Just After Take-Off

The plan for our second day in Luxor was to visit the Valley of the Kings and Queens.  You can’t really come to Egypt without seeing King Tut’s tomb, right?  But before we got up close and personal with the “boy king’s” burial digs, we decided to get a bird’s eye view via balloon.

Neither of us had ever been on a hot air balloon ride so we decided that there was no better way than to try a sunrise ride over the Nile.  It was spectacular!  You truly feel like you are floating.  Gliding through the sky in that tiny basket, I hadn’t a care in the world.

Firing Up the Balloon

Surprisingly though, my favorite part was not at the highest part of the journey (which was obviously beautiful) – but at the end during our landing.  The area surrounding the Nile in Luxor is almost all farm land – primarily sugar cane. Because the balloon pilot has to be very careful to not land in a spot that could hurt or destroy any crop, we cruised over the fields gently grazing the tops of the sugar cane for about 10 minutes.  It was so incredibly peaceful.  When we did finally land we were greeted by a “balloon team” with a truck to take the balloon, and a van to take us back to the “drop-off” spot.  But of course, we squeezed in some time for a little singing and dancing first!

Dancing with the Balloon Clean-Up Crew. FASHION: DVF Silk Chiffon Wrap Dress

TRAVEL TIP:  Currently, Luxor is the only city in Egypt that offers hot air balloon rides.  Our hotel recommended Viking Air and so would I.  The trip begins around 7AM and the 45 minutes or so ride takes you over the Nile, the Temple of Hatshepsut (the only female to rule Egypt as a Pharaoh), and the Valley of the Kings and Queens.

Brett on the Throne at Habu Temple

Our tour guide met us at the balloon drop-off spot, and we began our day of sightseeing from there. Sites for that day included: The Valley of the Kings & King Tut’s Tomb, Valley of the Queens, Habu Temple, Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple, and the Tombs of Nobles.  Once again – our brains almost exploded with the amount of information we tried to retain.

I am going to touch on the highlights and the most surprising details.  Certainly, I assumed that King Tut Ankh Amun’s Tomb would be the most memorable part of the day – and while it fascinated me that it had been discovered completely in tact just 88 years ago, a few of the underrated sites interested me the most.  The Habu Temple (or the Mortuary Temple of Ramses III) was far less crowded than many of the other tourist spots.  Perhaps I enjoyed it more because we were able to get up close and personal with the well preserved and brightly colored hieroglyphics, perhaps it was the sheer amount of carvings and stories (75,350 square feet of decoration) but more than likely it was the opportunity to take a photo of Brett pretending to pee in the “toilet” of the Royal Palace Remains on the southeastern side of the temple.

Brett Pretending to Pee in the Royal W.C.

Okay – it probably wasn’t the best representation of American Tourists…but what do you expect from a small town boy from Ohio and a small town girl from Kentucky? Sometimes your roots just take the wheel.

I also really enjoyed the Tombs of the Nobles.  Honestly, we almost scrapped going to see these because of the heat and the fact that we could hear the pool calling our names.  But I am so glad that we didn’t. Of course the tombs are much smaller than those of the royals, but the captivating drawings on the walls depict the everyday lives of real Egyptians or at least the details that the Pharaohs approved. Nobles had to get the “okay” from the ruler at the time.  Talk about the original “Big Brother”.

The last fun fact that I would like to share involves a great love story of Ancient Egypt between Ramses II and his first wife, Queen Nefertari.  Known as the favorite and most beautiful of his 8 wives, her tomb (created by Ramses II) is the most spectacular tomb in the Valley of the Queens.

Trying to Survive the Heat at Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple

Unfortunately, the tomb has been closed to the public since 2003.  But like everything in Egypt…it has a price. Apparently, with the right connections and the right amount of Egyptian Pounds (of which we had neither) you can gain entrance to this sacred tomb.  Another option is to take a trip to Abu Simbel in Southern Egypt to see the temple that Ramses II built in her honor.  There you will find a statue of her – equal in size to the statue of Ramses II (typically queens only came up to the knees of their king). Nefertari made quite a mark in Egyptian history by becoming the only queen to be named a living goddess.  However, this story does have a bit of a disturbing side – because Ramses II lived into his 90’s, Nefertari died many years before him.  It is said that after her death, he married their daughter because she looked so much like his cherished queen.  But let’s be honest, it is also likely that Queen Nefertari was Ramses II sister or half sister. Apparently, that is just the way these Pharaohs liked to roll.

TRAVEL TIP:  I felt that 2 nights in Luxor allowed us an appropriate amount of time to see all of the sites.  I also think that the Sofitel at the Winter Palace is by far the best hotel option.  Be sure to book a room in the original part of the palace.  They are the nicest and the most unique rooms.  Also, the french restaurant, 1886, located in the hotel is delicious (please note that coat and tie are required for men).

http://www.concierge.com/travelguide/luxor/hotels/2842

Gliding Over The Valley of the Kings

Up next:  Al Tarfa Desert Oasis

Tags: Archeology, culture, Dining, history, Hot Air Balloons, Hotels, people, Restaurants, Travel