Eternal Nile Day 5
Eternal Nile
DAY 5 - Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - Optional Balloon Ride, Luxor Temple & Museum, Local Market, School, & Embark on Nile Cruise
We were up at 4 AM again, the third day in a row. We met our guide and walked across the street to the Nile River where we boarded a boat that took us to the West Bank. We met a 15 passenger van that drove us through the winding streets of small villages where we were able to glimpse them coming to life.
Out in the middle of a sugar cane field we found our hot air balloon ready to be inflated. This was a special treat this morning for Gennie and I to celebrate our 31st Anniversary and get a really far-out perspective.
We took to the skies with an optional hot air balloon ride for a wonderful aerial view of the area's ancient monuments, the West Bank, and the fertile Nile Valley. We glided along viewing the splendor of the Valley of the Queens, Hatshepsut's Temple, and the entrance to the Valley of the Kings.
We also saw thousands of excavations on the western hillsides, the Colossi of Memnon, and how the green fields give way to dry desert sand hills as far as the eye can see.
After an hour in the air and altitude of 1800 meters we landed safely next to the Valley of the Kings at about 7:30. We headed back to the river and our boat and were taken back to the hotel.
After a buffet breakfast we got our hand luggage and watched them load the large suitcases on top of the bus. Our first stop was at the Italian School run by the Franciscan Sisters.
The head nun talked to us about the history of the school building, a little about the curriculum, and about the 700 young girls who attend this school. There are 24 orphans who live there on a full-time basis with the remaining children, age 5 to 12 paying 700 LE/year to attend ($120).
The sister was very appreciative of the pencils and school supplies that many of us had brought for the children. The kindergarten class we visited had 50 students, 3 to a desk, and they were crowded but still have to turn down students who want to attend their school as it is one of the best in the city.
On the way to the Luxor Museum we made two unscheduled stops the first being a Veterinary Clinic to see how they took care of the horses and donkeys of Luxor. The next stop was to watch a pottery maker on the street. There are many things to see here and lots of discovery adventures in this large metropolitan area.
We visited the Luxor Museum, a very modern and well planned building, whose exquisite collection of Theban relics was painstakingly gathered from the fabled city's temples and necropolises. In the museum's basement, we found the remarkable collection of statues from the court of Amenhotep III, discovered just 20 years ago.
On the second floor, our Egyptologist Trip Leader helped us to understand the scenes inscribed on the Wall of Akhenatan. Composed of 280 pieces of talatat—"two hands wide" sandstone blocks found in the ninth pylon of the Karnack Temple—the wall depicted the daily life and religious ritual in the reign of Akhenatan, whose monotheism was a seismic—if short-lived - revolution in Egyptian culture.
Thousands of pieces of talatat were lost over time, and there remains no other collection in the world as extensive as this one. The displays here included pottery, jewelry, furniture, statues, and stelae. Interestingly, it was curators from the Brooklyn Museum who originally arranged these collections.
We had a few minutes after our extra hour of free time so we sat out in the sun and took a few photos of passers by. The teenage girls were getting out of school but turned away when they saw any cameras. The guard told us that they are taught to be weary of strangers and not to allow their photos to be taken.
After leaving the museum we were given an assignment for shopping in the street market. Charlie and Sylvia, Andy, C. Edward, Gennie and I were responsible for buying two kilos of tomatoes, two lemons, two large buds of garlic, and 4 green peppers. We were each given 10 LE, that when pooled gave us 60 pounds to spend.
We stopped at a vegetable stand, divided the tasks and went to work. I got out of the way and just took photos of people on the streets - Gennie is the bargainer. She delegated other responsibilities to the members. We ended up buying everything we needed and spending only 11.50 LE about 2 dollars.
We (they) won the prize for the fastest shoppers and best negotiators. We had so much money left over, Shahinaz gave us ten more pounds and told us to buy fruit. So Gennie negotiated again and got a whole watermelon and a cantaloupe for that price.
We are hearing that the dollar is going down in value around the world so we know it is important to get the most for our money. The Canadian dollars is almost even with the US!
At 12:30 we found our bus, compared our purchases, and Shahinaz gave us an opportunity to discuss the highlight of our morning. It is interesting to see the values that the 15 of us placed on our experiences.
We had a 45 minute trip to Etna where we met the cruise ship. We were greeted by Johann, the cruise manager, were shown to our spacious rooms, unpacked and then had lunch at 2 PM.
We went down the river (South) for two hours just to get out of the dock and then turned around and came back again. We had a chance to see the countryside a bit, get some sun, and watch other ships pass by.
When we got back to Etna, there were even more ships berthed - probably close to 25 and five or six side by side. Crazy, as people have to go through other ships to get to shore. We will only travel during the day. We will berth during the nights.
At 5 PM we had a briefing by Johann on rules and regulations as we will be on board for 4 days. They have an internet connection through a mobile phone but we are told that it is a fast line. It will cost $8 for 30 minutes.
At 7 PM we went back to the lounge for a cocktail and a brief presentation of the department heads. Overseas Adventure Travel just bought the boat and their logo is everywhere. It is an older boat, well maintained, steel hulled and surprisingly, our rooms are much larger than our Holland America rooms.
At 7:30 we had dinner, set menu, and then at 9 PM there was a showing of Death on the Nile. I am not sure I can stay up for the whole thing. 4 AM was VERY EARLY.
NOTE: I am shooting between 200 and 300 photos a day (after throwaways) and Gennie is doing about 100. I am beginning to worry about editing my CD that I create after the trip. OAT trips are so different from other companies we travel with as they cram so much into a day. And in Egypt, there is SO MUCH to do and see!
I also need to note that security is everywhere but they are really in the background. We have one on each bus two for the ship. They all carry AK47s and are very nice. But they do not want their pictures taken.
One just takes them for granted as they just look out for us, helping stop traffic when we cross the streets, all have mobile phones in case we get lost or separated from the group. When I am taking pictures - in the market for instance - one kept an eye on me.
Even though people are very friendly, welcome us all the time, and want to know where we are from, the Egyptian government can not afford to have anything happen to lose the American and European tourist business!
Accommodations: Nile Cruise Ship M/S River Hathor Meals: B, L, D
If you wish to travel with OAT Click Here.
To receive $50 per person off your first reservation with OAT, mention the following information when reserving your Overseas Adventure Travel Trip: Mr. Victor Garcia Customer #673062
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