my favorite things

HAPPY NEW YEAR

A belated Happy New Year to everyone and hopes for a much better year for everyone around the world!

Part three of my cruise photos: 

Lovely LUXOR

Darling Bedouin children with baby goat

After driving 3 hours on rough roads, we arrived on the outskirts of Luxor and saw the start of irrigation canals

As you travel through Egypt, you will see many houses like these, that look like they are still in construction......we were told by our tour guide that as families grow, they  will build on top of the main house...............some are many stories!

Off to market

While they were building these buildings, they unearthed these sphinxes which go for many miles to Karnak Temple

A scale model of Karnak Temple is seen upon entering the site ......the temple is 55,000 sq. ft.

A closer look at the sphinxes at Karnak Temple (mentioned as well  in previous photo)

It surprises me that the city of Luxor has built up to the temple site, which takes away from the splendour of it. in my opinion

Luxor Temple as seen from our van........alas, we did not have time to go there on this trip

Crossing the Nile river, we note all the river cruise boats lying unused.  Since 'Arab Spring', tourists have stayed away .  We must say that during our trip to Egypt, we never felt, even once, that we were in danger........on the contrary,  people there were very welcoming .  My next dream cruise would be a river cruise down the Nile!

On the way to the Valley of Kings..........you can see that excavations are still underway and we are told that only about one third of ancient Egyptian sites have been excavated.

First of 3 tombs that we visited...you are not allowed to take any photos or videos inside!

Temple built by the only female Pharaoh, 'Hatshepsut'

Colossus of Memnon,

A girl needs some time for 'retail therapy', so we visited a shop that makes high quality figurines of Egyptian origin.  They are made from alabaster mostly but also other semi precious stones!

Alas, it is time to head back to our ship and only another 3 hours on the road again!!!  I LOVE EGYPT and would not hesitate to come back.  In 2009, we visited Cairo and Alexandria and enjoyed that as well.  My biggest hope for 2012 is that they manage to achieve the just government that they all deserve....

Hugs,