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Day 1 - Second day

Once on the opposite bank, the Temple of Luxor ahead.

first thing you see when you approach the entrance, are two huge statues of Ramses II and obelisk.

As the guide told us, the obelisks were 2 originally had, but in 1883 one of them was taken to the Place de la Concorde in Paris. It was a gift from the viceroy of Egypt to France.

This temple was part of ancient Thebes, is dedicated to the god Amon-Ra and consists of a large patio, processional colonnade, atrium, pillared hall, several halls, chamber of birth, offering room, foyer, sanctuary of the boat and several shrines. In an area of \u200b\u200bthe temple, a mosque that is still providing services.

The part I liked about this temple was the gateway to the obelisk and the two huge statues, but really the feeling of walking between the columns of the pillared hall, the carvings on the walls and there are other statues around the temple tour leave you amazed. You begin to make the typical question of how could raise the statues and columns, how would that one day pillared hall ceremony with its roof, its hanging looms, all the walls colored engravings etc.

In one of the rooms of the final part of the temple are remains of Roman paintings with which the priests hid the original paintings and reliefs dedicated to various deities of ancient Egypt. No comments.

When we left the temple, Peter tells us that in ancient times an avenue of sphinxes connected the temples of Luxor and Karnak dividing the city in two, and that what is visible from the entrance to the temple is only part of this incredible avenue of just over 2 miles.

We return to the bus to go the way of our last visit of the day, the Karnak Temples complex, but not before dodging vendors. Not since the body for much hassle, it's almost 14:00 and we have 10 hours non-stop, the heat is and we still have to do this last visit before going to eat the boat. Take this opportunity to buy water and eat a kit-kat to give me energy to get the final onslaught.

Upon reaching the gates of the temple of Karnak you can get an idea of \u200b\u200bthe dimensions of the complex. At the end of the avenue of sphinxes (which in this area are sheep), the pylons are input, much higher than those of Luxor, and half an aisle flanked by statues and columns is not the end.
The first explanations of our guide under the scorching sun of midday is not to be encouraging. We note that the complex has 30 hectares dedicated to the worship of many gods, and that the construction and subsequent extensions involving more than 30 pharaohs.

started the visit in a large courtyard with a monumental statue of Pinedyem I. From here you can see the remains of mud at the base of the pylons, which serves to explain how pepe built such high walls and columns. For walls, a ramp made of mud and began to build, while raising the pylons and adobe ramp, when it concluded its construction would eliminate the time you were painting, this time from top to bottom the pylons. Even with this explanation I was fascinated how they could have raised those moles with so few resources.
We continued and arrived at one of the travel times that I lost track of time, the spectacular pillared hall. The latter explanation I heard the whole complex of Karnak was next, after I took the camera and I left the group along with another pal for about an hour.

This room has about 135 columns 15 meters tall on average. Each column is unique, with prints that retain the original painting and papyrus-shaped capitals. At that moment my head and my camera running at 300%, I was more than 15 minutes around the room admiring and marveling with every detail, marveling at the play of light that the sun created the slip between the columns, and again I thought that room at its best with colored roof, tapestries etc.

had to be my companion, who was also in a quite exalted, which took me back to reality. He said the group had gone and not seen, so much to my regret we continue the visit to try to reach the group, but could not be.

A little later in the pillared hall, two large obelisks, with which we were entertained for a while too, and it was while we were admiring those big buildings when a local vertical invited us to follow him places "not permitted" to visitors. Not what we think and within seconds we were following our impromptu guide through the remains of statues, walls etc. we did not know to where. But it was worth, we did a "tour" of shrines, halls and courtyards that are not visited because of the inaccessibility of the road. It was a pleasure to walk among archaeological remains that could well take a glass case in any museum in the world, filled with sand and find those places that not everyone visits. For about 20 minutes it seemed that we were only 3 people around Karnak, no hordes of tourists talking and the silence was almost absolute. The climax was a sanctuary where he had an engraving of a beetle in which he insisted you spend on hand to accompany us good luck on the trip.

We said goodbye to him but not before ignoring their pleas to give him a euro, I had forgotten that in Egypt there is nothing free but call you habibi (friend) every two to three but in this case deserved the visit € 4 due to a problem of understanding between my adventure and I compete, but I do not regret anything he had given those 2 €.
When we returned to the civilized area of \u200b\u200bthe visits, we met again with the group. Most sit or lay pilgrimages to the baths, which were about 500 meters. Join us 2 of our colleagues and we visiting the complex where the great lake of offerings as we told the "fling" you have to live.

After about 30 minutes of free visit where we found more areas off the beaten track to visit and return to my beloved pillared hall, just the exhausting day of visits.

climbed on the bus, we would appreciate a seat and air conditioning, but what there is more desire to eat, but we have to wait account, because while visiting the area, our ship has sailed to Esna where we expect the table set, so we have a bus ride a little longer than we thought.
During the meal, we found something that is normal at lunch time during our stay. Suddenly all the waiters and cooks out of the kitchen with instruments and singing and dancing, we assume that they are dancing and folk songs. At 2 minutes, all who were there eating just a giant conga around the tables making the chorus to the crew. I still remember the battle cry "¨ Aleel ooooh!". What memories. According
end lunch at about 17:30, went up on deck and see the lock fully operational.

The rest of the day until dinner time, I spend lying in bed resting and in the main hall of the ship talking to the few have not finished throwing a long nap after lunch.
After dinner, get on the ship's deck and discovered a ping pong table that we had not seen so far. We went down to reception by the blades and take a mini championship.
In one game, one waiter comes and tells us he is the best boat and if we dare to play with him. Both my traveling companions and I accept the challenge and started playing with him, and after losing almost every time was up half pissed. From this moment, summons us to play every night at 23:30. Did not miss a single day in more than one occasion brought "reinforcements", although little was served. This made for meals provided we had the typical healthy hesitate and spades with the waiter, making us spend a great time and throwing a lot of laughs together.

Day 1 Part 1 - Next Day

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Egypt - Part 1

journey begins. At 4:15 in the morning you hear a bell and someone who is knocking on doors. A shower which zombie alert and climb the ship's dining room. My face is not only broken, we are all equal, some are not up for breakfast. The way media is imagine waking up in one of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings in an hour, that gives me the energy to go out to the bus. Still no light in February it does at 6 am more or less, making a little scratch, but is grateful for the cool to just cleared completely.


As the bus takes us to the Valley of the Kings, Pepe will counting the few that we awake curiosities of the country and how to drive the Egyptians, but even so I just understand why our driver insists on driving and overtaking other vehicles come to mind straight, and only limited go whistling and making rounds at the cars driving right by your lane.
starts to see himself clearly, but there is much movement at the entrances to the Valley of the Kings and orchards near the Nile

At last we reached the parking lot, where many tourists throng camera in hand. We board a tourist train as there is in any Mediterranean city for about 200 meters. Pepe deals us entries and gained access to a building in which there is a large model on which you can see the distribution of the tombs in the Valley.

After a brief explanation, we entered the compound and began to see the entry of large number of tombs. We visited the 3 following: that of Ramses IV, Tuthmosis II and Merneptah. You can not take pictures, and it is a shame because they are truly spectacular.

Something pissed me much is that in one grave, there is placed a glass-enclosed to protect the paintings, which takes all the magic, but the anger gave way to indignation when I approached, I see many Messages posted on the original prints and paintings such as "foo was here" in several languages.
In that moment I understood the usefulness and necessity of this aberration that would prevent me to enjoy the tomb in all its glory.
If you are interested in visiting or Egyptian culture, stay out or go on a trip to Punta Cana, but do not go in a tomb over 2000 years and put yourself to do what you do on the park bench beneath in your home.

After this paragraph continue, but my blood boil every time I remember.
Our guide explains the typical distribution of the tombs in the valley, each consisting of several corridors that lead to one or more ante-chambers, nearing the end of the royal chamber where lies the coffin with the remains of Pharaoh surrounded by several rooms which housed all the belongings and even the food they would need in the afterlife.
Throughout the various corridors, are represented various offerings to the gods and rituals that are a reference to the deceased on his way to the afterlife (Litany of Ra), and fragments of the Book of the Dead and the Book Doors.
's really a shame to go with a guided tour, as they only give us 15 minutes to watch an area of \u200b\u200bmore than 200 meters decorated floor to ceiling (the latter included), making it impossible to admire the amount details and the chromatic variety of the decoration of the tomb.

At this time, when we took about an hour through the valley, leaving one of the graves we were afraid of how in a 15 or 20 minutes has been up so high temperature. Pepe explains that the Valley of the Kings makes an effect oven, and after 12 the heat can be stifling, so most of the visits are so early.

After seeing two of the graves and various explanations prior to entry by the guide, in the third grave is in the most enjoyed. I felt as an archaeologist entering the tomb and parándome in the first meter runner while other people came forward. Now that you know how information is structured in the tombs, which meant each figure depicted on the walls, finally able to "read" the story told as I got closer to the camera.

After this last visit, they gave us another 20 minutes for us to make pictures all over the valley. We went to the entrance of the famous tomb of Tutankhamen, but did not get, the price was a little excessive and I remember we had to book in advance. However, the tomb is empty like the rest, the famous treasure of Tutankhamun you will see in part in the Cairo Museum.

Our next bus, next stop, the impressive Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, built on the backs of the Valley of the Kings.

The entrance to this temple is through two huge ramps that provide access to various terraces and a courtyard before the grave (he could not visit), which is carved into the mountain Like in the Valley of the Kings.

The facade of the temple remains in very good condition lots of prints and reliefs, many with original paint, in which have different histories of the reign of this Queen-Pharaoh. Very striking representation of the queen in the outdoor statues, in which the sample and a male and a spacious deck above the entrance to the tomb.

On leaving the temple and before catching the bus, I have my first contact with the haggling. To go to the parking lot, forcing you to go through a series of bazaars and stalls in which there is no escape. From here on in all the temples will be the same, the output passed through a street formed by a market where you could get a souvenir of Egypt at a good price after bargaining and avoid being sold "soap stone."
After much haggling and somewhat awkward, back to the bus where the guide waits impatiently for us because we delayed about 15 minutes.

On the way to our next stop, we stopped at a workshop of basalt and alabaster, where we teach how to work the stone and tell a good picture of a rammed earth imitation. Do not buy anything because the prices are well above those that I saw on leaving the temple, the reason that the committee will guide and you inflate prices by 50%.

After teaching visit, we reached the Valley of the Queens, and disappointment is capitalized. The condition is unfortunate, most graves are simple pits dug in the ground and are filled with garbage from tourists, the roads are not as adapted and marked as in the Valley of the Kings, and the setting is less spectacular because it is what surrounds the tombs are not high mountains, but mountains of medium height.

Here we visit two tombs, the first being a son of Ramses III, and the second of his mother, in which the fetus is also a brother of mummified Ramses III.
We passed the tomb of Nefertari, but as with that of Tutankhamen, the price is too high and must be booked before you go, even in Egypt with money you can get close to making a grave just for you .

At the end of this valley, almost no posts, as the influx of tourists is lower, and a visit is usually much shorter than previous ones. Our next bus
kamikaze, which leads to a square where stand two enormous statues, the Colossi of Memnon.

These statues represent the Pharaoh Amenhotep III sitting looking towards the Nile and the rising sun, and all that remains of a large funerary complex that was even larger than the Karnak.
One of the statues was in maintenance, and we saw the security measures used at more than 15 meters high, nothing, no ropes, no helmets or anything else to protect them in case of fall. The prevention of occupational hazards ... the stone pass.

Back on the bus, takes us to the edge of the Nile, where we expect a small boat to cross to the opposite shore, where they hope the temples of Luxor and Karnak.

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Macaws, Hormone Inbalance

Flight and arrival in Egypt

Finally the day arrives. The alarm clock, but long ago I'm awake. A rosette spray to breakfast and ran over the luggage in the car and go to the T4 Barajas Airport. Arriving is impossible not to be stirred by the sight of the huge gap that remained after the bombing Eta December 2006.

I join the rest of the group and most of them know at the time, because I "attached" to the trip to Ecuador career of a group of students from the University of Alcalá de Henares, so I only knew 3 people from a total of about 50, but that is unimportant when the important thing is the destination. Miraculously, the flight leaves on time on time, at 15:50.

The company Egyptair plane is fine, the space between the legs is not to be loose, but more or less you can move.

At 3 pm, we serve the high tea, the "succulent feast typical aircraft, but everything ends up hungry in the stomach.

When flying in an easterly direction, our plane is searching the night, and soon not worth looking out the window as the cab display are flying over the Libyan desert, so I do not see a single light.
Soon the plane began to fall, and now if the background is orange snake that stands out in the dark: the Nile and its fertile strip of about 10 km in which sits almost 100% of the population the country. While
over the town of Luxor, it seems to distinguish one from the complex of temples, but do not know what will. We're here.
4:30 pm After a trip landed at Luxor airport about 21:30 at night.

After taking the luggage finally know who will be our guide Over the next 8 days. His name sounded something like "Yoseri" but when he saw that we would have trouble remembering his name, told us that from that moment he llamásemos "Pepe". Advance the clock one hour and then we left the parking lot where we catch the bus that takes us to the boat through the city of Luxor. Along the way, Pepe gives us the role of the visa to fill it when we finished it with the 34 € it costs. Meanwhile, begin to learn the unique way in driving the Egyptians and with the day to day in the streets of the city.

We reached the banks of the Nile and separate us from the bags, we say that people who is sitting on a park we take them to the boat (will not be trusted?).
To get to our boat, which right now is when we learned that will be the Moon River, we have to cross through the lobby of another 3 boats. The first time you are surprised, but when you go through 10 or 12 boats in the days of the cruise you get used to.

Here, have a habit of "parking" the boat next to each other, because the guide tells us, there is spring enough for all ships to berth. We said that all the Nile, some 180 cruise by typical slice Luxor-Aswan-Luxor and Aswan, so they have the same problems with parking ships with us in Madrid with cars, but are permitted to double or triple row.

If you want to see the Nile as it gets at rush hour, look at this picture satellite. We

direct to the dining room for dinner and then made the distribution of rooms. At this point, we do drop another 25 € for gratuities for the crew for the 4 days we will spend on the boat, so in just over 2 hours that we in Egypt, and we have blown a 50 € and other things. The cabin is not much, but has everything needed for a few days. It seems incredible in so little space as two separate beds fall by half a meter, a desk with a chair a closet and a bathroom with a shower. The important thing is that the bed is comfortable and that throughout our stay we had no problems with cleanliness.

leave without undoing the suitcase and pulled out what is necessary for the night, then boarded the boat deck where all you hear is the whistle of the cars and the call to prayer from the minarets at least 10 of their respective mosques can be seen from the boat.
We stayed until 1:30 rest lying on hammocks whilst watching the Nile and its banks at night.

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Track & Field Backpacks

Egypt: Preparing your trip

Here begins the story of my journey to the land of the Pharaohs in 2007. Over several posts'll tell the visits and experiences. I hope you serve as a guide or help at all you are going to visit this amazing country.
All what you will read below is taken from my own experiences and information I give is based on a typical 8-day trip through an agency.

like crazy Before you pack, there are several things you must consider. In the next 6 points I make a summary of what you need to know before starting the journey.

WEATHER

My visit to the country of the pharaohs was 12 to 19 February. To give you an idea, the time these days is like spring in Madrid, ie morning and evening you will not over a jacket or jersey, but at midday it can be quietly shirt. Keep in mind two things:

1 º. - Most excursions and visits are very early in the morning, and even some before dawn, (and I will be commenting on the time that we started visits each day), so at that time yes you have to go with a jacket.

2 º. - The trip has two completely different areas, the first is the central-south, in which while you are in the ship's deck, you'll notice the damp air of the Nile, especially in the afternoon, but when you are in Abu Simbel, at 10 am you can meet with about 30 º C. The second area is the northernmost, Cairo. I made very good time, but one morning dawned cloudy and you could see the cold, but at night, if you go out for a walk, it's better with some long sleeves.

What if I recommend is that you bear something to protect you from the sun, such as hats, sunglasses, skin creams and lip balm whiter.



CURRENCY The official currency is the Egyptian pound, divided into 100 piastres. These are the values \u200b\u200bthat circulates:

tickets in pounds: 100.50, 20, 10, 5, 1
piastres banknotes: 50, 25, 10, 5
piastres Currency: 10, 5, 1 ½

Not being in the foreign exchange market, you can not change to Egyptian pounds until you come to Egypt, but do not worry because almost everything you can pay with euros. I almost did not use Egyptian pounds more for some tips and to pay for taxis in Cairo, because there you save something it does, but the fact of change was more to handle an unfamiliar currency, go to change the bank for change and to get me a ticket back to Spain because as you will see are quite nice.

To give you an idea, I changed gave me 30 € and 225 pounds Egyptian. The exchange was about 7 pounds per euro delivered. Well, those 225 pounds, after buying tips, taxis and pay me on almost 80 (about 10 €) that I have stored in memory together with the inputs of the temples.
Anyway, if you remain without money, there are plenty of ATMs near where the cruise ships dock Luxor and Aswan, and if not, the end of the journey is often the city of Cairo, where it does not have problems to easily find an ATM.

HOTEL AND CRUISE MOTONAV

If you travel through an agency, prepare to leave home without knowing what hotel or boat you are going to sleep. In my case, at first gave us the name of 3 different hotels in the same category, and about a month before going and told us the final, the Hotel Royal Gardens.

With the boat was less fortunate, and that gave us the name of two different from the same category, but in the end, until we entered the boat, which we did not know how to. The assigned was the Moon River, neither of us had promised the agency, but the truth is I have no complaint from the boat, the food was alternated between menu and buffet, and had both Egyptian and Western dishes. In addition, the service and waiters were really the best of the stay on the boat later comment. To make a long

this too, here you have several links where you can read many reviews of hotels and ships from Egypt, where you will find that this is the trickiest issue of the trip, but we must not let a bad hotel and ship I ruined the trip. Reviews

Hotels
MV Cruise Reviews
Reviews Hotels & MV

My own advice is:

1. On the boat, giving you avoid rooms near the engines, there is much noise and smell of fuel can be annoying .
2. Note that the drink is usually not included in full board, so that's where you can drive.
3. If you have the opportunity to choose a good boat or a nice hotel, certainly picked a good boat, as the hotel of Cairo hardly going to enjoy it as it happened to me, however on the boat going to breakfast , lunch and dinner, in addition to sleep while you sail, so the better, less'll notice the effects of navigation.
4. Something must consider the categories in star ship and hotel, is that they are exactly the same in Egypt than in Spain. The equivalences are:
   

Egypt 4 stars =
Spain 2-3 star 5 star Egypt =
Spain 3-4 star 5 star Luxury Egypt = 4 stars
Spain Luxury 5 Star Superior level or above Egypt = 5 stars

Spain
NEED ME IN EGYPT

• Passport to NO expires within 6 months of your entry into the country
• visa that will give the flight or landing. (34 €)
• Money for tips and extra trips (150 € - 200 €)
• mosquito repellent (depending on the time, I did not need me)
• Sunscreen, hats, scarves, sunglasses
• Fortasec sun ... or any antidiarrheal, if you suffer the evil of Tutankhamun. Aspirin or paracetamol
• for fatigue
• If you are prone to be sick, medicine for the boat
• All coins of 1 or 2 € as you can, are the ones that are going to use
• Mobile phone charger / batteries. You do not need adapters
• Swimsuit, towel, flip flops etc. For the pool of the ship / hotel and the Nile
• For me the most important, the camera with all the reels or memory cards that you have
• Longing to experience another culture
• lot of energy to endure the folly of schedules, fatigue and early mornings

CUSTOMS AND TIPS

• takes candy, paint and pens to children, you will find that is one of the best memories you will have the trip.

• Nobody take back the language issue. You English speaking quietly, indeed, will surprise all English subjects who have reached those distant lands. In some specific cases you will use some English, but I will not deny that I had a little problem with the language on my journey As you will in another post later.

• The sense of time or being rushed in Egypt is somewhat slower than ours, you will see they do not get stressed easily, so I recommend tomároslo patience and sense of humor.

• Her life revolves around bargaining, and even for many is a lack of respect not haggle, so I never aceptéis the first price you give, can be lowered by an average of 40 or 60%.
  Beware that you do not sell soap figures guise of stone, the trick is to ask him to hit, take it to test the weight ...
  If something really interests you, mostréis no interest in it at first, ask the price of any otherwise, tell him you do not care the price that has given you and then asks what you were interested from the beginning
  To accelerate the process of bargaining, you are going to make or have someone rush you plan goal "let's go to the bus goes "or" leave it, do not waste time so you will not lose money. "
  

• If you want save many euros NEVER buy some nothing in the shops where the guide leads you. I will spare yourselves by 50%. I'll tell you my experience in the papyrus shop.

• Go not concerned about safety, is a town as pleasant and peaceful. Have maximum respect for the tourist and there are police everywhere, especially tourist police. But there is no sense of danger anywhere. Just use extreme caution because it is a country that lives off tourism.

• I hope you will not be very apprehensive when riding in taxis or buses dilapidated, dirty and old, but that will start as the lesser of your worries. Only I say that every time you arrive at your destination you will make a party. Really bad driving, but inexplicably miraculous and something happens rarely.
  About everything going to check when you get to Cairo. They spend more time doing bursts of honking and driving lights.
  Another adventure is to cross a street. The advice they gave us the guide to cross any street was that either the subway or cogiésemos cerrásemos cruzásemos eyes through which we liked, because I really do not care, do not stumble. It's something inexplicable but are real geniuses when dodging cars, pedestrians, police ...

VACCINES No vaccine is not required to enter Egypt, however, would not hurt to make sure we have made routine immunizations.
To learn more, I recommend you consult the website of the Ministry of Health recommendations for travel to Egypt in response to our personal circumstances:
http://www.msc.es/sanitarios/consejos/vacExt.do


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