest river in the world, flowing north for 4,130 miles, and the lifeline of this region for much of human history)
         ∙ When Johnnie Cochrane said “Da Nile Ain’t Just a River in Egypt” – he apparently meant that it also runs through Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Uganda!
          ∙ Egypt reached the pinnacle of its power during the “New Kingdom” (between the 11th and 16th centuries BC) in the “Ramesside period”, named after the 11 pharaohs who took the name “Ramesses” – after which it entered a period of slow decline
          ∙ The pharaohs established unprecedented prosperity by securing their borders (something the U.S. could learn) and strengthening diplomatic ties with their neighbors

COLOSSAL STATUES OF RAMESSES II

          ∙ They constructed monuments to glorify their own achievements, both real and imagined (oh, how some things never change!)
          ∙ Luxor was the ancient city of Thebes, the capital of Egypt, during the New Kingdom
          ∙ In 332 BC, Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, and it became a seat of learning and culture under Greek rule
          ∙ Eventually, it fell to the Roman Empire in 30 BC, following the defeat of Marc Anthony and Queen Cleopatra VII by Octavian (later Emperor Augustus) (i.e., Rome defeated Greece to conquer Egypt)

ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA VII

TEMPLE OF LUXOR

          ∙ The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the quarrying, surveying and construction of monumental pyramids, temples and obelisks, systems of mathematics, medicine, irrigation and agriculture, and the 1st known ships
          ∙ As in modern day Middle East, they used religion to ensure the cooperation and unity of (i.e., to control) their people

THE BUST OF NEFERTITI

          ∙ Egypt’s art and architecture were widely copied, and its monumental ruins have inspired the imaginations of travelers and writers for centuries
          ∙ Luxor’s economy, largely dependent on tourism, was greatly hit by the Luxor massacre in 1997, when 64 people (including 59 tourists) were killed with firearms and knives inside the Deir el-Bahri Temple (of female pharaoh Hatshepsut), but has since recovered
          ∙ An Egyptian court, on 12/27/27, ordered military rulers to stop using female virginity tests on female detainees, in a rare condemnation by a civilian tribunal of a military practice in Egypt, which the military "justified" by its desire to weed out false claims of rape while in custody -- a small step from lunacy toward civil rights for women
          ∙ Travel video:  http://www.youtube.com/user/bestdestination#p/search/0/MZsw1xkn5RA

∙ CLIMATE
          ∙ Rainfall in Luxor is rare; average annual rainfall is .09 inch per year!
          ∙ Average low for April: 60.8
          ∙ Average high for April: 95

MOSQUE AT LUXOR TEMPLE

∙ HIGHLIGHTS/THINGS TO SEE
         ∙ Luxor - one of the most impressive cities in Egypt (137 miles away from Safaga)
          ∙ Luxor is, essentially, the “world’s greatest open-air museum” of towering pillars, hieroglyphics and countless murals and statues

              West Bank
          ∙ On the West Bank of the Nile River lie the monuments, temples and tombs of the Theban Necropolis -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- including the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens

LUXOR TEMPLE

         East Bank
     ∙ The ruins of Karnak and Luxor Temples stand within the modern city - together, one of the largest ancient religious sites in the world
      ∙ The Mummification Museum in the City of Luxor
     ∙ The Luxor Museum