HUG &Trip to Egypt 31 May 2005

Tuesday May 31, 2005

To day we woke up on the bot still docked at Luxar. We all departed after our breakfast in the dining hall. I then went up on deck and put sunscreen on and got prepard for our day in the valy of the kings.

First stop was of a temple that is mostly destroyed now. We took a few photes of the two remaing statues that were on ether side of the gate enterence. From here we went to the valy of the kings. One the way we passed some of the few remaining stoe houses that most likly the Iserl lites would have built for storing grain and other goods in.

The first thing that we did when we arived at the valy of the kings was to drive up to the road throu a winding dirt and clay road. It was amazing how arid the desert is and to see the sheir clifs and mounds of sand in this area. It was very dry and hot. We arived early in morning and by afternoon it would be all but unbarible. Once we arived at the valy of the kings our security gard was able to let us bypass the "C" shaped are were all the vindors and haslers are. We were going to try to drive our bus all the way up but would not let us go that far. So we got out here and passed throu the armed security gate and then borded a tram to tack us to the toums. Mr. Myham sed that he has never bean able to bypass like this. It was gereat.

Once on the Tram it took us up a winding paved road in the middle of two large mountons of Samd and rock to the toums. The first stop once at sight of the faros toums was to go finde some shaid. We found this at the area where the arceoligist that discoverd and worked had there restign place and eating area. It looked as if had ben rebuilt for the tououst but this is the place where the workers would try to get a break from what would have ben unbarible heat sand sun. At this place Osman our guide took time to do some teaching about the boums and some history.

Next it was off to visit the Pharos toums. I was able to see 4 tums today. The first one was the tomb of Ramses IX. It was the 6th toum deiscoverd here in the valy of the kings and dates back to the 20th DYN. The decoration that dipicts stories for the book of the dead and others were very intersting. It was amazing how much the paint and the structure is still in taced and not damaged.

The next toum was Merenptah toum which was the 8th discoverd toum and was from the 19th DYN. This toum had a large room at the botum with pilers and a large baral bolted celing. The cercoficous was in the middle. During the time that I was down in the bottom of the toum the electrisody went out for about 3 min. It was compleatly dark and people were runing in to coums and other people. I went throu my bag and got out my flashlight and saved the day. It was great and scary to. It gave a good idea tho of what would have bean like macking the toums in the deark. Osman sed that they would mix solfer in wax to help prevent smok stain on the walls and cellings.

The next to last toum was Rameses I wich was the 16th toum discoverd here and was from the 19th DYN. This toum was the steepest of the ones that we saw. At the botom was a sercofigous in the middle. This toum did not have any colums and was wide open at the bottom. It also had a bar volted celing at the bottom.

The last toum was King TUT wich is from 18th dynesty and is well preserved. Had a glass cover over the crcofigous. You could see in and see the gold covering that the momey would be wraped in. It was a short way down. The cercofogous was lower and off to the right side when you wolcked in.

Folowing seeing the toums we went back to where we started and were able to have more watter and learn more about what all we have bean seeing. Then was off to the tram to ride back down the road to the bus. When we arived back down at the security gate we all ran throu so that others would not go thru from other groups. Then borded the bus and then on our way to the onix factory.

Then we went to a onix factory where we could perchous carved stone itmes made localy out of the stone found here. We saw people out side macking and carving out on the entery area. Then we went up stairs where we Osman would tell ous about the difernt types of stone and how they looked under light. They gave us a free Coak of Cola in glas bottle wich tased difernt and may be more like the older mixture of Coak. I then looked around the store and and found something that I wanted. Then we started the bartering to get the best price.

Then we went and saw the wokders temple bareal grounds, Quen Hotship temple, and finly a temple for Ramsies II. Here we joust poled up the bus and than backed out so we would not have to pay to park the bus. This quean is most likly the quean that took Moses out of the nile river. Later in the afternoon I edeted a photo of here temple to make it look more natureal.

After that it was back to the boad for deparcher and for lunch. This afternoon we sailed up the nile and I went up on deck to wach as we sailed. When we got to the lock and dam we barterd with locals in boats where they would throu up mercondice and you woul look over and then throw down money in another sack. I perchoused 2 tows. On for 5 Ero and on for 6 USD. When I went to cheach one of the items for some one elce I had forgot I had put my sune glases back on my shirt and they went over bord into the Nile River. I will be looking for a new par soon. Oh, well. It all was great fun.

After supper went up on deck joust in time four us to see the ship go throu from the lock. One of the gyes in our grup jumped up and grabed the bottom of the brige and held onf for a few seconds and then droped donw on a differnt place in the ship. Took about 30 min to pul in and go back out and we rased about 15 feet.

Tonight we has supper and then wached the boat go throu the Lock and dam. Then it was down below deck in the parler for a party with the McLartys. Today is there 25 weding aniversy. It was a party biger than the one they had at there weding they sed. We had cakc, local people on the boat with drums, and claping, dancing to disco music, YMCA, etc, all under strobe lights.

Then folowing the party I went up and swam the sat around tocking on deck for a whill. The watter was wonderful and was nice to see the stares. The temp was perfect and would bean neet to stay out all night.

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