10 November

Today I was up at 0600 and up for breakfast at 0630. Again it was most pleasant having breakfast, chatting and seeing the Nile slip quietly and gently by. With no early scheduled departure, I went up to the sundeck after (we were the fourth boat out from the dock) and looked across the Nile to the Valley of the Kings. I had missed the hot-air balloons so resolved to try to catch them tomorrow.
By 0820 I was down in the lounge and ready for our departure to Karnak Temple. Hesham said he had tried to arrange our times today so we would not be at places with the maximum crowds. By 0830 we were off to Karnak Temple (now in the suburbs of Luxor) and by 0850 we had arrived – with over one hundred buses already there (but the park was only half-full). By 0915 we were in the temple and getting our guided tour. We had a few minutes at the end to look around, and here my first-aid training slipped into gear as one of our members tripped over a sunken stone – and fell, putting her hand out to stop her falling and badly bruising and straining her hand and wrist instead. I told her what to do after she had recovered from the trauma, but she was a nurse (and therefore a bad patient, didn’t do what she was told, and ended up two days later with a huge bruise). She was able to walk okay and returned to the bus with everyone with minimal fuss.
We left and arrived at a perfumerie at 1140 and stayed there until 1240. Devika and I had already seen all the spiel, so knew what we would hear and nodded in appreciation as the story unfolded (as we knew it would). The prices were higher than I had paid in Cairo so I felt happy, as the product was the same.
We then headed off to Luxor Temple and had what looked like a long time to wander through, but again after the guided tour it was too little time to do the place justice. By 1400 we were back on the bus and heading back to the ship (Radamis II) for a late lunch and a free afternoon. Straight after lunch we got our feedback forms and by 1535 I was settled in for a massage (which didn’t start until 1540). I was told to relax (which I did) and by 1620 I was finished (but wished I could have had another half-hour). I was told not to remove the oil until after dinner, so I went out to see where the girls (Australian, Indian and American) had gone. They weren’t on the ship, so I went down to the town bazaar, despite protestations from taxi and carriage drivers that it was closed and I should go on a tour of the town with them. On the way I got a trader who asked my to write a postcard for him, and he seemed offended when I would do nothing more (unfortunately suspicion rubs off on all, when it should be reserved for those for whom it is due).
At an arcade I looked in and found all in shopping, with Bob as chaperone. He ended up with the Americans and I ended up with Sue, Lin and Devika. They were looking for particular things, and as it turned out, managed to get them despite a tight timetable and reluctant merchants. We hurried back to the ship to make it for the Karnak Light and Sound Show, as we were the only ones going. We had the local agent take us in a minibus, then he left us (and me with the tickets), arranging where to meet us on our return.
We went in and passed over our tickets, then moved down with the crowd for the beginning of the show. Just before it started, a man collapsed just in front of me and I used my shoes to stop his head from hitting the stones. A security officer came over, I told him the wife had asked for an ambulance and he radioed for one. He stayed with the family, so I went on.
The show was very different from the one at the pyramids. Here we got a history of Upper Egypt and the evolution of the areas of Thebes and Luxor. We also had to move around to a number of places, finishing up on seats (steps for us) for the final show. When we left, the second show had already started. We moved through as they were at the second point.
The local guide met us and we were soon back at the ship for a late dinner. One consolation of seeing other things was that everything moved quickly, so straight after dinner it was to the lounge for a show of a dervish dancer and then a belly dancer. As soon as they had finished everyone departed, but we (Sue, Lin and Devika) walked down to Luxor Temple to see it by light. All the way we were bothered by either taxi drivers, carriage drivers or felluca sailors. It was only about a fifteen minute walk, so it wasn’t really too bad.
After, I was quickly back to my room where I processed the photos, had a bath and was soon into bed and asleep.