Sharm and safaga

Monday 23^rd of January

Sharm el-Sheik at the bottom of the Sinai Peninsula is one of Egypt’s premier resorts. We had been here before so we did not go on trips to Sinai etc. We spent some time ashore both morning and afternoon and had a nice time in the warm sunshine. Tomorrow we will be in Safaga and Suuske is going on an excursion to the Valley of the Kings. That means an early start so equally an early night.

Black Watch gets new entertainers and lecturers from here for the next leg of the journey. The last lecturers and entertainers were really good displaying skills and knowledge that was well worth while and truly professional. Fd

24^th January

Up at 4.30 am for early breakfast, and start-    in coach by 6.30 for 3 ½ hours journey to Luxor

It is  a  desolate landscape, with some occasional  shacks  for houses.  We first of all went to see temple of Karnak-  it is really amazing that these antiquities were built several thousand years ago-  the detail on the monuments, and the original paint was awesome. We had a terrific guide- lady with PHD in Egyptology, who really brought history to life- weather was very pleasant, but I would not like to visit much after February, as it much be extremely hot here.  Tourism has taken a knock after the Arab spring, and for a town like Luxor, which depends almost entirely on income from tourists, this must have severe consequences.  There were a lot of young boys trying to sell souvenirs, while they should be at school, but parents depend on the income these children generate.

After a lovely lunch we went to see valley of the kings-  part of our entry fee entitled us to go into 3 tombs, where the original hieroglyphics again did not fail to amaze me.- as before there were nowhere near as many tourists around as there should be at this time of year.

Our last stop was the famous temple of Luxor overlooking the Nile.  A mosques was built here several hundred years ago, as the temple had not been excavated then, and was covered by several metres of silt from the river. There is also evidence of the early followers of Christianity, with a beautiful  mural of what is thought of as the Last supper.

After a long journey back, we arrived at the boat at 8.30, where we had a quick meal

Altogether a day I won’t forget – photo’s to follow- suuske