More From Our Time in Egypt
We have been in Egypt for over a week now and cannot help every day to be overwhelmed with the sights we are experiencing. There is far too much to go into a day by day account however here is a quick list of things we have done and the places we have been.
After Cairo we flew to Aswan and boarded a cruise boat, and not just any cruise boat this was to be our ‘luxury home’ for the next 3 nights. Aswan is a sea of colour, sound and aromas from exotic perfumes and spices to left overs from donkeys and horses.
From there we went on a day trip to Abu Simble where we visited the temple of Rameses II and his wife Nefetari. A huge monument right near the boarder of Egypt and Sudan.
Back in Aswan we began our 3 day cruise down the Nile, stopping to visit more sites including; the temple of Philae, the temple of Kom Ombo and the temple of Horus.
Also of note was a faluka (small sailing boat) ride down Nile and an Egyptian fancy dress party on the cruise which was a real hoot. (Check out the photo below).
After disembarking in Esna, we travelled by bus to the most famous ancient city in the world, Luxor… There we visited; Luxor Temple, the temple of Habu, the temple of Dendara, the temple of Abydos and Karnak Temple. A lot of temples I know, however, each had there own unique features and the size and scale where simply mind blowing.
Also while in Luxor we went to ‘The Valley Kings’. It is estimated that there are a couple of thousand tombs in this area, of which only 30 per cent have been discovered. Once there we went underground to go inside the tomb of Ramses IX and the very famous tomb of Tutankhamen.
However, the highlight had to be a visit inside the tomb of Sety I. This tomb has been closed to the public for 23 years, but opened only a couple of times a year for the world’s highest dignitaries such as Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Bill Gates, and selected archaeologists. Through some major connections our tour company has with the government, would you believe our little group got to inside and have an exclusive, private tour of this tomb and WOW was it AMAZING!! We weren’t allowed to take any photos inside but let me just say the size, the detail, the colour, the workmanship and the beauty were breathtaking!
Here are couple more photos of the highlights… (Click on the images to enlarge)
