Tuesday, January 20 - Valley of the Kings and View of the Nile

This morning we loaded ferry boats to cross the Nile from our boat which is docked on the east bank to “The West Bank” (not the West Bank we associate with the Middle East!) for our visit to Thebes and the Valley of the Kings where the great pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1546-1085 BC) were buried. We’ve learned on this trip that in ancient Egypt, funerary temples were located on the west side of the Nile, and temples for worship on the east. Our first stop is the Colossi of Memnon. These two statues of Amenhotep III, which are 60 ft tall, originally guarded his mortuary temple, but it is no longer there. The Tesbian kings hid their tombs deep in the hills, away from their mortuary temples (about 6 miles) in order to try to fool thieves. The Valley of the Kings contains 64 known tombs of the Pharaohs. Not all tombs are open and of those only a few are open each day. There is also a Valley of Wives, Nobles, and Workers, but we only had time to visit the Kings. There are workers all around us excavating at a number of locations. Some carry the broken rock out in buckets placed on their shoulders, while others appear to be cleaning and inspecting shards. The mummified remains of King Tut can be visited for an additional fee, but we had to choose between seeing his or three others. We decided to skip it since we had seen the “good stuff” from his tomb in the Egyptian museum. The first tomb we visited, Ramses IX, had scenes depicting solar god’s nightly journey. The second tombs we visited was Ramses VI. It was stunning with a vaulted ceiling with paintings of astronomical features. The sarcophagus still remains in the inner chamber. For the last tomb we had a choice. Some went to the tomb of Tuthmosis III, a VERY steep climb, (90 feet to the entrance and then down an equal distance) while others went to the tomb of Ramses I. It is beautifully decorated and the inner chamber is shaped like a cartouche. There are very well preserved paintings that portray the Book of Amduat. A red granite sarcophagus remains in the tomb. For me, this tomb was particularly special. I had seen an Egyptian exhibit when I lived in Washington, DC and they had recreated the inner chamber of this tomb in the exhibit. I never dreamed I would get to see the real thing.

Alyssa, Lacey and Linda at the entrance to the tomb of Tuthmosis III.

Our bus driver navigated his way down the mountain and dropped us off at the Alabaster shop, a much anticipated stop! Osman explained how alabaster vessels were made by hand and workman at the shop demonstrated the process. This technique results in much different finish than the machine finished pieces we saw in Turkey last year. The white, amber and green pieces were stunning. Also available for purchase were necklaces of Lapis, Tiger eye, onyx, and amethyst to name a few. Our group did quite well with Osman to negotiate a price for us. Our final stop of the day was the Habu temple (Medinat Habu). It is the second largest temple and is dominated by mortuary temple of Ramses III. The beautifully carved and painted reliefs on the walls and columns contain the record of Ramses’ military campaigns and are very well preserved because Christians who converted the area to a church, covered the walls with plaster.

Our group entering the “gates” of the Habu temple.

We were ferried across the Nile again and arrived at the boat just barely in time for departure. Lunch was served at 1:00 and we had really worked up an appetite. The food on the ship is tasty, but we have been told not to eat any raw vegetables or fruits without peeling because if they have been cleaned, they were cleaned in the water, which is not safe for our systems that are not accustom to it. The produce is beautiful, so it is really hard to pass up.

Stark contrast between the fertile land along the Nile banks and the harsh desert.

Many of us spent the afternoon on the top deck relaxing and watching life on the Nile banks as we slowly drift by. Daily life takes you back to a much earlier time in America. We saw people washing clothes and dishes and some even witness a group bathing (discretely) in the river. We passed small fishing boats, livestock, small houses, large houses, and even grass huts. There is a marked contrast between the lush green foliage along the Nile and the desert mountains just beyond. Irrigation pipes are prevalent. For all of those who are freezing at home, we are sorry. It has been about 68-70 degrees here and we could not ask for better weather. People on the deck could be found playing cards, reading, and even napping.

Sheilah, Joan, Janet, and Lynda play a hand or two.

We had “high tea” at 4:00 and arrived at Esna a little later to wait for our turn to go through the locks. As we approached, we thought we were going to run over these tiny boats that were rowing furious toward us. Come to find out, they were coming to sell us Egyptian gowns and throws. They threw the items to the top of the boat and Burton served as middle man, negotiating for the best price and throwing the unwanted merchandise and money for the purchased items back to the boats. It was quite an adventure. I’ve never shopped boat to boat! Couldn’t top that so we called it a night.

Alyssa, Lacey, and Becky are building their own pyramids.