The driver collected me at 5am to head to the airport for the 7 o’clock flight to Luxor. Half-asleep and only half listening to my driver’s chatter for the first part of the journey, I then realised I did not have my passport with me. My driver had no idea if I would need it or not, but it was too late by that point to turn back. Thankfully, my driver’s license was sufficient to check in and I spent the easy flight with Craig and Nicole, an English couple who had similar amusing travel stories as my own.
A ‘Mr Morrow’ sign greeted me on arrival at Luxor airport and I was taken to meet my guide. After previously trying to buy water and supplies on my own and being over-charged by double, the guide started well by taking me to a local shop where I stocked up without being scammed. Local knowledge and the power to negotiate are definitely assets here!
Next I was taken to a statue shop, where I was shown how the vases and statues were made by hand. While this was interesting enough, it wasn’t really high on my list of must-see attractions, but I did enjoy the Egyptian breakfast of tomato, lettuce and felafel wrap. While eating, the room was plunged into darkness every few minutes to reveal a selection of green limestone statues that glowed in the dark. Among the traditional icons, there were some interesting-looking phallic representations, which I had to explain to the owners that while they were obviously high-quality objects, I really did not have much need for them…
The Valley of the Kings was the next destination. This last resting place of the Kings included three tombs and a vast array of impressive tunnels and ancient artwork. While I enjoyed seeing the sights, I think it may be another experience that stays with me. The guide had told me to leave my camera in the car as it would not be allowed inside, and in the first two tombs there were crowds of tourists and Bedouins acting as make-shift security guards to ensure no illicit photographs were taken.
In the final tomb, however, I found myself alone, and decided to seize the opportunity and take a few pictures without a flash with my iPhone. Unknown to me, there was a Bedouin in the shadows who had caught me, and asked to see my camera. In a well-practised move, he tried to reach in my pocket to grab my phone. After some struggle and the Bedouin’s threat of calling the police, my knowledge that each photo would cost me a fine of EGP100,000 (A$18,500!) led me ask what I could offer him. My first offer of EGP20 was not going to cut it, as he put on his headscarf and stormed toward the door. Luckily for me, he was more amenable to an offer of EGP50 (A$10), and I was allowed to delete the photos and leave.
Following on from there, we headed to the Temple Valley of Hatshepsut. As I walked around the magnificent structure I couldn’t help but notice the terrific heat of late morning. With the sun beating down on me, it was hard not to imagine what lies ahead for me in the Sahara.
After lunch in Luxor, our next stop was Karnak Temple. It was an incredible sight. The temple and its pillars were overwhelming in their size, although it was slightly strange to see a number of tourists doing laps around the large statue of a scarab beetle. My guide enlightened me, by telling me that if you were to circle the statue seven times, then you will never again be unlucky in love.
After a few more run-ins with Bedouin and a heavily-armed guard, I threw a bottle of water over my head to ward off the heat and made my way to the final temple of the day. Although not on the scale of Karnak Temple, it was still a fantastic sight.
By the time I got back to Luxor I was exhausted. I had about eight hours to kill before my flight to Cairo, so I made my way down the main street and caught a stunning sunset over the Nile. I took in the sights and had some dinner, but became tired of the constant attention by local touts. Although they seemed polite enough to start with, they often became abusive when they were turned down. I decided to head to the airport and try for an early flight, but with no luck, I just had to wait it out and eventually I got back to my hotel in Cairo at 3am.
The final pre-Sahara day was focussed on preparation. I had been attempting to find a tailor to mend a patch and a damaged zip on my backpack over the previous few days, but with obstacles such as closed shops on Holy Days and various other dramas, my pack still needed to be repaired. With a final desperate plea to the hotel manager, soon I was sorted out by a genius with a sewing machine in the hotel laundry.
My driver – who apparently knew where he was going, but still had to ask half of Cairo for directions on the way – took me to the race hotel, where it was great to mix with other competitors. Among them, a twenty-strong team from Taiwan plan to carry a temple in a backpack for the entire race. The temple will also be shared with a team of thirty from South Korea. A team from Latvia are planning to pack Scotch and Cognac for the journey, but I just hope the alcohol can withstand the heat for these hard-core adventurers.
