A strong wind sends very fine sand billowing through the air. The view from the deck of our small cruise ship–a boat that has seen better days–is murky. A sand storm. It looks like dense fog. It irritates our lungs, and burns our eyes and nostrils.
Meanwhile in far-away Cairo which we departed at 3:30 this morning, they have closed schools and businesses in anticipation of record-breaking rain–up to 300 centimeters forecast for today, this in a county that never exceeds 30 centimeters in a year.
Our guide for this part of the journey is Tarek. He is mild-mannered and funny. Wearing a light cotton sport coat and a white shirt he explains that he has never seen Luxor without sun. Today must be our day, and I am glad as I step into the tour van that I have brought along a thin scarf to cover my eyes and mouth. We are to visit the temples of Karnak and Luxor.
Our group assignment is to outmaneuver the numerous “crockodile alleys” where hawkers of every conceivable trinket employ us to part with any money we possess. The exercise is worth it, however, and for the next several hours Terak guides us through pillared stone ruins that leave us jaw-dropped and awe struck.
King Tutankhamen and his first wife, also his sister.
Hieroglyphic inscriptions tell the story of slave captives, a warning not to mess with the present ruler at Luxor. About 3,000 BC.
Wall at an Egyptian temple at Karnak, which later was held and renovated by Christians, still later by Muslims. Three architectural types expressed by their windows installed at different points in history, thousands of years apart.
Looking up toward the high-storied roof of one temple, remnants of vividly colored paint. These temples, sacred places built by generations of Egyptian rulers over thousands of years, must have been beautifully decorated.
The temples of Karnak and Luxor were linked by an avenue about 2 1/2 km long, lined on each side by 1,200 carved sphinx statues.
One of the most amazing feats of architectural splendor is the pillared temple at Luxor.
This handsome fellow is our security escort. He is armed with a fully automatic Ouzi-type weapon holstered under his jacket.
The Next Big Thing 
Absolutely stunning!
As always the narra6makes me feel like I am on the journey as well! While I’ve seen countless pictures of the pillars with the sun streaming thru them, tour pic at night with the lights, was breathtaking!
Pictures from the boat please!!!!!
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WOW; just WOW. I envy your adventures, but appreciate the photos and stories that you share with us.
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Great photos I not long ago read a book about king t and his sister
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