Well where did I leave off… Hmm let me think. Oh right, Lidija dramatically ill on the Nile boat cruise followed two days later with Shannon being dramatically ill on the shores of the Nile River. This is starting to not look so good for Bexley and I; who gets it next will be the role of a dice at this point. If none of this makes sense to you you might want to click here to get a bit caught up on the latest drama. With Shannon feeling far less than par, Ramadan still under way and us being checked into by far the most luxurious hotel we have stayed in in Egypt to date, we decided to take advantage of its amenities.

The buffet breakfast out on the Nile edge patio was perfect. We took a stroll of the grounds and noticed the hotel pool was actually located floating on the Nile on its own separate barge, amazing. We would have to venture back this way a touch later. We returned to our fourth floor room so Shannon could rest and the girls could play. After to-go dinner of McDonnalds, as nothing is EVER OPEN, I returned with food and bottles of hydration for all.

Energy and cabin fever is on the rise so by 3:00 the pool deck is calling our name. The 37°C heat is no match for my skin so pool and shade intervals complete the afternoon. We rest up and start to watch the sun veer towards the horizon, this will be an amazing sunset! What could beat a pool on the Nile, with palm trees in the distance and local style sail boats cruising the water as the sky shifts from blue to every shade of yellow, orange and red. I guess we will never know. For some odd reason the pool is closed just before sunset and we are escorted out of our lounge chairs and off the barge, huh.

After a quick regroup we take to the streets in search for some dinner. We hone in on a second floor traditional Egyptian restaurant located across from the ancient Luxor Temple. Glow of the night temple tours and street noises tantalize our senses. The sounds of horse hoofs and families gathering in the square draw dramatic attention to both the contrast and similarities that every culture has. We casually enjoy our kofta and pizza dinner before descending to ground level and making our way back to our room for the evening.

Today we chose to make it a bit more of a productive day. Sleep was had, Shannon was getting stronger and Bexley and I still had our fingers crossed that we were in the clear. After a breakfast downstairs we hit the streets with a mission at hand. With a short walk down the riverside promenade, we had our sights on, heading to the “you’re crazy if you skip it” Karnak Temple. For those of you that were unaware, us as a family had made this trip to Egypt four years prior so if you are interested in more temple details, and even a video be sure to click here.

Let’s face it, this thing has been around for over 2000 years so not really that much has changed in the previous four, other than the entrance fee (220LE now). We easily located a horse and chariot and not so easily negotiated on a transport price. The three kilometre trip takes you past the Luxor Temple complex, alongside the avenue of the sphinxes and drops you off at the side parking lot full of tour busses and other cars. The driver did his usual deal of not taking any money and waited for our return trip after the tour.

We entered the gate and were lost in the crowds. This place is amazing, it would be impossible to explain the emotions you feel as you wander through the columns and courtyards of the complex. We leapfrogged our way from shady region to shady region until we reached the far back corner and the sacred lake.

As this was the least preserved and farthest distance, we easily noticed that we were left alone to the ruins. We casually meandered around and gazed in awe at every wall surface that was etched with a story to tell. After a while you start to notice similar carvings of repeat kings followed by unknown stories told in other pictographs.

Us being the fine planners we are, strategically organized our arrival at the approximate time of all the tour buses departing. Or maybe because it is now 12:30 in the afternoon and 39°C out and nobody wants to be here at this time of the day. We finished the final few drops of water and slinked our way back to the main gates while enjoying the sounds of the pigeons flying overhead with only a handful of tourists in eyesight.

We passed through the now empty parking lot and it was easy to locate our carriage driver with his noble steed. 120 LE later including a 20 LE tip we were returned near the Luxor Temple for a convenient store water top up and a short stroll back to the hotel. After our late left over pizza lunch we headed back pool side to catch up on liquids and cool down in the water. After being removed from the pool edge 10 minutes before sunset, Shannon whipped down the road for some take out and the four of us enjoyed our meal in the peace of our hotel room.

We believe the the Pandemic crisis took a major toll on the economy and tourism in all of Egypt and some days we just didn’t feel up to dealing with the crowds and constant acquisitions of vendors and drivers. As many of the locals flood to the streets during the cooler evening hours and with Ramadan festivals and the ability to break their fast, larger than traditional clusters of people were present and we chose to avoid the situation altogether. Even the joyous Egyptian families that just wanted to say hello to our little girls could be a bit overwhelming at times, so we reserved evenings like this to just hide away and enjoy the inside of our hotel walls.

Our third day in Luxor had us up to not much. The combination of being on the road for nearly six months now and the heat was starting to beat us down. Our daily tourist activities were getting limited so after the morning buffet we alternated between the pool and hotel room with books and crafts for the girls. Come 5:30 in the afternoon we walked the Nile side Promenade and returned to the upstairs restaurant, across from the Luxor Temple, for dinner. We watched the sun set behind the Luxor Temple as we enjoyed the last few bites of our meal and strawberry smoothie.

Once the tab was cleared we made our way across the street and entered the Luxor Temple for the late night viewing. The 180 LE ticket price grants you full access to the Luxor Temple complex under the carefully placed spotlights. The starting steps to the avenue of the sphinxes are included to discover and all this under the cooler and bearable evening temperatures. The goliath shadows casted bring dramatic affect to the etched walls and towering pillars. Seeing the ancient ruins amplified by the evening sets an entirely different mood to the stone walls. It casts a sense of personification while weaving your way around the labyrinth of sandstone. By 8:00 the gates were closing so we took a short stroll through the back street market before gathering some snacks and returning to the room comforts, and a good night’s sleep.

We have now seen this temple twice, once in the day time and once at dark. We highly recommend going to see it at dark as it seems to come alive in the spotlights.

I think by now Bexley and I are feeling satisfied that we will not fall victim to the Lidija / Shannon stomach bug. We wipe our brow and get on with the day. Today is officially the end of Ramadan and the start of the four day festival that follows. The locals are in full force. The streets are lined with people and party preparations, smiles are everywhere and crowds are growing. We proceed down the promenade and try our best to avoid eye contact with others. Upon doing so it draws larger than normal clusters of onlookers in our direction. We know they are all friendly and just want to have a conversation but when it is challenging to walk 30 seconds without having someone approach you, you can be a bit hesitant when stopping to answer their questions as it attracts a crowd of 20. Not to mention the passerbyers that attempt to pinch the girls cheeks or stroke their hair when they get a chance having a dramatic effect on a four year old. We found ourself having to carry the girls through the people as their emotions had reached a boiling point.

We eventually make our way to the destination of choice, the Mummification Museum, 100 LE. This rather small underground lair turns out to be very informative of the embalming process and has displays of a human, dog, crocodile, cat, fish, goat leg and a goose.

Once returning top side 60 minutes later we couldn’t help but notice that the party was growing, so we hopped in a carriage and for 30 LE we avoided the hustles and quietly ordered room service back in our hotel. I think we were done with the outside world as the festival was growing throughout the day. We took advantage of the pool once again then enjoyed an astonishing sunset dinner on a separate barge on the hotel grounds as well that included a restaurant.

The Iberotel is by far a much classier establishment than we traditionally spend our nights at but it put the icing on the cake for our time here in Luxor. With little gems like this and last minute deals we could have easily spent much more time in Luxor and slowed the pace. The city of over one million people has endless options for exploring ruins, Mosques, street markets and traditional restaurants. The majority of tourists appear to arrive on a coach bus tour and whirl-wind through town without even getting a chance to explore the unique characteristics that individualize each town. The people, food, traditions and cultures create the traveling experiences that most crave. Mix that up with a little adventure and you have an unbeatable cocktail of lifelong memories.

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