Egypt 6 - edited with photos

[bazfaz]

(Egypt 6 – Feb 1)
Mrs Faz took great exception to Kerouac's remark that her trouble might be psychosomatic. I know she was cross because she mentioned it about 6 times. Anyway she is now pretty much mended, just the occasional stomach cramp. She ate a light supper yesterday and has had kushari for lunch today.

Staying in Luxor is expensive because of all the sites to see. But Hassan at our hotel organised Teacher Cards for us (Mrs Faz used to be a teacher and still teaches English to the children at home in France; even I spent a year as a teacher in the distant past; so it seems this entitles us to the cards). We get in for half price. We have visited the Luxor Temple, Luxor Museum, Mummification museum; and today we went to Karnak.

We took the public mini-bus from the corner of our street right to Karnak - much better than the hassle with taxis. Karnak is an example of gigantism that imperial powers get - look at central Vienna or London; and watching Obama's inauguration the gigantic nature of it all was overwhelming.

Anyway, we have been to Karnak before but it was wonderful to see it all again and marvel at the skills of 3500 years ago. It is still amazing to us that they managed to erect such massive stone structures without mechanical aids. How did they get that Obelisk upright - 27 metres in length and weighing 320 tons.







We walked back into town along the Nile Corniche. It is lovely at the Karnak end where there are no buildings or cruise boats. There are a mass of cruise boats parked 4, 5 even 6 deep when you get into town. Some will be being used as floating hotels at the beginning or end of cruises. But I wonder if so many not working is seasonal or due to a lack trade.



We have been to the station and bought our train tickets for tomorrow. So it will be Aswan next.

[Deleted]

While Mrs Faz lay pale and weak in bed this morning I went out...

My goodness, Baz, you might as well have gone looking for a new bride. Isn't there anything about "in sickness and in health" in the wedding vows in Britain?

Yes, yes, I know. Mrs Faz probably insisted, "you go out an enjoy yourself while I waste away..."

[bixaorellana]

Is the sky really so blue -- Egyptian blue! The ankh and duck bas relief is exquisite. Is the third picture from the bottom -- the one with the trio of palms -- the entrance to a tomb?

What does the Egyptian duck say?
Ankh! Ankh! Ankh!

[onlymark]

"Is the third picture from the bottom -- the one with the trio of palms -- the entrance to a tomb?"

You can see how it is apart from the rest of the other buildings, has a flat stone area in the front, has two pillars that can be seen from afar, is plainly decorated, the whole of the inside can be seen from outside, it has no doors, the inside is in shadow away from the hot sun outside.

There is only one thing it can be that fulfils those criteria.

[onlymark]

[bixaorellana]

Hathor help us!

[bazfaz]

I thought at first it was the loo. Probably a little shrine.

Away from the Med and Cairo's pollution the sky is blue. In Dakhla oasis they sait it had rained for a day last year but that was the first rain for seven years.