Friday was a relaxing day as we sailed from Edfu back to Luxor passing through the Esna lock. We were fortunate on both occasions with the lock as we were able to transit almost without ddelay. We were told that in peak times, there can be a delay of up to 24 hours in a queue to go through the lock which can only accommodate 2 cruise boats at a time.
The odd looking picture above is a work of art which our cabin steward created each day using the fresh towels! We had a crocodile,cat,bird on various occasions all created by twisting the new towels.
The dining room arrangements were set up on the first day, and we had the same table each day. What a coincidence it was to find that the two dining companions Chris and Michelle were from Upwood which is a village adjoining Ramsey where we had spent our first 12 months.Their two children had attended the school where Carol had taught, and Michelle was a teacher from a primary school.
Arriving in Luxor we relaxed before going off to the Karnak Temple for the sound and light show in the evening. The setting was marvellous and for once there were not too many people walking around. The commentary was excellent and we both thoroughly enjoyed the performance.
Saturday arrive and it was time to pack and ready oursselves for the trip home. As the plane did not leave until 20.30 hours we had all day to potter about. We decided to visit the Luxor Museum and walked along the Esplanade to the ticket office only to find that they would only accept Egyptian currency which we had nearly run out of.We were pointed in the direction of a bank and started off only to be accosted by an Egyptian who said he would guide us to the bank. Walking along he told us he was a language teacher from Aswam and was delighted to be of assistance. Changed some money and then our guide said we MUST visit the Market where there was a Saturday morning sale - it was "just up the road". Ho Hum. The market was a Papyrus shop and we were hounded into buying a couple of pictures (actually quite nice and reasonably priced)then we found our guide back outside ready to take us to another market. I offered him LE10 (a quid) but no he didn't want money??? He escorted us back to the Museum, by which time Carol had tried him out in French and realised he was certainly no French teacher (suprise suprise) and then when we got to the Museum he asked for English money.Stiff chees old son - we had cashed the last visible english currency in front of him at the bank! He accepted LE10 reluctantly!
Luxor Museum was all that we had been led to believe. Absolutely brilliant display of artifacts. Mummies/statues and tablets from antiquity. There was a double bed which had been recovered from the tomb of Tutankhaman -together with other furniture from that tomb. And there was a Chariot which had been reassembled from its stored parts from another tomb.The chariot was 3500 years old, and to look at the perfect wheels and axles made one realise just how advanced these people were all those long years ago. Our own Aborigines were truly insignificant.
Looking back on the trip, I guess the big question is really "how did such an advanced civilisation disappear" and lead to those dark years of the Anno Domini?"
Like the Romans and the Incas and Aztecs they left great chunks of history for us to muse over and wonder.
The flight home was 5 1/2 hours getting us to Gatwick at midnight (2am by Egyptian time) but we found the car without any fuss and tootled off home exhausted but very content with the week.
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