Right, now fun doesn’t begin to describe the day.

Tanya and Fi--------- Tanya on the boat

We got up at 4.30am showered and dressed - me and Fi in our new tops and turban and the boys in the galabeas (dresses), had brekky and went down to the river to catch our waiting boat over the river to meet our donkeys.

Sunrise over the city (two photos)

Watching the sun rise was lovely but the best was yet to come.

Meeting their transport Tanya (two photos)------ Mark and Mike

---Tanya during the ride-- (two photos)

The donkeys were so fun - and they were really cute.
Marc had advised the boys that "their bits to be tucked up nice and tight" and the girls "bits to be firmly supported" as well because the ride would be a very bouncy one.
He wasn’t wrong!!
There are no stirrups on a donkey and you just hang on to the rope and go.
When they see a gap they just go for it even if there isn’t much room so we were jostling with each other for space.
We mostly just laughed the whole way through.
One girl fell off but wasn’t injured.
All the tourist coaches went past us and people were taking photos and all the locals on the road working laughed at us - we really must have looked a sight!

(two photos) Scenery during the ride "I like our shadows"

It was a 7km ride but it seemed to go quickly.
It was nice and green at the start and then it was just desert - the scenery changed so quickly but it was gorgeous.

We got to the Valley of the Kings and had our photos taken by tourists again and then jumped off our donkeys.
It took a while to get our balance back but we all were fine.

"Our guide for the day was Saleh again"

Our guide for the day was Saleh again.

Our entry fee included entry to three tombs and then we could pay extra to go into the Tomb of King Tut.
I paid but some people didn’t - I really didn’t understand that because they are unlikely to come back and it is once in a lifetime!!
Never mind - their loss.

The landscape (two photos)--- Tanya and the natural pyramid (two photos)

The site where the Valley of the Kings was built was chosen because of the natural pyramid that was formed at the top of the valley.
The landscape was lovely but it was really hot even though it was only 8.30am in the morning!

Tanya at the tomb - includes the sign (three photos)

One of the passages--- Hieroglyphics in the tomb (two photos)

There were maps of the tombs outside them and Saleh explained the tombs to us in detail before we went in.
It was quite funny that all the guides moved on and let him in when he walked up to them - it was an obvious deferment to him or mark of respect - lucky we had him!

Karen and Tanya

While we were standing by one of the signs someone tapped me on the shoulder - I turned around - it was Karen!
We just had time for a quick photo before she had to run off and rejoin her tour group but I was glad we were able to meet up over there.

Tanya at the tomb - includes the sign (two photos)

We weren’t allowed to take photos but as usual I managed a few.
There was scary men with turbans yelling not to take photos and then trying to take cameras - they actually did take the camera of one of the Indian guys on our tour.
Saleh saved the day by getting it back for him.
Imagine losing your camera with you whole trip on it?

Anyway…one of the tombs had a sarcophagus still in it but most of them were empty.
They had all been looted by treasure hunters well before we got there!

Once again I will say that the hieroglyphics were amazing but this time I mean it - they were the best that I had seen so far.
I could have stood there all day looking at them.

Saleh said that the Tomb of Ramses VI was by far the best and you could tell by the line to get in that he was probably right.
We waited about 30 minutes to get in.

"Mark with my pink umbrella"

I pulled out my pink umbrella and stood with it because it was so hot.
Poor Jess from our trip was really ill and she sat in the shade and waited for us to get close enough before she joined us.
She had had a chuck in the loos that morning - they were pretty gross - they didn’t flush and there was a man pouring a bucket of water into it like a manual flush after each person had been. Eeew!

Tanya and Saleh at the tomb - includes the sign (two photos)

(two photos) Hieroglyphics in the tomb --- The sarcophagus

Anyway we finally got in to the tomb and it was well worth the wait.
It was amazing!
The photos I got don’t really do any of them justice but the walls were two stories high and just completely covered with hieroglyphics, each about the size of a hand in straight lines and in lovely colours.
The ceilings were painted too and some of the floors.
I hung around in there a bit longer than the other ones.

Tanya at the tomb - includes the sign (two photos)

After that it was time for Tut’s Tomb.
Tut’s Tomb was the only one found completely in tact - it still had all the treasures that he would need in the afterlife in there.
It wasn’t as beautifully decorated as the others but that was because he died young and they didn’t have time to finish it properly.
It was just painted too…not carved.

I had my photo take outside the tomb, and then left my camera with Fiona - I didn’t want to risk losing it as they were a lot stricter at this tomb and did bag searches.
Anyway, I went in.
It was the smallest tomb that I had been in so far but the coffin and the mummy were still inside.
It was really quite amazing to be there.
At one point it was just myself and Paul in the tomb - it was so quiet and I felt quite privileged to be in there.
It was nice not to have to deal with the crowds too.
I took my mobile phone out and started sending a text to Mum - the turbaned guard was on me in a flash thinking it was a camera phone - it wasn’t and he let me be.
I eventually wandered out and was stopped by another guard (I still had my phone in my hand) but they let me go.

“Holy Crap” and “Your kidding me aren’t you”

Now we were done with the Valley of the Kings it was time to trek over to the Workers Village.
Marc told us we had to climb over that hill and pointed at it.
There was a few “Holy Craps” and “Your kidding me aren’t you” but he wasn’t.

(three photos) Back towards the Valley of the Kings (three photos)

Jess took a taxi around with Saleh and we headed up the hill - there were just little tracks all around that we had to follow.
It was really funny to see a man with a bucket full of ice selling bottled water and coke at the top of this random hill in the middle of nowhere.
We had all stocked up though and kept going.
It wasn’t nearly as bad a climb as I thought it would be and we just walked around the ridge once we got up there.

Hapsetshut’s Temple (two photos)

Anyway, we had a great view of Hapsetshut’s Temple from above.
We didn’t go in it but I reckon it looked great from where we were.
There was a massacre there in 1997 and gunmen just opened fire on tourists there.
It wouldn’t have been very nice I don’t think and it was only less than 10 years ago.

The scenery (two photos)--- The edge of the desert

Mike Richard Mark Tanya Fiona--- Mike Tanya Mark

The views were amazing from the top and we were looking towards the Nile and you could clearly see the line where the fertile valley and the desert met.

Tombs of the Nobles--- The Valley of the Queens

Tanya at the top (two photos)---and part of the track

We walked along and saw the Tombs of the Nobles in the hills and also the Valley of the Queens - we didn’t go those places either.

(two photos) --The Workers Village-- (two photos)

"A tomb of a worker - had a little pyramid on it"

Marc then pointed out to us the Worker’s Village.
We made our way down the hill and found Saleh and Jess waiting for us.
There were tiny little (still taller than me though) pyramids at the top of the tombs.
We went into two and they were fantastic.
The workers who did all the carvings in the Valley of the Kings made their own tombs.
There were just paintings but so well preserved and so detailed and colourful.

Tanya and the rest of the travellers - including Saleh

Our donkeys were waiting for us and we jumped back on to ride back into Luxor.
Jess took a taxi as she was still pretty ill.

--The statues-- (two photos)

......and Tanya with the two Colossi

We went by the Colossi of Memnon which are two massive statues seemingly in the middle of nowhere but I guess it meant something to the ancient Egyptians.

(two photos)-- (two photos)-- (two photos)

Back on the donkeys and through the back streets of the villages.
It was amazing and sometimes quite sad to see how the locals lived but they were all happy to give us a wave and a smile when we went by.

-(two photos)-----------(two photos)-
NOTE - these four photos are very similar, but they are terrific shots!!!
- could not choose between them, so decided to include them all!!!

"This shot was taken from my pool-bed!!!"

Written as she sat near the pool

We had lunch and then caught the boat back across the river and walked to the hotel.
We collected our jewellery purchased the day before and went back to the hotel for a swim.
I had more tea and watched the sunset and got some great photos.
We had a shower and packed ready for the overnight train back to Cairo.

(two photos)--- (two photos)--- (two photos)

Tanya and the Temple

Streets decorated for Ramadan--- Mark Mike Tanya Fiona

The local beer

We went for a walk around Luxor and took some photos of the temple and then went back to the hotel and had a lovely dinner on the roof and lots more tea.
The train left Luxor at 11.00pm.