Luxor

If we had to pick one day of this trip as a highlight, this might have been the one. The Valley of the Kings has more than fifty tombs of the Pharaohs, and it was simply amazing to wander about and explore them at will.

As usual, Ahmed gave us a tour of two of the tombs: Seti I and King Tut, before setting us free to check out some of the others on our own.

We were unprepared for how elaborately decorated they were (yeah, we'd seen photographs, but still...) and how different each one was from the others. King Tut's was remarkable, Seti I was amazing, and we also visited the tomgs of Tutmoses, Menemhop, and Ramses III.

The entrances were narrow, and the tombs were croweded, even with the low tourism we found everywhere. And while outside was hot, in the tombs it was very nearly unbearable--the humidity made them just like a sauna. (Ahmed explained that they rotate the tombs on exhibit, to help minimize the damage.)

But my goodness, what artwork! On the walls, on the ceiling, in color, in gold and black, carved into stone or merely painted. We could have spent far more time here, if we'd had it, and if it had been even a little cooler. Even in October, Egypt is hot!

From there we were off to see the massive temple built by Hapshetsut--the only female ruler in the time of the Pharaohs. We'd heard a lecture about here, and how she ruled Egypt until her son came of age. He then obliterated her name from almost every temple and tomb, but left them all standing...and this was her magnum opus. It was stunning.

And we wrapped up the day with a visit to the colossi of Memnon--massive statues standing in open air near the Valley of the Kings. They made you realize how much Archeology must still be under the sand along the banks of the Nile.