The Cheaters.

Medinet Habu

This is one temple which we've never been to before. Everyone who's been there tells us how fabulous the colours are inside, and that it really is one of Luxor's 'must sees'!

While we were there, I took the opportunity to get a few snaps of the temple.'The Cheaters' reference in the title is because we didn't pay to get in, or to get there, or for anything else!

I'll tell you more about that aspect of our week as we go on.

  

There you are then, how's that for paint that's a few thousand years old? I wonder if Dulux can match that quality. 

While we were there, we bumped into my old mate Saad; who used to run the Sunrise Quad-Bike Safari, he's now a conservator at the temple!!!! It's just a pity that he couldn't 'conserve' the quad-bikes;  perhaps they might have had a good business by now instead of having piles of scrap running around the desert!  

We had a good look around Habu, before getting back onto our tour bus 

and heading off to:

The Funerary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut.

The 'Splendour of Splendours' as it was known in the days of yore; I think it still ranks as one of the most beautiful of Egypt's antiquities.

Our itinerary on that first day also included a stop off to view the new 'Corniche El Nil', which is north of the El Luxor Hotel. Very swish and impressive it was too, with its 'Planet of the Apes' landscaping and waterfalls. The biggest drawback is that there is nothing else there, no shops or hotels or restaurants, nothing, in fact, to encourage tourists to go there! Never mind, I suppose it's another expression of' 'the Egyptian Way'! What do you think of the bird I got to pose for me? 

Yes, I thought so too, she looks like she lost a shilling and found a tanner!!!! (Colloquialism: a 'shilling' was one twentieth of a pre-decimal British pound, or 12 pence, whereas a 'tanner' was a coin called a 'sixpence'.Both coins were silver.) Mind you, it was veeeery hot that day. Our itinerary continued, and finished off our third day, with a visit to the disco at the Sheraton Hotel, which was as awful as you might expect, and therefore doesn't warrant any further mention!

The next day we toddled off to:

Karnak Temple.

Big problem at Karnak! I noticed it the last few times I've been to the fabulous 'Sound and Light Show' there.

Yes, that's them; scruffy mangie stray dogs roaming all over the place! Luckily, these two nursing mothers were finding the heat too much to cope with, otherwise who knows what disease they'd have been passing on to the paying visitors (and us). You know, of course that we still have rabies here in Egypt? Least said: soonest mended, I should think  (Colloquialism: 'Least said: soonest mended' means 'the least said about that; the better' or maybe even 'perhaps we shouldn't have mentioned that'.) I've never liked dogs since I was bitten by one as a child, you just cannot trust them!

But never mind, Karnak Temple is astounding, as I'm sure you are all aware. I just love the Hypostyle Hall, with all those lovely pillars:

Something else I love about the ancient temples etc. are obelisks! I took this shot of the Thutmosis (the 2nd?) obelisk at Karnak, as I was hiding from the sun. It's a single piece of granite, for heaven's sake!

The next stop was our own little 'Temple of Luxor', where I got this 'artistic' picture of its remaining obelisk, between two palms, I think it's quite good.

Another intriguing aspect of Luxor Temple is the Mosque of Abu El Haggag, which was built on the top of the unexcavated temple, as were several houses, including the residence of the British Consul! Here's a shot of the original Mosque entrance, which is now some 15 feet or so from the ground.

This was to be our last day, finishing off at Habiba, the restaurant and party venue out next to Luxor Bridge. We were to attend a  party  with genuine Nubian entertainment. The stars were two Luxor lads made good, I cannot remember their names but I've seen them on the Egyptian telly before, and they come from Zenier, which is three villages on the northern extremity of Luxor. They are both in this next photo, dancing with the 'Nubian' dance troupe, to one of their own records. 

Now then, I suppose that you are wondering just how on earth two upstanding and law-abiding folk managed to wangle four free days of being tourists and visiting tourist places? Want a clue?

That's right, I cannot tell a lie; we were film extras! 

What do you think of our director?

A fine figure of a man!

The stars of the programme are famous Egyptian actors, the leading lady being 'Rogena' and the 'hunk', one Tarek Lotfy, here they are:

This next one is of the cameraman, the director and Tarek, taken in the Sheraton, the cameraman and director obviously had a special working relationship, I think they were both a bit 'touched'. (Colloquialism 'touched' = slightly insane!) The two of them were very entertaining to watch, and the cameraman wore 'Dolce and Gabanna' shoes! They certainly seemed to enjoy their working together

This contraption took the (rather large) cameraman swooping around the different sets, and he wasn't even strapped in! 

Here's Rogena having her make-up touched up at the Sheraton, I was amazed to see that a young man was employed just to carry the make-up bag. He didn't apply the stuff or anything, just carried the small bag; on and off the 'bus, in and out of the temples. I could have done his job with ease! 

And another one, where she's having a sly smoke:

We had an enjoyable four days, but really needed a rest afterwards. I'd forgotten how exhausting sightseeing can be, especially when you're waiting around in the heat.I was certainly glad of our umbrellas!

The programme / s are going out on Egyptian TV during their fasting month of Ramadan, so we'll not get to see it / them, as we will be in England for the birth of our fourth grandson, Coconut!

Tarra.