Thursday, 3 July 2025

Egypt - Saturday May 17th - Luxor

I complained about the heat yesterday.

Today it is over 46 degrees.

Add to that the radiant heat from the stone floors and walls. I didn't know that you got goosebumps from over heating but I had them today. I have never been so hot. I was soaked in sweat from the roots of my hair down.

Anyway, before we arrive in Luxor, there is an early start and a flight from Cairo which took about an hour. The airport security is really tight, you are screened at least 3 times a nter.

There was one place, and I think it was yesterday at the pyramids, that we had to get off the coach, leaving all our bags onboard, go through the screening and the pat down and then we got back on the coach with all our un-screened bags. Bonkers.

So onto a familiar dash 8 - an Egyptian cousin of the ones we fly to Sydney in.

A very disgruntled crew member reluctantly handed out bottles of water.

Then straight off the plane and onto a coach for our first tour of the day.

Karnack Temple

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الكرنك

I think I will go nuts trying to remember all the stories we were told about the pharaohs and gods and goddesses. There is lots of information out there so look it up online if something really interests you. If I remember I will document it.

Above:-Osirid statues of Thutmose I at the Amun-Re temple in Karnak

Above:- Obelisk of Thutmosis I.

(I think).

I love the detailed Hieroglyphs, expect to see a lot more of these.

Above:- A bit of graffiti from Mr John Gordon.

Above is Ramses II, with his daughter, she is the little one in front.

I'll talk more about these sphinxes later in this post.

Then we finally get to go onboard the ship.

Viking Osiris

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After two years of planning and paying off this trip in installments we are here! And they gave us an upgrade. We had the most beautiful suite, I got a bit teary.

Then a quick change out of sweaty clothes and then off to the restaurant for lunch, which is when we realised how much beautiful food they were going to feed us on this trip.

We are cabin 304. We feel so spoilt.

Below:- This is Grahams new Glasgow suitcase and my smaller Bluey suitcase. On this trip I wanted to take a suitcase that I could get on and off a train by myself. (Over the years I've learnt my lesson).

However, something happened to Bluey this day and we didn't know it until we got it out at the end of the cruise. It got twisted or warped and the handle never pulled up again. A pain trying to negotiate airports and all the security screening with a dodgy bag.

Although, lovely to unpack and hang things up in the wardrobe.

Anyway, now in the ships lovely air con and after a beautiful lunch, and a few wines, we are back on the bus for our next temple.

And oh my, all the Egyptian Gods and Goddesses IT IS HOT!

Luxor Temple

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معبد الاقصر

This was a tour that started at 5.30pm, and it was so hot. I've never been so hot in my whole life. All that baked on heat in the stones from the days sun.

We drank lots of water, had hats, and 50 plus sunscreen, (I was also wined up after lunch) and miraculously we had no ill effects afterwards, Except to remember that this was the hottest day ever in our lives.

It is so, so, HOT!

The temple now has only have one obelisk.

The other is in the Place de la Concorde in Paris.

(You know where people got their heads chopped off. We've been there).

What is it about the Egyptians that they once liked giving their stuff away. How many museums have I been where they have an Egyptian room. (Answer=hundreds).

This is the avenue of Sphinxes which stretches from Karnack temple (were we where this morning) to Luxor temple. It must have been beautiful all lit up with lamps at night for a ceremonial procession.

We saw the ram headed sphinxes this morning at Karnack. Most of these sphinxes were taken to Karnack for safekeeping, as in previous photo.

It must have have been a great and prestigious job to be a stone mason in ancient times. I think its a bit like building the great cathedrals, get paid, regular money, keeps the community alive, learn a trade, pass it on to your kids.

Do you know I'm partly an owl in hieroglyphs.I didn't know that then, no wonder I'm drawn to the Hedwigs of this world. This will be discussed further in a future post when I buy a ridiculously expensive piece of jewellery.