As we were leaving Refuge Egypt last night, we were told the office was closed till Monday...some holiday...so we figured it was time to get out of town....check out Luxor...so at 4 am we were up & off to the airport. Internet is amazing! So is Rog who booked us a flight & hotel in less than an hour.
We met a taxi driver at the airport who was a cousin of the owner of Nour El Gourna...where we'd booked a room...of course!! At 10:30 he was driving us to the Valley of the Kings. I've read about tombs many times..but being entombed in one in Egypt...one of those pinched me moments...is this for real?? 3500+ years old & still with such vivid colors & spectacular carvings with amazing details!! No doubt I'm in Egypt!
In awe we lingered in four tombs ...built in the time of Ramses'. Many tombs are not open to the public right now & there is excavating going on in many areas here. Most believe less than 10% has been discovered. I'm just in awe. But there was more! We taxied to the Al Bahari Temple. She sure built herself a nice place! Epic!!!
We came back to our hotel for a feast fit for a Pharaoh: bread, hummus, salad, rice, vegetable in a tomato sauce, fried egg plants, roasted chicken..and Coke Lite. Needing to walk that off, we took a stroll into the small village nearby conversing with many locals. When they asked about why we were in Cairo & hearing we are working with the refugees, two of them talked about loving that Egypt was open to refugees from all countries & that they did not make them stay in camps. Both spoke of their dislike of Trump.
We strolled by many donkeys & sheep that live within this village. On the hillside near us is another village with electricity & cable TV...but no water. The govt is closing it as it is probably on top of more tombs.
The sun set brilliantly behind the ruins of Colissi of Memon (60', 10000 ton statues )as it has for more than 3500 years...
Sent from my iPhone
