Luxor and Karnak
Trip Start
Mar 02, 2008
1
5
7
Trip End
Mar 26, 2008
Luxor,
Egypt
Monday, March 10, 2008
Names that evoke thoughts of ancients
A city built on history,
With temples that extend for acres.
What can I do to comprehend
A city in business for 3000 years?
I have trouble imagining back 150 years to be
Alongside great-great-grandpa Conrad as he landed in NYC.
Here we have Karnak, centerpiece of Johnny Carsonīs shtick:
His turbaned answer / question routine.
Karnakīs reality is so much more
Home of the prime god: Amun-Re.
Priests and pharaoh in constant attendance,
Ready to take Amun-Re the mile upstream
To Luxor Temple, home of Amun-Reīs consort, cow headed goddess,
Sounds strange, but cows were mark of fertility and plenty.
Now Karnak is a huge expanse,
A line of sphinx, literally for a mile.
Obelisks, some taken to Europe,
How did they erect it without a tower crane?
Could they really tip it up straight and true?
Just sliding it down a huge mound of sand
Aim the base of obelisk to stop sliding when,
Now upright, it lands squarely on the base they laid down!
Our tour guide Dahlia, explained all those details.
She kept us together, until -
Grace and I went straight along souk (market)
When she took everyone out with aright turn.
There we were, on a corner,
No Westerners in sight, chaos surrounding!
Our savior: the tourist policeman assigned to group,
Appeared at our side, guided us to our bus.
