Luxor, Egypt

Arriving in Egypt on March 29th marked the start of a busy couple of days for us. Our trip to Luxor was the first of 4, day-long tours we had signed up for over the next 7 days. Our ship docked in the port city of Safaga but we didn’t spend much time there because we immediately boarded a bus that took us to the sites. Our buses traveled together in a convoy because we’re very important and everything. It was a pretty far drive to get there but the guide shared lots of Egyptian history with us on the way. Their history is fascinating and it’s amazing how much further back it goes back than ours, several thousand years before America was even discovered. America is just a baby really.

First we went to the Valley of the Kings, an area that contains the underground tombs of many Egyptian kings. Outside the entrance of the valley there was a miniature model that displayed the underground tombs and just how extensive they are. We got a chance to go inside 3 different tombs; Rameses III, Rameses IX, and Tutankhamen. The tombs had been excavated, so unfortunately there weren’t mummy remains and jars filled with organs scattered on the floor like I imaged. It was still very impressive. Hieroglyphics covered the walls from floor to ceiling, so intricate and well preserved. Tutankhamen’s sarcophagus was on display in his tomb, which was a work of art itself, made mostly of gold with detailed etching. No pictures were allowed inside the tombs though, this one is from outside…



After lunch, the bus took us to Luxor Temple. There we were, just driving around and all of a sudden there were these ancient ruins in what seemed to be the middle of the city. Leading up to the temple was a road lined with sphinxes (sphinxi...?). Just like the tombs, the temple was so amazing with it’s massive statues and pillars. Every inch of the walls were covered with more hieroglyphics and the guide explained what some of them meant. It was really interesting, a lot more so than the tiny picture they show in history books.





More Egyptian adventures coming up.