Luxor.

Luxor, chapter one.

It was 5 am and sounded the alarm. We had to get up for the first excursion of our trip in Egypt, although we were really tired because we had only slept three hours this evening (our dinner followed by many beers on the deck of the barge had lasted until too late).

As I said, the alarm went off and we played a quick shower, wearing a shorts and a T-shirt, a quick breakfast at the buffet of the boat and leaving the van in the direction of the many monuments that surround the city of Luxor. And so the journey officially began with Jesus and Rachel, my wife Cristina and I, David.

First stop, the Colossi of Memnon (Arabic Al-Colossat or Es-Salamat), two giant stone statues representing the pharaoh Amenhotep III located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the Egyptian city of Luxor, near Medinet Habu and south of the great Theban necropolis.

Despite great early start, thanks in this and subsequent visits to our travel agency, tour Pharaoh, preferably would like to arrive earlier than other visitors, enabling us peace of mind to take pictures of a relaxed and avoid the noise we saw form to leave us and begin to fill with tourists eager to get the best location.

Next stop, the great temple of Medinet Habu, a clear example of Egyptian architecture, with friezes and many perfectly preserved paintings, helped in part to the terrible, hot desert climate, which already began to feel in our bodies as just was 7 am and the sun shone majestically and menacingly overhead, "invited" us to take stock of bottled water at the entrance to the temple, avoiding direct contact with the sun king and used as shelter our van (which the Incidentally, it was an island at 15 º C in the middle of the desert).

The mortuary temple was built by Ramses III, Pharaoh of Dynasty XX. Designed in the classical canons, like the Ramesseum, has five hundred feet long, and is quite well preserved. Inside the enclosure, to the south, are the chapels of Amenirdis I, II and Nitocris Shepenupet I, which had the title of Adoration of Amun Divine Dynasty XXV. The complex was protected by a wall of bricks, having the entrance of a single tower.

And in this temple we had the first taste of "policy" followed in this country with tips: ask for everything they do, help or held. Thus, the tip was officially requested a "euro", which was requested by, since I take a photo wearing a tattered rags of time to teach an engraving in stone that supposedly had not seen anyone else.

And so, after leaving a euro back, particularly by some than by others, we start towards our next stop, the Temple of Hatshepsut, an impressive ancient Egyptian archaeological remains excavated in the rock. Hatshepsut's funerary temple is a series of colonnaded terraces, with long ramps that were probably embellished with gardens. It is built along a steep mountain and is largely regarded as one of the "incomparable monuments of ancient Egypt.

A fascinating place that impresses the traveler immediately upon arrival, despite having seen it before in countless photographs. At the feet of the monument is reached by taking a small tourist train that takes you from the entrance to campus. This short trip allows you to see a panorama of the valley in which the remains are hubica Hatshepsut temple. And also allows you to observe the monitoring military checkpoints because they do not forget that this place a few years ago tragically jumped to the front pages of all news because of the terrorist attack that was perpetrated here and where many German tourists were killed. Finally, let us proceed with the story of the journey. After explanations and photographs of rigor, a few minutes free to visit this monument with greater ease and with more heat despite being only 9 am.

After that, we started the way back to our van, after passing through a small Egyptian sellers souk, where we have the first of many future "contacts" with the prototype of seller in this country. And that is the prototype of a type that follows you relentlessly pursuing you and offering all the product that you just watched, played or imagined, lowering the price to ridiculous sums to the initial. So much to imagine that anyone could pay the initial offer and yes, you want to laugh out loud. And when the next seller asks you a certain amount for a certain object, a smile appears on your face and the confusion arises because you do not know what real value is that you should pay. This is because in Egypt, as in other Arab countries, haggling when buying a product is its national sport, something we in the West are not too used to and I can assure you will surely wear when you finish racing including the price of a bottle of water.

In the next chapter, the Valley of the Kings, the temples of Karnak and Luxor and how not to die in the sun at 1 noon.

Ver Luxor. en un mapa más grande