Philippe Hotel Luxor

We arrive at Luxor at 8:50 AM, some 11 ½ hours after leaving Cairo. <br><br>Luxor has the most artifacts and antiquities in Egypt. Built on and around the 4,000-year old site of ancient Thebes, Luxor is one of the world's greatest open-air and underground museums. <br><br>Luxor is decidedly cleaner than Cairo or Alexandria. We are transferred immediately to our riverboat, the MS Melodie. This boat was recently refurbished this past ...

... remained in the wall carvings so you really got a feel for what it must have looked like back in its hey day. After we got the tomb gazing over with we headed to the Alabaster factory which had some really great alabaster carvings. We were given free drinks of our choosing while we browsed and sat and relaxed and looked. I was greedy and had 2 very sugary cups of mint tea. After much hesitation over prices i managed to get this beautiful aqua ...

... departure to go back across the river to the West Bank and meet our ride to the Valley of the Kings. Today we would be riding DONKEYS. I was very unsure going into the activity. I don't feel good about riding horses and we'd just done the camel ride the night before. A taxi to the Valley was tempting but staying for the donkey ride was the best decision I made on the whole trip. They were GPS donkeys who knew their way from the Nile to the Valley, and ...

... the pillared hall had to be hastily turned into the burial chamber. <br>If you were caught taking a photo inside a tomb you most likely would have your camera confiscated. We saw many people hurrying to follow guards with cameras in hands. But when has anything like that ever stopped Dino, it just makes it into a challenge for him. <br><br>With finally a nice day under our belts we headed back to our hotel to freshen up before the overnight train to Cairo.

... of the river Nile and earthquakes. On to the Valley of the Kings and we bought our tickets and stood in the shade for a history lesson on the first Tomb we visited, Ramses IV. Tour guides are not permitted in the tombs, nor were photo's so we memorised the salient highlights and descended into the shallow Tomb. The Sarcophagus was massive, I don't know how they got it down there without breaking it and the ceiling was a wonder to ...

... I have caught up with this log as I am scared to go outside into the heat again - my body needs a break. I think we will be here for a day or 2 longer but we have nothing on the cards. Then another jaunt up to Cairo and beyond.<br><br>I managed to already make my money back on the student ID + 40 pounds which isnt all that much but I can probably use it in Jordan Israel as well so all is good.<br><br>Last night we were invited to a lavish meal at our hostel ...

... get something for her little brother and sister and I thought I'd get something for my dad. I admit to not realizing quite how much it was possible to bargain in the shop, but after picking out two things we liked the guy told us he could give us a 15% discount, which I was happy with. I got a key of life picture for Dad and Kristen had Robbie and Katie's (her little brother and sister) names written in hieroglifics on another piece. Then the guy offered me another ...

May 28, 2009 Greetings from Luxor, Egypt! This country is far more impressive than i ever thought it would be. I am soaking up the sun, seeing some amazing monuments, getting lost in the Bazaars, learning history that pre-dates the time of Christ, learning about the culture, smoking flavored tobacco and drinking tea among the locals, buying some of the most amazing silver I've ever seen and enjoying every single second! A few days ago we ...

... sit in Luxor (not the hotel and casino in Las Vegas) at the McDonalds, to which I purchased a Big and Tasty and am enjoying free internet.    Now to the events of yesterday, day 9 of this little adventure in my life.  We began the day with probably the hardest set of temples, as they were situated in a little land called the Valley of the Kings.  Now for those that haven't heard of this valley, it is situated next to the Valley of the Queens and Queen Hatshepsut's temple ...

... nearly 500 of them that normally ply between Luxor and Aswan!  Gently cruising down the Nile undoubtedly makes for a relaxing holiday and whilst on the boat you are insulated from the constant hassling and baksheesh demands that you experience on land.  However, any sight-seeing from the boat is done en masse and, with our time limited, we feel that we got the most out of our visit by using the hotel as a base for guided tours of the antiquities that were exclusively for us.