Tombs tombs and more tombs.

Always an early start to get ahead of the crowds and before the sun gets too hot.

So we were off to the Valley of the Kings. Near Luxor by car. You see these places in magazines and photos but until you are there you don’t realise how advanced these people were.

This is the tomb of the most famous Pharoah of all times. His mummified body is showing signs of decay but still going!! At the end of his casket is the 12 orangutang symbolising something. ( honestly I was at information overload.) I can’t believe the colours are so clear and bright after thousands of years though.

This is the ultimate in re cycling. Ramesses V has a tomb and is buried in it then Ramesses Vl decides he is going to use it as his temple too. Except he doesn’t like that there are no pretty pictures in it so he has the walls decorated as he feels fits his power and supreme being.

This is the temple of Hatshepsut. Fascinating woman who was buried in the valley of the Kings, not the Queens.

So the Valley of the Kings is on the West Bank and then we went to the largest temple in Egypt, also in Luxor on the East bank. The Karnak temple.

This is the dock outside the Karnak Temple. The Nile used to flow up to the temple . I imagine the boats and people and noise and energy. This temple is on 62 acres and would have been impressive. It also had a sacred lake which was quite inviting today at midday.

We caught the plane from Luxor back to Cairo and tomorrow we start the last part of the journey and the Pilgrimage of Kens.

Pamela

Can I just say that none of this information should be taken as true. Check it out yourself, or come here to see.