JMB was at the theatre on time and ready for whatever. It seems that this particular morning whatever took the form of two elderly gents getting into a fistfight because one of them coughed. This is true. Jeff got between them and said, in his sternest escort voice, "Really?" And he moved them to different seats apart from one another and thanked the Egyptian gods that they were scheduled for different tours. That was the start of our day with testy, argumentative passengers.
Originally we had asked to be put on the felucca trip on the Nile, but we don't have a choice, really...they put us where they need Jeff to be. But everyone on this day had to suffer through the 3 1/2 hour plus bus ride (each way). Safaga is just a very small port town and the Valley of the Kings, must be at least 200-250 miles away. So we headed out away from our ship eagerly looking ahead of the convoy for sight of our so called police escort. We were bus 7 of about 17...660 passengers made this tour. It became apparent quickly that our bus driver would rather be bus 1, not 7. Our guide was a charming fast-talker named Rehab. Can you see where I'm going with this? The stars, to say nothing of the buses, were NOT aligning. The road was an unmarked generous two-lane highway. We passed in no particular order...most of the other buses and were poised to pass the last one and take the commanding lead when our driver failed to notice, although well marked and anticipated, the upcoming set of speedbumps. They are at regular intervals, but for no clear reason, every five or ten miles. There had also been some shoulder work prep being done and the gents who dropped large piles of sand missed the shoulder and dumped these loads partially on the roadway. And here we come barreling down the highway having passed every vehicle thus far...we hit the speedbumps at perhaps 60 or 70 miles per hour, the bus reared up in the front, then fell down with a crash trying to fly over the mini sand dune! There was a loud THUNK, a fast application of the brakes and we were at a dead stop. There followed a very loud exchange in Arabic between our guide and the driver. And then both exited the vehicle to survey the damage. And their exit was soon followed by the exit of certain old gent passengers who were compelled to take photos and offer assistance and when denied, proceeded to wander off across the road, presumably for a smoke or more discussions. What followed was Jeff declaring, "With the power invested in me as an escort I will do my duty to God and country and bring these wayfarers back to the ship!" And away he went, too. He knew for sure that soon he would be looking at everyone with a Bus 7 sticker wandering about the Egyptian countryside! And sure enough, he did his duty and rounded up all the miscreants and ushered them back onboard. Along with him came two other new faces, though we know not from whence or where they came...another driver/guide person and a young man who seemed to be either a hitchhiker or a guide. There was more loud Arabic discussion after which Rehab announced that we would continue on this bus, and, since the motor was in the back it was not damaged, but at some point in the day the replacement bus would appear...she insisted it was just seconds behind us. She said, "When we have this many buses we always have an extra bus with us"! Jeff said our bus looked like Mark's teeth after his football accident (that would be sticking out at a right angle.) So, it was an ugly looking bumper. And, we were now about 15 minutes behind ALL the other buses. And just another note...there was a restroom on this bus, no rest stops were needed so we could proceed full speed ahead!
We continued. After Rehab assessed the bored looking passengers staring at the very sandy, dead barren landscape, she decided to play HSN on the bus and sell her wares. We were offered the wonderful opportunity to purchase custom made cartouches ...gold, silver, or gold and silver...which she showed pictures of with listed prices. And tee shirts monogrammed with your own custom embroidered cartouches. And, she promised, they would be delivered within a few hours when we stopped at our five star hotel for lunch. I KNOW! Hard to believe. But Jeff and I bit. I ordered two necklaces and two tee shirts...Jeff ordered himself a golf shirt. We didn't have to pay anything until the goods were delivered, AND she would take credit cards!!!
We continued. Our driver continued to pass vehicles and the drivers and guides/hitchhiker carried on lively discussions as we passed more dusty nothing. Finally, after hours and hours we could see some greenish scrubby bushes and the land became more interesting with a few houses along the way, electric wires here and there and off in the distance we could see greener areas. And, finally what our elementary school geography books told us was true: the population of Egypt is clearly clustered along the sea and the Nile River! It's true! The landscape changed to one of pastoral marked areas of farmland with various irrigation ditches and verdant green things growing. We saw many canals and finally the huge Nile River. Within half an hour we were in Luxor, a bustling city once called Thebes, where a skinny smallish Coke is $4.00..."Why?" asked Jeff. "Because it's Luxor", he was told.
Our ticket into the Valley of the Kings allowed us to visit 3 of the 62 tombs. So we were advised to see Ramses III, Ramses IV and Ramses IX. (And we stopped and took a peek into King Tut's...which was hastily constructed with very little ornamentation and finesse...but costs an additional hefty fee to visit...our ship expert advised to skip it, so we did.) It was very, very hot and very slow going because so many people were in the area, but it was fascinating and totally amazing that after so many thousands of years the hieroglyphics were so colorful and clear. And, that the chambers were so tall and spacious inside. I expected to be in very confined areas, but not so. The brightly decorated ceilings were at least 12-13 ft tall and many of the rooms were very large, larger than our main living areas. The stories and pictures are so interesting, but the cost in human lives to make these places must have been enormous and it is so apparent that many more places are still to be discovered. There were many digs we noticed along the way.
Our group was transported to lunch at a large hotel in Luxor where we also paid for and picked up our bus purchases...what a cool way to shop!
We stopped briefly at the Colossi of Memnon where an aggressive sales guy attached himself to Jeff. It's so hard to be nice, but effective in warding these people off. They don't get the fact that you are more likely to stop, look, and buy, if you are left alone. YIKES!
Our last stop was the Temple at Luxor which is almost as exquisite as the tombs. But by this time my knees and legs had had their limit, so I took a slower approach and paid the price...I missed all the guide explanations. I'll need to do some reading when I get home to better understand what I saw. It was around three o'clock and the heat of the day finished me off. I found an old Pharaoh to keep me company and sat by his feet for a while in the shade of a huge temple column and had a good bit of wondering time before it was time to head back to the bus. Meanwhile Jeff was able to photograph every nook and cranny of this immense temple stuck right in the middle of Luxor surrounded by modern shops and traffic and hotels. Quite amazing! He took many many wonderful pics...I took a few. Good thing we are combining them when all is said and done!
After another four hours, we bid Rehab "mesa el kheir" (Good Evening) and we arrived back at our mother ship, exhausted and weary, dusty and sweaty...and we were hungry puppies! But we conquered Egypt, had adventures, and souvenirs to boot! Our bus number 7 was famous for its misstep and everyone was buzzing about that!
When I got in the elevator to head up to my room a man really wanted to get on it as the door was closing and he kicked the door to get it to open, as I was hitting the "open" button. Then as the elevator filled, people weren't listening to allow one lady space to get off. She got angry, the men got angry when she yelled at them and for a minute it felt like the day would end like it began. Finally, I said in my sweetest USA voice, "Really? Can't we just be nice to each other...everyone is tired...but we can still be nice." Everyone was quiet for the rest of our elevator ride...no comments at all, sweet music to my ears.
Tomorrow...The Lost City of Petra, Jordan.
Great pic of both of you and fun reading about your adventures! Sounds like it was just a typical Middle Eastern day - reminded me of the time mum and I were stuck in the middle of the sand dunes in Dubai when our 4 wheel drive broke down and the guide and driver had to get out and push!! Keep having fun!! (and a sense of humour)!! Sally.
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