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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