First of all, this was a splurge vacation. The airfare was so cheap, that my teacher friend and I decided to spring for a fancy hotel. This was so the right decision. Our hotel was about 3km North of Karnak temple, right on the Nile. Bougainvillea bloomed all over the grounds, grass - REAL GRASS, was springy under my bare feet as I walked back and forth from the pool-side bar to the lounge chair right next to the Nile, and tall palm trees provided just enough shade to have a cool place to rest, without obscuring the sun and hindering my tan!
The first day, the plane landed around 7am (btw - the drive to the airport began at 3:30 am - but you know how vacation is; no matter how tired you are, the excitement kicks in and you are wide awake!) and after checking our bags at the hotel, we grabbed the first shuttle in to Luxor and disembarked at the Luxor Temple.The Luxor Temple was beautiful in the early morning light and, more importantly, almost empty! I managed to get beautiful shots with no visitors in them because not a single tour bus had unloaded from the many Nile cruise boats berthed in Luxor (a typical start / end point for Nile cruises). At the far end of the Avenue of the Sphinxes I photographed workers unearthing and assembling MORE sphinx to line the long long walk. This was very cool.
At about 9:30 the temple began to fill with tourists, so we went in search of lunch. After braving the touts (who were out very early - no, I do not want a horse-drawn carriage ride at 10 am when it's really starting to get hot!) I noticed a little tiny alley filled with tables. This was a tiny alley restaurant connected to a little budget hotel just behind the temple (and just far enough from the McDonalds to make me feel decidedly un-touristy). Lunch was amazing! For less than $20 there was tea, soda, tagines, and dessert (and conversation with the owner). Not quite Egyptian prices, but certainly not crazy tourist prices! We would consistently eat delicious, inexpensive meals the entire trip (muc
h thanks to the Lonely Planet guide on this one which directed us to some of the eats!) including amazingly well spiced fish (reminded me of Cajun seasonings - but spicier) at a restaurant in the tiny village of Karnak near the hotel.Each day that followed was like this: get up early, have adventure (hot air ballooning over the valley of the kings, camel riding, horseback riding, sightseeing, etc) come back to the hotel and enjoy a large, wonderful, delicious, FREE hotel buffet breakfast, lay by the pool until gently roasted, and prepare for dinner back in town or at the hotel.
Speaking of hot air ballooning - it almost didn't happen! The winds were too strong and the company was about to cancel the trip (which happens often, apparently, in the Winter/Summer transition time that is nothing like the Springtime I know from the states) - many of the balloon operators had rolled up their balloons and the situation was looking rather grim when a last minute call came from the airport that we could go up! HUZZAH! Our little van got really excited and all jumped out with renewed energy - all the mutinous crankiness from just moments before had dissolved and everyone was smiling ear-to-ear.
The balloon ride was amazing. 20 people crammed into a basket under searing heat from the fire that makes the balloon go-up . . . and still it was amazing. We lifted off just near Queen Hatsheput's temple in the Valley of the Queens and flew for 45 minutes over green fields at the edge of the desert and the Nile. From the air we watched men harvesting sugarcane, children preparing for the school day in their school yard, and the other balloons rise and fall. Our pilot made jokes and people elbowed each other a bit for better camera shots, and it was worth every minute!
There's so much more - Mohammed, a local who hooked us up with all our horse/camel/boating needs; feluccas; birds; banana island ... ! I think I would go back and stay forever if there were a school there to teach at. Perfect Vacation Achieved.
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