Here There and Everywhere

Barcelona to Abu Dhabi: A Day in Luxor and Karnak

Have you noticed a theme developing on this trip? I am finding that some of the things I had most delighted in planning and anticipating have turned out to be not that great, while parts that I had maybe dreaded, or not cared so much for, have turned out way better than expected.

On our ship, which is beautiful, and noted for its cuisine and social life, I love our quiet, beautiful stateroom, with its spaciousness, serene colors, and large balcony. It is a happy place for me.

I had concerns about this hotel. I do my research. It looked very pedestrian, to me.

I was so wrong. Once again, we had a room that knocked our socks off. Again, spacious, and beautiful, with a nice balcony and a gorgeous view of the Nile. It had a state-of-the-art bathroom, so modern that it took AdventureMan half an hour to figure out the controls for the shower – and I never did figure it out. You could use the controls on the outside of the shower, or inside the shower, or use the remote control. Eventually, I just gave up and sponge bathed.

We are back on the bus very shortly to go to Luxor, and then to Karnak. This is AdventureMan’s happy place. He is really into all things Egyptian. Luxor and Karnak have expanded amazingly since our last visit, and he is grinning with happiness.

Near the entrance, we run into a happy group, they are visiting from Qatar, where we used to live.

You can still see traces of the original pigments on figures higher up on the pillers.

I break away to find a restroom; AdventureMan accompanies me and finds a new friend. He dazzled the attendant with old Egyptian coins we had saved – what – forty years? The attendant was so amazed, he gave me extra toilet paper 🙂

As we were leaving Luxor, I looked for a replacement keffiyeh for the one I lost and ended up with one I really hadn’t wanted. When you don’t really want something, amazing things can happen. He threw it at me, and I got it for $3 instead of 100 Egyptian pounds. I am glad now, it is navy and black, a very fine keffiyeh, and it keeps me warm.

At Karnak, I left the group and wandered out to the main drag where I could see the Nile and the horse-drawn carriages. The horses look healthier than they used to look, so many years ago.

We planned to skip the Sound and Light show to hit a handicraft shop we had wanted to visit only to discover it no longer exists. We get to our room around five and sack out briefly. We are exhausted. We have a quiet dinner. Later, AdventureMan heads down to the old Winter Palace to find some good Egyptian souvenirs for the kids with whom he volunteers.

This has been a great time to be here. There are no crowds of people thronging the old ruins. The weather is lovely.

The bed is huge, with really good linens and good reading lights. We slept well.

February 4, 2023 - Posted by intlxpatr | Adventure, Cultural, Travel | Egypt, Karnak, Luxor