Day 3 – Sunday, November 9: Monday, November 10: Morning Flight to Luxor, Valley of Kings, Temples of Medinet Habu, Hatshepsut, Luxor, Felucca Boat Ride on Nile River, Overnight Luxor
Today was our first full day, and it began with an early 7 a.m. flight to Luxor. Because of jet-lag, it wasn’t too bad waking up at 3:45, with breakfast at 4. Most were up anyway! The weather in Luxor was hot, with temps around 90 in the afternoon. But what a great first day seeing ancient Egypt at its best!
Luxor: Valley of the Kings
We arrived in Luxor about 8:15, we loaded and boarded the bus and drove directly to the Valley of the Kings. 63 pharaohs have been buried here since the start of the New Kingdom. Most of us went into three tombs: the tomb of Ramses IV (a Pharoah of the 20th Dynasty), the tomb of Ramses III (the one who defeated the Sea Peoples), and Merneptah (the son of Ramses II). A few in the group also purchased an extra ticket to see the tomb of the famous King Tut’s (his tomb is included in the photos below). His actually mummy is on display here as well as his sarcophagus. The well-preserved colors in all the tombs of the wall reliefs were stunning to see. The religious focus within the Egyptian belief system upon the after-life is plain to see in all these tombs! It took between six months and three years to build these tombs, some even more time because of their complex. They began building these tombs once the Pharoah became king.
Alabaster Shop/Store
Close by are many alabaster shops. We went to one whose owner and his workers were quite the comedian. It was interesting to see how some of the vessels are made. The final products made from stone and onyx were impressive.
Temple of Hatshepsut
On the opposite side of the cliff of the Valley of the Kings is the Temple of Hatshepsut. The temple was built in 1470 BC (conventional dating). Based on an early dating for the Exodus and Conquest, it is suggested Hatshepsut was the Pharaoh’s daughter who rescued Moses (Exodus 2). She was the daughter of Thutmose I and reigned for over 20 years. She was despised by those who succeeded her, with her image and cartouches eliminated and/or scratched away (perhaps both Thutmose III and Amenhotep II did this?).
“The morning began early with a flight to Luxor. Once arriving, we visited the spectacular Valley of the Kings. These royal tombs (64 of them) were so impressive to see. We saw and learned a lot about ancient Egypt, and even made some biblical connections as well.”
Temple of Medinet Habu
The last temple on the western side we saw was the Medinet Habu. This was a dedicatory temple built in honor of Ramses III. Depicted on the pylons is the defeat of his enemies, including the Nubians and the “Sea Peoples” (i.e. the Philistines of the Bible). Ramses defeated the Sea Peoples in 1177 BC. The wall reliefs show Ramses holding the heads of his defeated enemies by the hair. He also cut off their hands and men’s “private part” to humiliate them.
Felucca Boat Ride on Nile River
In the mid afternoon, we enjoyed a felucca boat ride on the Nile River. It was a relaxing time of experiencing the river just as the ancients did. We drove directly to a papyrus store to see how ancient “paper” was made.
Temple of Luxor at Night
We ended the day with a early evening visit to the Luxor Temple. This temple is primarily in honor of Ramses II, although built before him by Amenhotep III. Ramses, one of the most famous of them all, was the great Egyptian pharaoh of the 13th century BC (1280s-1220s). To see this temple eliminated with lights at night was spectacular.
We drove to our hotel. It was a tiring but amazing first day! Following check-in, another wonderful buffet dinner awaited us. It was “early-to-bed” after dinner, with many in the group waking up early again tomorrow morning for the optional sunrise hot-air balloon ride on the west side of the Nile River. We leave the hotel tomorrow morning at 4:40. It will be worth it!
Day 5 – Monday, November 10: Optional Hot Air Balloon Ride, Temple of Karnak, Flight to Cairo, Grand Egyptian Museum, Overnight in Cairo
