Monday: After a night interupted by street noises, calls to prayer and the worst matress of the trip we were able to move rooms to a quieter more comfortable room in the back of the hotel. We had breakfast on the roof then a second breakfast at an expensive tourist cafe on the river. We bought some post cards then filled the boys up with double cheese burgers for lunch. Sat in a dirty noisy park near the Luxor temple while the boys played soccer with a plastic coke bottle with a couple of local kids.
After dinner we sat in a coffee shop near the hotel drinking heavily spiced thick coffee, Julian smoking an apple "sheesha". Tim and I went to bed early while Julian went for a beer with a guy we met at the hotel. There was some dodgy deal about an entrance fee to the bar that didn't make sense and he was suspicious that the guy had got a cut somehow.
Tuesday: Tim & I woke early and walked to major temple of the east bank Karnack. It was quite interesting with some good architecture. The bus loads rolled in shortly after we arrived and it was thriving and busy. We spend a couple of hours there as it was a very large complex then walked back along the river. We met Julian later in the afternoon and had lunch at a local place. Beers on the roof in the evening discussing the problems of the world. Blissfully unaware however that the share markets were collapsing in the US and at home.
Wednesday: Tim and I got up early and caught the ferry over to the west bank singing "don't pay the ferryman, till he gets you to the other side" - walked to the valley of the nobles which was virtually abandonded as the tour busses and taxis whizzed past towards the more famous valleys of the kings and queens. Tim was able to get in at the concession price with only a scotch student card rather than the International one they normally require "because you are australian and I like australians". We visited five tombs - the best of which was that of Ramoses. By paying a small tip to the doorman we were able to descend into a very dark, steep, frightening passage that went deep into the ground. We gave up before reaching the bottom though as it was slippery and our torch was dimming. We sat in a little cafe afterwards drinking a coke talking to the owner who was entertaining. There were very few people around so everyone had time to talk. A long slow walk back and another ferry ride. For some reason the man at the ticket office insisted on giving me torn, crumpled old notes in my change and no matter how often I handed it back saying "no - better one" he seemed to be able to reach into his pouch and find an even worse one. Back now down the road from the hotel where we have found the cheapest Internet cafe in Luxor at 3 point (60c) an hour.
