Death of the Pyramids

Pyramids are bloody cool structures. Indeed and readers of the classic “Supernature” by Lyall Watson will know of their magical properties. Place blunt knives or razor-blades under a pyramid and they will sharpen.

However, they were both expensive and time consuming to build, and highly labour intensive, As the Ancient Egyptians moved down southwards (easy for looting in what is now Sudan) an alternative was sort.

Enter Al-Qurn (Horn) mountain. A natural pyramidal shape, it became a quality symbol and appropriate location for the creation of the Valley of the Kings.

Al-Qurn mountain overlooks the Valley of the Kings

And there you have it.

Donkey Riding into the Valley of the Kings

Both Elizabeth and Caspar, my Felucca friends, were in Cairo as the locals tooks to the streets, and both had cool stories to share. Elizabeth meets a 22 year old blond American woman who has come "to help". She claims to be a Communist and Elizabeth who originates from the former East Germany lets rip. The blond backtracks pretty swiftly and settles for anarchist instead. It transpires she is a dominatrix at a SM parlour who spends most of her time bedding a Mexican journalist at the hotel. Caspar's friends call him in Egypt and tell him it is too dangerous. This to a man who has fought in both Afganistan and Iraq! Not really, Caspar is busy eating chocolate pancakes.

Elizabeth shares my passion for blogging. Much more knowledgeable than myself, with a comprehensive and concrete knowledge of Ancient Egypt, check out her blog for a far more indepth analysis and commentary on Luxor and other temples. Not sure who this mysterious Mountain Man might be though.

Elizabeth has now started taking video footage with her Nikon F90 and rather naughtily managed to video inside the tombs both the Valleys of Kings and Queens. Unfortunately the videos are long and need editing, but she has promised to send me edited footage when she returns to the USA in a couple of months time.

She sneakily videos Caspar and myself during our descent on donkeys into the Valley of the Kings. Caspar is the one in the cowboy hat.


Both Caspar and Elizabeth have made most congenial travel partners, but they extend their stay in Luxor as i head northwards up to Cairo. They both give me lovely presents, real American gum from Elizabeth and, from Caspar, ciggie papers and a new pair of headphones (mine managed to mysteriously disappear after posting the other night from the Net cafe). I feel bad as i have nothing to give in return, but Elizabeth requests a couple of my photos and i am more than happy to oblige. For Caspar? I will put him in touch with Seth for a low-down on the Saan tribe in Namibia. Perfect for Spirit Man!

Al-Gazira and Surrounding Temples and Tombs

Luxor might not boast any pyramids, but nonetheless it is the capital of Ancient Egypt. Built on top the original City of Thebes it boasts a rich history over 4,000 years old.

There are myriad ruins and antiquities to be found in Al-Gazira on the West Bank of Luxor. Unless you’re a serious Egyptologist, you will need to be a bit selective as costs and time can be prohibitive.

Still enjoying the company of Caspar and Elizabeth, we decide to rent donkeys for the day to visit some of these Egyptian treasures for E£30 each = a further E£40 total for the guide. It provides a fantastic alternative to renting a bike (E£15 -20) or a taxi (E£120 –E£200). Whilst i enjoy the docile lone female, Caspar struggles to tame his wild beastie.

Our first stop is the Colossus of Memnon. These two 18 metre statues are all that remain of the temple built by Amenhotep III and are set in beautiful lush sugar-cane fields. This is about the only freebie to be had in town.





Heading up into the mountains our next stop is the Valley of the Queens. Despite a hefty E£70 (E£35 for students), there are only three tombs currently open and two of these are actually very young princes. Very disappointing considering there are over 75 tombs already discovered. No photography is permitted inside the tombs. Each are interesting, with beautiful motifs, inscriptions and hieroglyphics, although none take my breath away.




If i was disappointed with the Valley of the Queens, it is good preparation for a visit for the Valley of the Kings (E£80/E£40 – adults/student). No photography is allowed either in or outside the tombs – no-one can explain to me why. For this price, you are entitled to visit three tombs, a further E£100 will get you into Tutankhamun’s tomb (said to be the most interesting) and if you pay over E£300 you can see several more. There are a total of 60 tombs altogether. At least the tombs that we do see are all pretty spectacular, and much of the original paintwork is in very good condition. We are 3 of just 6 tourists on the site – usually they total some 8,000. It’s a pretty surreal experience.

photography is completely and absurdly banned in the Valley of the Kings

view from the top of the mountain

Moving down the hill we hit Deir al Bahri which was the funerary temple of Hatshepsut. Although desecrated and vandalised by her successor, Thuthmosis III, it has amazingly restored and looks more like a Hollywood film set. It’s location on the eastern side of the Theban mountain is superb.







My personal favourite however is the Ramesseum. Built by the very busy Ramses II, much of it lies in ruins – but i like that. The evening sun provides for beautiful photography. With no ticket office nearby we each baksheesh E£10 to the security guard.





There are many more sights to be had, but this day trip provided a great taster. And i highly recommend the donkey option too.