Egypt, the land of pyramids, mummies and much more....!

26^th December 2008
The previous night we had set the wake up call on the phone to be up early for our hot air balloon ride. Even before the phone could ring, I was awake! The time was 4 AM! My son had returned late at night after some dance and fun with his friends. I had warned him that he had to be up early even if he went late to sleep to which he said he could be woken up after I had taken my bath.
After the hot air balloon ride we were to directly join the other group of people who had skipped this itinerary at the Valley of Kings. They would be leaving the ship by 8.30 AM in another bus while the twenty of us were to be taken by two matador vans. We had our breakfast by 6 AM and left for the Balloon ride!
The ship had reached Luxor port and by the time we gathered outside the ship the sun had risen. It was chilling cold and we had taken precautions to keep ourselves warm what with quite a number of people discouraging us that it may be very cold as we reach higher altitudes in the hot air balloon!
It took us about 40 minutes to reach the Nile River's west bank from where the balloons were to lift. Here again there was a boat ride to reach the place. We were given snacks in the boat. some of us didn’t feel like having them since we had just had our breakfast in the cruise. Any how, we took the packets so that we could use them if we were hungry. When we got down from the boat on the other side, there were small kids waiting on the banks of the river. They seemed unkempt and poor. They were from the nearby villages, up early to start earning their livelihood! The moment we were out of our boats, they started begging us for the snacks! They were literally snatching it out of our hands! This again reminded me of our temples back home where we see beggars starting from kids to old people begging for alms and chasing us till they got their dues. Any way I felt sad for these kids and handed over the snacks packets to them.
Then again there was another pair of matador van to drive us to the nearest spot of take off! We had to walk for another 5 minutes before we reached the place. A hot air balloon had just landed and we were divided into two groups since one balloon could not take the full load.
Our guide left for the ship to bring the other group to the Valley of Kings. After introduction to the ground crew and pilot, a safety briefing concerned with landing was given. That seemed quite simple. Just prior to landing we were asked to face away from the direction of flight, grab hold of small straps attached to the inside of the basket, and squat.
We got into our basket. The pilot welcomed us and said that the weather was extremely pleasant and we could expect a perfect ride! He started the engine (which was fitted with hydrogen or Helium gas cylinders) and there was a big noise coming from the roar of the flame! Then the whole area where we stood became warm and remained so till we landed!
The balloon started rising…..up….up….and further upwards! In the distance, we could see other balloons, sometimes ascending, sometimes descending, and our balloon reached a moderate elevation. We reached to a height of about 4000 feet!
What a breath taking view from above!!!!!! The lush green fields, the village houses, the barns and cow sheds….. The roads and the vehicles plying on them…… They all looked tiny like ants crawling in a line! Birds of various hues and colours spread on the fields pecking at the grains and insects….. It was a visual treat!
To the east you could see Karnak Temple greeting the morning sun, while adjacent in the west stood the magnificent Hatshepsut Temple. We could see the Colossi of Memnon rise from the crop fields and then the winds being favourable we could fly over the Ramesseum for an unrivalled aerial view of the complex. In the distance, was the hidden Valley of the Queens resting peacefully in the mountains.
The ride lasted for about half an hour to forty minutes. Slowly the descent started. We landed in the midst of vast stretches of sand! The ground crew was ready to grab the ropes hung from the basket. We all followed the safety procedures religiously…. but the landing was smooth, as the balloon was literally pulled from the sky by the waiting ground crew. That was not the end of this particular adventure. There was a small ceremony as well, to commemorate our flight, and with some drummers hammering out a beat, everyone danced while the balloon crew sang a rhythmic chant! We were then given a certificate testifying to our ascent on the hot air balloon!
VOW!!!!! That was an amazing experience! After tipping the ground crew and thanking them for the wonderful experience, we walked to our vans to be driven to the Valley of Kings.
By the time we reached the destination the other group along with our cheerful guide was waiting to receive us. They were all curious to know how our experience was and we replied in one voice-“ You missed a wonderful experience!” It was about 9.30 AM now.
There were a lot of tram like vehicles to take us nearer to the site! This service was provided free or may be its charges were added to the tickets! But it was a new experience! Off to the Valley of Kings. We were in the location in 5 to 7 minutes.

Pictures-
1)The shadow of our hot air balloon!
2)Our hot air balloon!
3)An aerial view of the valley of Kings from the Hot air balloon!
4)Arial view of fields and Roads!

Visit to the Valley of Kings-
The valley of Kings is located in a dry sandy area surrounded by lofty hills all around. For a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC(approximately 1539 BC to 1075 BC), tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt)and contains some 60 tombs, starting with Thutmose I and ending with Ramesses X or XI.
The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes (modern Luxor). It consists of two valleys, East Valley (where the majority of the royal tombs are situated) and West Valley. Beginning with the 18th Dynasty and ending with the 20th, the kings abandoned the Memphis area and built their tombs in Thebes (Modern Luxor). Also abandoned were the pyramid style tombs. Most of the tombs were cut into the limestone following a similar pattern: three corridors, an antechamber and a sunken sarcophagus chamber. These catacombs were harder to rob and were more easily concealed.Construction of a tomb usually lasted six years, beginning with each new reign.
The Egyptian belief that "To speak the name of the dead is to make him live again" is certainly carried out in the building of the tombs. The king's formal names and titles are inscribed in his tomb along with his images and statues. Almost all of the other tombs have been ransacked.
The famous tomb of Tutankhamun seems very small. It was hastily prepared for the king, who died around the age of 20 after a brief reign (circa 1333 to 1323 B.C.). Tut would have been just a footnote in Egyptian history had it not been for the 1922 discovery of his intact tomb, untouched by robbers and still stuffed with treasures.It seems that the robbers did try plundering this tomb too but were interrupted, so very little was removed. Nothing is left here now except Tut's mummy and coffin. (The rest is in the Egyptian Museum.)
Photography is allowed in most tombs at additional cost, but flash photography is not allowed. Our guide, who always purchased the tickets himself, told us that taking pictures was strictly prohibited! May be he didn’t want us to waste too much time in taking pictures! But we could see security guards keeping a vigil over people who were taking photographs. May be they were checking for valid permits.
Tickets for entry to the tombs are available at the Valley's entrance. Usually, these are sold in blocks, for example, to visit three tombs.
Tickets to the various tombs, as well as other monuments can be purchased at various locations. Sometimes the tickets may be purchased at the spot itself.
The following web sites provide rich information about the Valley of Kings-
1. Egypt: The Valley of the Kings on the West Bank at Luxor (Ancient Thebes)
2. National Geographic: Ancient Egypt--Valley of Kings (Photos)
3. Valley of the Kings - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
4. Valley of the Kings - Crystalinks
Pictures-
1) Valley of Kings

After spending about two and a half hours in the valley of Kings, we were taken to a shop where we could buy artifacts made from alabaster stone. There was a demonstration to show how the stone was sculpted into various shapes to make flower vases or statues. They also gave us the secret of differentiating an original alabaster product from a duplicate one. Inside the shop there were an amazing number of statuettes and flower vases to buy from. Of course they were costly and a few amongst us dared to unzip their wallets!
After an hour of window shopping in this shop we left for the Queen Temple. This temple is dedicated to queen Hatshepsut,an 18th-dynasty pharaoh who was one of the handful of female rulers in Ancient Egypt. Her reign was the longest of all the female pharaohs. This funerary temple still stands as a tribute to her incredible rise to power.
Born in the 15th century BC, Hatshepsut, daughter of Tuthmose I and Aahmes, both of royal lineage, was the favorite of their three children. When her two brothers died, she was in the unique position to gain the throne upon the death of her father. To have a female pharaoh was unprecedented, and probably most definitely unheard of as well. When Tuthmose I passed away, his son by the commoner Moutnofrit, Tuthmose II, technically ascended the throne. For the few years of his reign, however, Hatshepsut seems to have held the reins. From markings on his mummy, archaeologists believe Tuthmose II had a skin disease, and he died after ruling only three or four years. Hatshepsut, his half sister and wife, had produced no offspring with him although he had a son through the commoner Isis. This son, Tuthmose III, was in line for the throne, but due to his very young age (probably a few months old) Hatshepsut was allowed to reign as queen. Our guide gave us some extra information on how she became the queen. The queen seems bribed the priest so as to declare her as the power to the throne till her son was old enough to take on the reigns! It seems she changed her skin tone to darker shade like that of the men (Women were supposed to be very fair during their times) and also made a beard for herself!!!! She even dressed in the traditional garb of male rulers. Then the priest seems to have announced to the people that it was the order of the Gods that a woman should rule the land!
Queen Hatshepsut built a temple for herself which was destroyed by her own son after he grew up.Hatshepsut's mummy was likewise stolen and her tomb destroyed. He could not accept a woman ruling the kingdom. Later this temple was reconstructed.
She ruled for about 15 years, until her death in 1458 BC, and left behind more monuments and works of art than any Egyptian queen to come.
For more information, members may visit the following sites-
The Story of Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pictures- (courtesy- Wikipedia)

1) Hatshepsut Temple
2) A statue of Queen Hatshepsut

Suddenly I realized that we were in the last leg of our tour! It was 2 PM by now. We were returning back to our ship after spending the first half of our day mixing pleasure and sight seeing. Vow! How time had flown! Seven days just gone and we didn’t even have count of the days or hours gone by! The physical fatigue of the journey was yet to sink in! We had some more strength left in us to visit Karnak temple in the evening, after lunch.
After freshening up in our rooms, we left for the restaurant in the ship. The food was delicious what with our staple food rice added to the menu as a special compliment to us Indians!
Our guide wanted to make his last bit of earnings from us! He tempted us for a horse carriage ride down a village in Luxor. It would cost us 30 US $ per person he said. Most of our group mates did not want to miss out on this last temptation! After all how many of us visit the villages in our own land back home unless we have some land holdings there?
It was decided that after the visit to Karnak temple, the people who had opted for the village tour would go by the horse carriages while the rest of the people would be dropped back to spend the evening in the ship.
After lunch, we had about an hours time rest. By 4.30 PM we assembled once again in the lobby of the ship to leave for Karnak Temple.

KarnakTemple-
The Karnak temple complex is huge, covering a site almost a mile by two miles in area. It is the largest temple complex ever built by man, and represents the combined achievement of many generations of ancient builders. There are over 25 temples and chapels in the complex, including separate shrines for the three boats that took the statues of the gods on their annual trip on the flooding Nile. Sanctuaries, obelisks, and groups of columns all feature accounts of the heroic deeds of the sponsoring pharoah.
This vast complex was built and enlarged over a thirteen hundred year period beginning in the 16th century BC and includes several of the finest examples of ancient Egyptian design and architecture. Among them are the Hypostyle Hall. The three main temples of Mut, Montu and Amun are enclosed by enormous brick walls. An open air museum and a sacred lake are seen within the complex of the temple.
The Hypostyle Hall is considered to be one of the world's greatest architectural masterpieces. This small area can give one an idea of the builders' intent for the lighting effects.
Approximately 30 pharaohs contributed to the buildings, enabling it to reach a size, complexity and diversity not seen elsewhere.
The whole complex was built over a period of 1300 years, , , considered one of the world’s great architectural achievements. It is filled with 134 enormous pillars, the highest 70 feet tall, and each about 45 feet around. The whole thing covers 64,586 sq ft!!!!
The Obelisk of Thutmose I, a 22m (71ft) monument, is the only one of four original obelisks that is still standing.
The Ankh
Throughout the temple there are many images of the Ankh - the ancient symbol of eternal life. Whilst there is no real understanding for the shape of the item, there are many varied and interesting theories. (a) It symbolises the male female relationship [hmmm!] (b) It takes its shape from the significance to life of the River Nile (c) It resembles part of the image and phonetics of the sandal! The Ankh is normally seen being held by a Pharaoh or the gods and this is usually associated with their presence in the afterlife.
With less foundation and more wishful thinking, the Ankh has been attributed with magical or mystical powers. Sadly there is little to suggest that it stands for anything other than the eternal life force.
The sacred Lake-
It is some what like the temple tanks we have in our temple complexes in India the purpose also being the same-for purification.
The colossal statue of Pinedjem-
This looks some what like our 'Garudaazhwar'! People go round this statue 3 to 4 times or more praying for their wish to be fulfilled!
Ilites interested in knowing more about this great temple can find rich information in the following sites-
Karnak Temple - Photos of Egypt - Images of Ancient Egypt - Pictures of Egypt - Photos of Ancient Egypt - Pyramids, Tutankhamun, Abu Simbel, Aswan, The Nile, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Feluccas, Valley of the Kings, The Sphinx
Karnak Temple - Luxor, Egypt
The Temple Complex of Karnak in Thebes (Modern Luxor), Egypt


Pictures-
1)The Avenue of Rams
2)The sacred Lake
3)The colossal statue of Pinedjem
4)The obelisk of Tutmose III
5)Hypostyle Hall

We spent about forty five minutes to one hour in the Karnak Temple. It was a mystifying experience! It was as though I had traveled back in time 5000 years!
Now our guide was hurrying us up! He had another agenda- the village tour! He had to earn his extra bit and this would be the last one from us! Also, it would get dark by 6 PM. Before that the village had to be covered.
Back we got into our bus. The few of us who skipped the village tour were dropped by the anchoring ship. There were only about 4 or 5 of us who had opted out.
I went to my room and started packing up my things neatly so that we would be ready to leave the next morning for Luxor airport on our way back to Chennai.
After packing, I got some time to relax before the others returned. Lying on the bed, as I watched the River Nile through the window of the room, it looked beautiful and serene. The sun was slowly sinking in the western horizon! It was a beautiful sight! I started reminiscing about the whole tour! What a wonderful time we had spent! What camaraderie! What fun! All good things have to come to an end! In another days time it would be back to routine! But then, that is what life is all about!
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. My son had come down from the deck to inform me that everybody had returned from the village tour. Most of them had gone back to their rooms to pack up their bags. We waited till dinner time and for the last time had dinner at the ships restaurant. All of us were tired! We retired to bed early so that we could have a good sleep for the last day! Then we would be back with our usual worries and tensions to give us sleepless nights! Good night sweet folks who have gone through my travelogue patiently!
Tomorrow, 27^th of December by 10 AM, we would be leaving the ship to take the flight back to Chennai! Good night!

27^th December 2008

We all got up early to have one last look at the land of the pyramids and mummies and the beautiful Nile river flowing gently and serenely. We had our breakfast by 9 AM and assembled at the lobby of the ship. There was an eerie silence amongst us either because we were tired or because we would be parting ways in a few hours!
The luggage from all the rooms were brought to the lobby. They were moved into a trolley to be loaded into the bus. All of us got into the bus reluctantly and were on our way to Luxor airport. Our guide Mr. Bhishoi too seemed a little sad. He accompanied us till the airport from where he would be flying back to Cairo to take up another assignment.
We were leaving by the Qatar airways flight scheduled for departure at 11.05 AM local time. Once again all formalities were completed at the airport before the boarding was announced.
Once inside the plane the youngsters for the last time chatted and played games till they were tired. Then there was the usual six hour transit halt in Doha where a few of us went on a shopping spree to spend the dollars that had remained unspent! We had been issued free lunch coupons at the airport which we used when we felt hungry.
After what seemed to be like eternal wait, the boarding announcement was made! We heaved a sigh of relief! We would be back home on Sunday morning 4 AM! The thought of home did lift our spirits! Quite a lot of us had left our loved ones back home and were eager to see them!

28^th December 2008
The Qatar Airways flight made a smooth touch down and we were all happy to be back to our Homeland! ‘Home sweet home’- our hearts sang!
Everybody bid goodbye to each other and went looking for their waiting vehicles to be back home.
Hmmmm…………! It was a wonderful trip! Now I am looking forward to another such to some other unknown land! God knows whether this dream would be fulfilled too!!!!
Good bye Dear Ilites for being with me all through tour and shall certainly let you know about my next tour when that happens!


The tour to Egypt has concluded!!!!

Originally Posted by Malathijagan

Egypt, the land of pyramids, mummies and much more....!

Dear Ilites!
I wish to share with you all the places I visited in Egypt and their historical importance. It would be informative and useful for those who plan to visit Egypt once in their life time and also for the casual surfers.
Please do not post your feedback till I have completed posting my compilation.
If need be the fbs may be posted in the following link-

My Dream come True!- A Tour to Egypt

Thank you!
Love,
Malathi

Hi Malathi,
It is a very nice write up with the details. I am planning a trip to egypt in december, We have planned to go through UK. So i wanted to know follwing things, can you please kindly help me
Apart from the places you mentioned are there any other places to visit.
Did you plan on your own or through tours, what is your advise regarding the same, can you please kindly give the tours details.
We are thinking to go with the tours as the trip will be organised.
How many days it is worth going, i am thinking of 5days not sure whether this days are enough.
Any other precautions we have to take.
Thanks,
suni

Hi Suni,
Thank you for having read my post. Now to answer your questions-

Apart from the places you mentioned are there any other places to visit?

There are a lot of interesting places to visit, but since you seem to be opting for the trip through tour operators, they will have lots of itineraries from which you will have to choose. Even the number of days will be your choice. Ours was a big group and hence group booking got us lots of concessions. I do not know how are you planning- family tour or a group of more than 20 people. Ours was for 10 days including travel and transit from Chennai/ Doha/Cairo and back from Luxor/Doha/Chennai. If yours is for 5 days, may be you can avoid cruise and spend more time on site seeing.
December is a very ideal time for travle to Egypt.

Love,
Malathi