At 4 AM we set sail from Esna to Luxor and had breakfast on board. One thing I noticed about the cruise is that they have the same food for each meal, day in and day out. If you like variety, the Sonesta Nile Cruise is not for you. Another thing is that all protein's are fried. I can't tell you how much I wanted to eat a nice crisp salad or some juicy fruit. On the bright side at least they had 2 types of soup, one creamy and one that was some sort of stock during lunch and dinner.
According to our CDC representative, eating produce or vegetables on the Nile Cruise causes 80-90% chance of stomach problems later on. We were really careful to only eat super hot and well cooked foods since we were in the beginning stages of our trip. Two of out 6 people got sick on the trip...guess they didn't listen to their CDC representative.
Today was going to be our busiest day in Egypt starting with heading to the West Bank to visit the Valley of the Kings. Sorry for no pictures but no camera's were allowed. I snuck one in the parking lot before we left. Pro tip: Paid extra to visit King Tut's and King Rameses IX. It was amazing to see King Tut's actual tomb prior to going to the Egyptian Museum. He was surprisingly tiny even for a mummified 19 year man. After the mummification process his body was no longer than 4 feet and very skinny.
Side note: I lost my gold earring on the way back up. Bummer. At least I made a gold offering before leaving.
Each of the tombs varied. Some had colors that were so well preserved that everything was vivid and it was like you took a step back in time. One was so deep that it was 8 stories underground. Some were cold inside while others were incredibly humid and sticky. It it something that you have to come and experience for yourself. No words can describe that how you feel the first time you step into a tomb. All in all, it was amazing to the Valley of the Kings. It is something you would def. need more than 1 day to visit as they aren't the same in size, design, shape, depth, colors preservation or temperature even.
Next stop was a visit to Queen Hatshepsut aka Hot Chicken Soup. This was one of my favorite outdoor structures to visit because it was multiple levels and original in location. Most of the structures orf the temples we visit were grand in size but were only accessible on the ground level. This was the first structure that we visited that we were allowed onto a second level. A lot of the structure was destroyed by her step-son but what was left is aw inspiring. I can't even imagine how grand it was before it was destroyed. The interesting thing about this place was that all around in the mountains were simple caves that were for the workers. This shows that the people who built this were not slaves instead they were workers that were treated well and cared for. They were allowed to be buried next to the Queen with honor and dignity.
In Luxor, it is the hub for all alabaster and where there is alabaster, there is an alabaster factory. We were treated to watching local Egyptians creating various works using hand tools, the old method.
After a very hot day outside, we went back on board for a quick lunch. Not before stopping to see Colossi of Memnon and getting into a typical traffic jam at the gas station. That was def. an experience seeing how the city comes to a stand still for the gas line.
I was really looking forward to some evening activities that our guide, Ahmed established for Memphis Tours. We were going on an evening city tour via horse carriage to see the local market, downtown area, homes and regular life for the people of Egypt living in Luxor. It was a great experience to see local daily life. The highlight for me was the marketplace. The size of the cabbages and butcher shop amazed me. After our tour, we were treated to some coffee and hookah at a local cafe. While sitting, we were of course bombarded with peddlers selling us their wares which we gladly participated in.
The night was still young and we headed to The Sound and Light show at Karnak temple. Going to a temple when it was completely dark and lit gently with background lights that were like candle light, was pretty awesome. It was almost as if we were in ancient Egyptians times. A 1 hour walking tour with sounds, lights and storytelling concluding at the first natural pool in Egypt was pretty cool. Pro tip: Bring a flashlight as walking around it pretty sketchy esp. elder folks.
Finally, we boarded our bus back to have a late dinner on board.
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