The Valley of the Kings

Visitng Egypt was always going to involve an element of risk. We´d discussed and researched on the dfat website all possible ways of avoiding any potential terrorism spots. We agreed to stay away from any symbols of Western decadence such as resorts and swanky hotels, and just do the essential sight-seeing while keeping a low profile. We packed our bags and headed for Luxor in southern Egypt.

It was all a waste of time. Having restricted time to see the many sights we wanted to, we managed to organise a cheap-ish tour. What we expected to be a scummy tour involving rat-infested hotels and non-stop haggling turned out to be anything but. We ended up getting all transport, transfers, a 4 star hotel room (with a pool by the Nile River), a private air conditioned car to drive us around Luxor, and a private guide who explained the history and meaning behind the sites. We felt like movie stars. So much for keeping low. But we managed to fit in all the sights we wanted to see at a bargain basement price.


We started with the East Bank where we saw the temples of Luxor and Karnak. Karnak Temple has the honour of being the largest temple in the world. The temples were like something out of one of the old time Bible movies. Gigantic Pharoah stautes, pillars and obelisks towered over us. It was nice to have all the hieroglyphics and stories explained to us. It also gave us an insight into the amazing scientific knowledge that the ancient Egyptians had accumulated.



The next day included visiting the West Bank, where we explored the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, and all of their associated funerary temples. We drove away from the lush Nile riverside out into the arid mountains just a few kilometres from Luxor, that was used as a giant graveyard for ancient Egyptian royalty. The elaborate tombs, burial chambers and artworks just have to be seen to be believed, as photos are not allowed inside!!! Let´s just say it was an incredible experience to see how they lived (and died!) thousands of years ago.



We have now made it back to Spain safely, a land where we have absolutely no chance of experiencing four star accommodation! We do have the next best thing, though. We are staying with Amelia, Luciano and Rebeca, friends of Andrea´s family. We think she might be trying to fatten us up for Christmas dinner!

Happy birthday to Kris Clogan. Hope you have an absolute screamer!

Chess Championship Result update:
Dennis: 2
Andrea: 2 (Andrea still owes 360 push\sit ups. World of pain, here she comes!)
Stalemate: 1

Egypt

Hello again! Sorry that we didn't write in Barcelona but we were just too busy having a great time. Sorry to all you poor souls slogging away at work back home, but it's true. Barcelona was ace. It's one of the greatest cities we have visited so far. It was a lively place whose main parade, Las Ramblas, led down to the beach. This thoroughfare was constantly packed full of dread-locked beach bums, mullets as far as the eye could see (it's fashion here, seriously!), buskers and mime artists, tourists, skaters, and young arty types all doing their thang. Funk-ness was the name of the game.


Barcelona's main claim to fame is that it has been the home of many famous modern artistes. Namely, the architect Gaudi, who created bizarre, organic cathedrals, hotels and parks that have created a uniquely eccentric city skyline. At times, it seriously felt like we'd joined Alice down the rabbit hole. Barcelona has also been home to Picasso and Dali - both of whom have major museums showing their avant-garde works. Needless to say, we gorged on culture and the arts until it came out of our....well, eyeballs really!


From modern art to ancient artefacts. We left Spain (again!) and flew to Cairo. Egypt is the place to see genuine antiquities. We spent a day in the Egyptian museum. It is a shabby, old, builing with display cabinets that looked like they haven't been cleaned since they had been installed in the 1930's. But the jewels of ancient Egypt that are kept there are amazing. Most impressive were the artefacts found in the undisturbed tomb of Tutankhamen. Lucky enough to avoid being plundered by grave-robbers over the centuries, his tomb was an insight into the richness of that time. It contained a multitude of exquisite artefacts for his exclusive use in the afterlife; from household items to the royal Pharoan treasures.


Our second day in Cairo was spent re-living our Indiana Jones wanna-be days. We spent the day exploring the Giza Pyramids, which are just on the edge of Cairo city. It was a mind-blowing experience to finally see these ancient structures that have stood firm for the last 4500 years. We got to see them inside and out, which was just spectacular. We dodged the zombified mummies and poisoned arrows (well, we pretended to anyway) and made our way to the royal tombs which lie within. We were sorely disappointed to find that the tombs had been ransacked before we got the chance to get our greasy mitts on some loot, but it was nice to see anyway.


Tonight we are taking a train to Luxor where we hope to explore the Valley of the Kings, and if we have time, the Queens.

Chess Championship Result update:
Dennis: 2
Andrea: 1 (50 pushups/situps per day until scores even up)
Stalemate: 1

Congratulations to Louise and Rene on the birth of their daughter Zoe Bridget. We hope that you are all well.

Spain: Part 2

Leaving Morocco was a very trying experience. It was a six hour physical challenge to avoid getting ripped off, misled and waylaid. Everyone wanted a piece of the walking dollar signs before we left, but we showed them. We managed to get out a little weary but unscathed. The ferry trip back over the strait to Spain was a journey of luxury on a high speed ferry. Love Boat eat your heart out! Lets just say that we were glad to be back in Spain, the land of fixed prices, sanitary conditions, drinkable water and a language that one of us understands.

The beautiful city of Granada was our first stop in Spain. One of our favourite places so far, Granada charmed the pants off us (not literally, of course) with its winding old town alleyways, mountain views, beautiful buildings, friendly locals, flamenco dancers, gypsies and of course, the Alhambra which presides over the town. The Alhambra is an 8th century fortified town built on a mountain top above Granada. It´s a legacy of the Muslim invasion of Spain at that time. The main attraction is the stunning gardens and palaces that have been built over the last thousand years. We spent hours wandering around the stunning hand-crafted palaces and their courtyards. These guys knew how to do it in style. We want one!



With sad faces, we left for Alicante: One of our only beach stops in our ´summer´ trip. We spent the day soaking up the sun and frolicking in the warm Mediterranean Sea with the 20,000 other tourists we shared the small beach with. We were like seals on a rock (more like walruses in bikinis - we´ll spare you the details). But fun was had by all.


We are now in Valencia, where we have met up with Andrea´s cousin Alvaro. After about 10 years of not having seen each other, it has been great to catch up and hang out. Valencia is a funky town with a great night life and loads of young people enjoy it every night of the week. Last night, we salsa´ed the night away!
The Spanish lifestyle is mind boggling. We don´t know how they do it! Everyone (from kids in nappies to oldies) parties every night til about 2 am. They work early the next day, have a nap in the arvo, go back to work, and then party, party, party. It´s a great lifestyle.


This afternoon we head to Barcelona. See you there.

Chess championship results update:
Dennis: 0 (Punishment: 50 situps or pushups a day until scores are even)
Andea: 1
Stalemate: 1

Happy Belated Birthday to Shaun for his 18th. Hope you had a great day, even though we know you were under the weather. You´re a man now, start acting like one ;) Hope the shoulder gets better soon.