tourist at last!

It’s now been nearly two months since my arrival in Egypt - about time for me to bite the bullet and become a temporary tourist. This week I caught my first glimpse of the pyramids (though only from a distance), joined friends for a Sufi dancing show in Islamic Cairo, and spent the weekend in Luxor en route to Qena and Aswan for work. Although Luxor was touristy to the max (high season has just hit), it wasn’t as bad as I’d braced myself for… the richness of the historic sites made up for any hassling I endured, or any embarrassment I felt about clomping along with a herd of picture-taking fiends… er friends. (Actually I became one of the avid photographers myself… how can you not!).

It’s interesting the people you meet as a single traveler… while collecting my luggage in Luxor I met a nice Kiwi (New Zealander) who has been interning in the country for the past two months as well. He had booked a tour guide and car for the day and invited me to join his small entourage bound for the West Bank (of Luxor). After quickly throwing my bags in the hotel (and plans out the window) we were off, on the best tour I could have possibly gone on, and certainly much better than I could have organized for myself on the spot.

Our guide, Mohamed, was an articulate Egyptologist who grew up living (and of course, playing soccer) beside the tombs. His family has lived in the house for many generations and actually found a bunch of mummies right there by them. Mohamed was full of interesting stories about the Pharaohs, and gave compelling explanations of different hieroglyphs and paintings inside the tombs.

During our time on the West Bank we took in the Colossi of Memnon,

the Deir al-Bahari (Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple)

And a few tombs in the Valley of the Kings (apparently this site was chosen for the Pharaohs because of its natural pyramid-like mountain).

While in the Valley of the Kings we got to check out Tutankhamen’s tomb… which is temporarily displaying his mummy as well as the sarcophagus! Apparently they only allow 1000 people to view his body each day because of the effect our presence has on its decomposition. We were lucky to go in the afternoon (after the crowds), and were able to visit his tomb alone, in peace. It was a rare opportunity (which, unfortunately I was also not able to capture in film)!!

But what you can see, (above) are the pathways between the tombs. On the right is Mohamed with the rest of my group - one Kiwi and two Brits. Can you imagine having such an amazing place all to ourselves?!

Visiting the sites in Luxor was like taking a trip back in time. It’s hard not to appreciate the richness of the ancient civilization that thrived along the banks of the Nile, and wonder at the durability of their monuments and the beliefs that shaped them.