Home » Egypt » Egypt, travelogue January 2004 [3]

We start the day very quietly. After breakfast we first go to the Nile (just 100 meters away) and have some coffee in the sun. There is enough to see, just by sitting here and watching the traffic on the Nile and the people walking by...

Egypt, travelogue January 2004 [3]

Elisabeth & Teije
2004-03-06 13:28:02

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Wednesday 14 January, Medinet Habu, Valley of the Queens Again, we start the day very quietly. After breakfast we first go to the Nile (just 100 meters away) and have some coffee in the sun. There is enough to see, just by sitting here and watching the traffic on the Nile and the people walking by. After that we take a taxi to the westbank of the Nile, but the cabdriver refuses to discuss the price. Money isn't important, he says, we will see afterward. That is a pity for him, since we know the 'normal' price and he won't get more! It is 40 pounds for half a day plus maybe 10 extra as bakshiesh or tips.

Firts we go to Medinet Habu, the mortuary temple of Ramesses III although more kings have worked on this monument. It is another huge complex where all walls are engraved with hieroglyphs and wall paintings, especially about the king crushing his enemies. A lot of propoganda as we still know it today.

The inner courts show more paintings of the king worshipping the gods, but the outer places, which were accesible to the public, had to show the power and the vigilance of the divine king. Such things will probably never change. And again we see beautiful decorated pillars, like in all temples.
In this temple a bit more of the original colours have been preserved on the walls then in most other temples in Luxor. To the right the god Anubis (god of the mummification). The jackal was his holy animal, representing the god, therefore he is portrayed with a jackals head.

When we return from the temple we have to wait for our driver since he went to the mosque for his prayers and we take a cup of mint tea. It is quite warm but regularly there are clouds drifting before the sun and there is a lot of wind. One of the reasons why we didn't take a ride on a bicycle today. Another reason is that we just are too lazy today.

Then he brings us to the Valley of the Queens where some ...