Luxor

Today we travelled to Luxor, Egypt, to see their many archaeological sites.* It was a short one-hour flight from Cairo and an easily managed day trip. 

We started in the Valley of the Kings where the pharoahs of Egypt's New Kingdom (1570-1070 BC) are buried.** The tombs are dug into the side of the mountain and only a few at a time are open for public viewing.*** Each entrance begins a journey down through elaborate colored carvings that show the King going to his afterlife. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed inside.*****

Our next stop was Hatshepsut's Temple. She was one of the few queens to rule ancient Egypt and built this temple for worship. As a reward for her efforts, the next king (her stepson), had all images or references to her reign removed.****** What remains is a three-tiered structure to rival all your favorite column-ed buildings. Some statues and engravings still exist. 

   

We then had a quick stop to see two giant statues that have been exhumed and reconstructed.******* I was instructed to jump. 

 

We ended at Karnak Temple,******** the grandest temple in Luxor. I'll spare you all the history********* and give you some of the many pictures. It is larger than life. 

  

  

 

 

  

Before returning to Cairo, we took a quick sail on the Nile.**********

 

 

 

  

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What's next, you wonder? We go to bed. We were up way early. 

-KT

*🎶Tombs are bustin' out all over!🎶

**For those keeping score, the Giza pyramids are from the Old and Middle Kingdom (2600-2160BC and 2040-1700BC, respectively) and putting a pyramid on your tomb was so passé by 1200BC. 

***For those really keeping score, this is where King Tut's tomb was found. It was miraculously intact because the entrance had been covered over by the rubble of another tomb and grave robbers never found it. All the goodies from King Tut's tomb are in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo where pictures were not allowed.****

****Not that that stopped me later. 

*****Which is why I totally didn't take this one.

******Ladies, don't even get me started. 

*******You can't pull a weed in this place without accidentally hitting a relic. There are archaeological dig sites everywhere. Our tour leader even told us how his neighbor found something in his yard and has encouraged him to dig up his own. 

********No, not that one, Carson fans.

 

*********AKA I don't remember the history. 

**********Like ya do. 

***********🎶Just call us "Cleopatra"...'cause we're the queens of de Nile🎶

Bonus posing for those that like to scroll: