Hello Luxor ... you are enchanting

Up very early today ... alarm set for 3.45 am so that we could be dressed, packed and breakfasted by 4.30, in time to meet Mustafa who was organising our transfer to the airport for our 7.15 flight to Luxor. The hotel is obviously used to early morning departures because despite the early hour they had the full buffet breakfast available! Mustafa handed us over to Karem (who had met us on our arrival into Cairo) and along with our driver we made the somewhat speedier journey from Giza to the airport (not much traffic at that time of the morning). Check in completed and then onto our flight to Luxor.

Arriving in Luxor we were met by our new Egyptologist guide Mohammed (no ... not the driver from Cairo). We then headed from the airport to the dock where we were to board our boat for the next 4 nights as we cruise the Nile. Now I need to explain the whole dock situation. Basically boats line up with each other so that they are about 10 abreast across the river with their doors lined up with each other. To access our boat we had to walk through the lobbies of 5 other boats as we were the 6th in line. It is incredible! We had a lazy morning whilst we waited for our room to be available for us but Mohammed took the opportunity to explain what was going to happen over the next few days and then we explored our new home. Access to our room was hurried along by Mohammed so that by 11.00 we were able to unpack and get settled before heading off to lunch.

After lunch we met Mohammed in the lobby and along with a new trusty driver made our way to Karnak Temples. This is a huge area ... about 64 hectares in size ... but only a portion is open to the public. Mohammed guided us through the site, explaining what we were looking at and helping to decipher the hieroglyphics and giving us the history of the place. This area dates back from 2900 BC to about the birth of Christ which is when the Romans took over Egypt. The site is filled with statues, columns, obelisks, chambers and a sacred lake. After our guided tour with Mohammed he let us have free roaming time until we met up with him again to leave.

Leaving Karnak we then headed to Luxor Temple which is only about 3 km away. This is a smaller site but is still filled with so much history. Again Mohammed guided us through, telling us stories about the Kings, the reasons why things were built the way they were and pointing out the different significant points in the complex before leaving us to explore on our own. 

After Luxor we headed back to the dock. Mohammed told us that we were safe to walk along the promenade for we wanted to so after a short toilet stop we headed back off the boat (yep ... through all of the boats again!) to just wander and observe life ... and the most spectacular sunset! Now just to head to dinner and then to bed! We have to be up to meet Mohammed by 7.30 tomorrow for another jam packed day.