Nile Cruise Egypt - Part 1 Luxor

A journey to the land of the Pharaohs had been on the agenda for a long time. The journey on the Nile from Luxor to Aswan and back was also my first trip on a ship. Fortunately, you can't get seasick on rivers. :-)

We flew to Luxor by plane and then went straight to the ship. After a relaxing day off and the first impressions of the Nile panorama, I was already excited about what I would see in the next few days. Seeing the temples and tombs on TV is one thing, being there live once in a lifetime is something completely different.

Station number 1 in Luxor: the Karnak Temple

You are greeted by the imposing ram sphinx alley along a processional street.

Arriving at the temple, the columns and pylons adorned with hieroglyphs were admired. It's a pity that as a layman you don't understand them. I was impressed that in some places the color was still visible. This was especially the case in areas that were not exposed to wind, sun, and weather.

Between the huge columns in the temple and next to the gigantic statues, you feel tiny in comparison.

Station number 2 in Luxor: the Luxor Temple

Here, too, there are impressive testimonies of a long-gone culture that appears vivid and alive through the vivid explanations of the tour guide.

Just the two colossal statues at the entrance give an idea of the temple's former significance.

I was in Egypt in March and the sun was scorching. Even the tour guide said that 50 degrees are too hot for March.

In view of the sunshine, I sent some pictures home, only to receive a snow-covered garden shed in return. No thanks, I prefer the 50 degrees.

In the afternoon, we were brought back to the ship. I let the first impressions sink in again with a cocktail.

Day 2 began - like all the following days - very early, around 6 o'clock in the morning. What an ungodly time to get up on vacation, even if you're not a morning person. :-)

But everything has a purpose, because you try to avoid the midday heat, which is really intense.

Station 3 in Luxor: the Valley of the Kings

There are no photos of this, as taking photos on-site and in the tombs was forbidden when I was there. A colleague told me that this is now different.

Everyone was given a small card and was allowed to visit 3 open tombs of their choice. I chose the tombs of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs Ramses I, Ramses III, and Ramses IV.

At the entrance of each tomb, there was an employee with a hole puncher who punched the admission card. After 3 holes in the card, it was over.

I used to enjoy playing Tomb Raider and thought in one of the tombs that they portrayed it really well in the PC game. I felt a bit like Lara Croft, except there were just a lot more people there than in the game (and no scarabs).

Station 4 in Luxor: Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple

From the Valley of the Kings, we went straight to the Valley of the Queens, specifically to the Temple of Hatshepsut.

Alongside Nefertiti and Cleopatra, Hatshepsut was one of the few powerful and influential women/pharaohs in Egyptian history.

The huge temple complex alone is impressive.

Inside, there are beautiful pictures showing scenes of set tables and other everyday things.

The temple complex is lined with a series of gigantic statues of the queen of the Nile.

Station 5 in Luxor: the Colossi of Memnon

The last stop on the agenda was the Colossi of Memnon, the last remnants of the former temple of Amenhotep III.

Unfortunately, they are not in the best condition compared to other statues seen in the temples.

In the evening, it was time to enjoy the sunset.