The next day would be a sailing day, as we made our way up the Nile towards our final destination: Luxor. Though, we did have one stop scheduled along the way: the incredible Edfu Temple.
Our cruise ships docked, and we wove our way between several ships before exiting onto the pier. Our guide carefully and expertly flagged down a horse-drawn rickshaw that would take us to the temple. How fun! The town is full of these and are essentially the taxis that locals and tourists alike use to get around. There are so many it looks like the crowded streets of NYC, but instead of the yellow cabs, there are horses and carts being drawn every which way. No apparent road rules or guidance to follow, just a chaotic free for all, haha. We do make it to the temple, but the entrance line is sooo long! It’s easily the longest line we’ve seen thus far. We’re only given about an hour or so for the stop, and we’re worried we won’t get tickets in time to go in and enjoy the temple before needing to leave and head back to the ship. Yikes!
Our guide gets lucky and grabs some tickets for us, and away we go, feeling rushed but trying to take in the intensity of this temple. This one is by far the largest we have seen, and it’s overwhelming. It’s just so big. Simply incredible! I’d say this was my favorite temple that we visited. There was so much visible paint left on the ruins, you really could start to imagine what it would’ve looked like in its prime; fully vibrant with colorful images wall to wall. This temple was so grand, it was hard to believe it was ancient at all. I found it amazing how well preserved these temples are, I guess that’s all thanks to the desert sands.
We make our way back to the ship, and now it’s time to chill. I’d been ready for a day to just hang out, as we’d been on the go right since we landed in Cairo. And now, finally, I would be able to lounge out by the pool and enjoy watching the world pass us by while sailing down the Nile. How lucky am I? Hehe.
We arrived in Luxor, and we’re supposed to go see another temple by night, but our guide’s ship was delayed, and he won’t make it until later. So Jaimee and I head out on our own and wander about. It was nice to get a moment without a guide, just to go at our own pace and casually stroll about. What a lovely relaxing day…just in time for our busiest day yet, lol.
And just like that, our last day and our busiest day begins. We have a tight schedule filled with sight seeing, and then a late night flight back to Cairo, beginning our long journey back to the States.
But first! A trip to Valley of the Kings! The time has finally come! Hehe 😁
Driving up the road towards the entrance to the Valley of the Kings was ethereal; tall sandy mountains on either side of the small road, looming over us as if they were the guardians of the buried treasure that lay beneath our feet. We walk through the entrance, which has a model of the tomb system, showing just how far down some of the tombs go and how intricately built they are. We buy our tickets, and I opt to pay a bit extra to see King Tut’s tomb, I mean…when in Rome, right? *ahem, Egypt* lol. There were so many other tombs that were an extra cost, either due to their fame or their pristine conditions… I’d love to come back and explore more of those. 🙂
Our guide showed us one particular mountain in the distance that looks like a natural pyramid, so this was one of the reasons this area was selected for the most important tombs. And also because it was far away from the bustling metropolis. Walking around and seeing the entrances to various tombs had me feeling a bit like Indiana Jones and also an archaeologist…I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to first discover this cultural treasure trove. 🤗
We went into a couple of tombs, and they were, without a doubt, breathtaking! And not only due to the fact it was a nearly sealed off hot vacuum buried deep beneath the mountains with little to no air flow 😅…..but because of how intact the carvings, colors, and depictions were! I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing! I took far too many photos, but I just couldn’t help my trigger happy fingers, lol. I tried to imagine, as I walked down the corridors to the chamber of the sarcophagus, what it must have been like to be a worker on these intricate tombs, carving all of this by hand, in the desert heat…what an undertaking!
King Tut’s tomb was so tiny compared to the rest, and easily the best preserved I saw that day. Walking down there gave me an eerie sense, as if his spirit was still there. I spent a good amount of time there, thinking about his story and the different variations I’ve read about. Who knows what truly happened to him, but despite being a short-lived ruler and perhaps not the most popular, he sure has become the most famous with his unperturbed tomb. Imagine gaining that much fame after your death and traveling the world in your sarcophagus, ha! That’s one way to do it! Haha. 😅
Our next stop was the temple of Hatshepsut, an iconic building in honor of one of the female Pharohs. How cool is that? I love that in ancient Egypt, some women were taking control and leading in powerful positions. However, not everyone agreed with that, and her successor attempted to erase her name from the temple and claim it as his own. It was incredible, standing in a place designed for a powerful female Pharoah, knowing women have such a long way to go even in this modern day and age. Throughout history, there have been women who have taken command, despite the societal difficulties, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to pay my respects to one of the greatest. 🙂
As if our morning wasn’t full enough, we stopped by the Colossi of Memnon, two gigantic statues of the Pharoah Amenhotep, which used to guard the entrance to his funerary temple, which has all but crumbled into rubble. Besides these enormous states, there wasn’t much else to see right here, but dang! Standing right next to them made you feel so tiny! I can’t imagine these being created, carved, and hoisted into position, haha.
We had a magnificent lunch at this point, all the food we’ve had so far has been amazing, but this lunch was one of my favorites. We had a table near an open balcony, looking over at a very green farm, with a slight breeze in the air. Ahhhh, how we need this break, haha.
Next up was Karnak Temple, back on the east bank of the Nile. This was yet again another stunning temple complex that is difficult to even describe. It is a series of different temples all in the same area, like a mall for temples and worshipping different gods. Multiple Pharaohs contributed to the construction of this site.
This entire complex was so large that we barely saw everything. Truly a sight to behold, this entryway was lined with ram head sphinx statues and once inside, the temple opened up to a few side temples and heading straight back was the infamous Hypostyle Hall, with the biggest columns I have ever seen! It was amazing walking amongst them and staring up towards the tops of them, as they seemed to reach for the sky. The colors on the columns were also striking, and I tried to imagine how it must have been to walk this hall in its prime. It must have invoked quite the grand spiritual sensation, standing amongst the immense columns and temples. We spent until sunset here, roaming the ruins of the temples…I was in a dream. 🙂
Our last official stop of the night was the Luxor Temple, and we’d have the luck to see it beautifully lit up at night. It was gorgeous! I really loved seeing some of the temples at night; it made them appear even more mystical than in daylight. Before we went into the temple, we walked for a bit on “Sphinx Way,” a road adorned with sphinxes on each side, leading all the way from the Luxor Temple to the Karnak Temple Complex. How incredible! It looked as though these statues had been built recently, but it was just as old as these temples, and I bet it was quite the spectacle when used for festivities.
Back to the Luxor Temple…we didn’t know it beforehand, but some really fancy dinner and event was to take place there later in the evening. The interior was filled with workers setting up big monitors and lights, carefully adjusting the placements of the plates and silverware on the finely adorned tables, and even what appeared to be a news crew preparing to report on the evening’s event. While it thwarted our attempts to look at the temple and imagine the past, it was a truly unique perspective to see a modern event celebrating in such a fabulous location. I find it intriguing when ancient structures can be incorporated into the modern world and taken care of and utilized. I wonder, though, what would the ancient Egyptians think about a dinner party happening in the middle of a temple? Hehe.
Before wrapping up our trip in Egypt, we stopped by a hookah cafe for one last hookah and mint tea. We relaxed with our guide and driver, reminiscing about the last couple of days and enjoying our view of the Luxor Temple. All good things must come to an end, and soon we had to leave for the airport. Tonight we’d be flying to Cairo, arriving around 11 pm, and waiting there for our flight to Paris, leaving around 1 or 2 am. Then, from Paris, Jaimee and I would part ways and head to our east and west coast homes :).
Egypt was as incredible as one can imagine. I was blown away by the ancient history encompassing 4,000 years as opposed to the 2,000 years of some of the greatest Latin American civilizations, of which I’m supremely interested in. 4,000 years is difficult to comprehend and makes it all the more fascinating and incredible. The time we spent in the desert was our favorite and provided us with moments of silent reflection in the stillness of the sprawling sand and rocks. I will always prefer a lush green landscape, but it was unforgettable, driving through the dry sandy landscapes and imagining what a life out here looked like thousands of years ago.
Taking Off With Amelia 