Luxor - part 2

The Karnak Temple was built in stages as each Pharoah put his "stamp" on it. Built for the worship of their sun god Amun, the sheer magnificance of this site cannot be captured by photos or words. It is remarkable that without modern technology or machinery, enormous blocks of granite and limestone could be quarried, transported, decorated and installed and still be standing 3000 years later! It had a lake which the priests used to clean themselves before performing sacrifies and various daily rituals int the temple. There were buildings next the lake that housed the animals waiting to be sacrificed. When I asked the guide what the hieroglyphic symbols meant, he said we know some of them tell the story of the afterlife, and some represent stories of life as a Pharoah, yet others remain a mystery because the priests wanted to be the only ones able to interpret them, thereby increasing their job security in the court of the Pharoahs.

To cool off we stopped in the 10 year old Luxor Museum which details excavation and restoration of fragments and statues is conducted. The highlight of the museum were two mummies blackened from the resin that helped preserve them. The mummies brains, liver, lungs and intestines were saved in special boxes. The heart was left in the body because it is representative of man's character and would be weighted at the judgement in the afterlive to see if he perfomed more good deeds than bad. One of these had been bought along time ago by a collector in Atlanta and recently returned to Egypt.

We headed to the nearby Luxor temple which was bathed golden in the late afternoon sun. After the pharoahs, the temple was used by the pagan Romans, then the Christians and finally the muslims. In fact a medieval village with a mosque was built 8 feet on top of the ruins of Karnak. It was only 200 years ago that archeologists began to unearth Karnak. They left the mosque but took away all other buildings on the temple site.

We ate dinner at the hotel by the pool where a sumptuous Egyptian buffet was set out. We were pleasantly suprised to hear live music and to see a man twirling in a oversized colorful skirt. He represents the ancient Sufi sect who twirled, faster and faster as a means of connecting to God. He lifted the parachute like skirt over this head and as if by magic another skirt appeared below it. We wondered how this whirling dervish didn't get dizzy.

Next a round faced, ponytailed belly dancer stepped joined the three musicians on the small platform. She moved in a deliberate, old fashioned belly dancing style which was a pleasant contrast to the sultry, sequined dancer we watched in Cairo.

We all are enjoying the Egyptian food--the hummus, tabouli, babaganoush (sp?), and fresh soft pita bread. The variety of salads-- lentil, cabbage, beet, tomato and cucumber, all bathed in subtle spices and sauces are exactly my kind of food. The boys enjoy the spicy grilled meats and rices flavored with cinnamon and cardamon.

DAY TWO IN LUXOR

This mornig we drove thirty minutes from the East Bank with the temples for the living, to the West Bank, the necropolis with the tombs and funerary temples. Just like Cairo, Luxor has brilliant blue skies and no clouds. We passed farmers working in their fields, donkeys tied to the side of the road, and children herding goats. It looks as nothing has changed in years...the only sign that we are in 2009 is that everybody sports a mobil phone. They may be barefoot and living in a shack--they are connected.

Although the tombs in this valley are extensive and include the Valley of the Kings, the Queens, the Nobles and those of the craftsmen/workers, we only visited three in the Valley of the Kings. They were carved into the sides of the limestone hills, and the work on a tomb was begun as soon as a new Pharoah was selected. Therefore, Pharoahs who reigned for many years had tombs that were deep and long with careful, extensive designs. The Pharoahs who had shorter reigns, had tombs that often looked like they were completed in haste. The workers had 70 days to prepare it which is the time it took to mummify the body. The tombs we visited Ramses I, Ramses II and Ramses IX were some of the prettiest and longest that were open for viewing. Egyptian authories are worried that the sweat and breath of all the visitors will hasten the deterioration of the painting in the tombs, so they rotate which tombs are avaialble to the public.

Standing at the entrance of each tomb were gnarled looking guards desperate to earn some baksheesh (tips). They handed out square cardboard pieces of paper so that we could fan ourselves in the stifling space. One followed Bear around, first fanning him, then directing him to a restricted cavity to one side of the tomb so Bear could see an underground chamber. This guard also gave bear a secretive thumbs up sign to take photos (which are strictly forbidden) in the tomb. Bear declined the photo opportunity but did give the man 50 egyptian piastres or about 10 cents.

We looked at two tombs in the Valley of the Queens, then moved onto the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut (hat-cheap-suit). She was the only woman who ruled like a pharoah. She wore the fake beard that all the Pharoahs wore and dressed like a man too. She ruled for 22 years and designed this unusual temple that once had magnificent gardens and pools gracing its front. I discovered that this temple was restored and looked after by a Polish Archeologicial group whose offices were attached to the temple.

After trodding through the dusty cemetaries of the Pharoahs, we were pleased to step onto the St. George, our private felucca ( is a traditional Egyptian sail boat) for lunch. We were seated at formally set table with linens, china and a fancy floral arrangement. Our first course was a tomato stuffed with tabouli, livers and onions, minced vegetables. Delicated drumsticks and warm falafel were also served. Next, a big plate of mixed grill and rice, followed by a platter of sweets. Despite our misgivings about the heat of the Nile, it was cool floating on the water. Because there was no wind, a boat pulled us. For security we had a little police boat behind us.

TO BE CONTINUED