Despite the ever so aggressive taxi or carriage drivers and the private ferry boat hassles, Luxor is amazing.
The Hostel:
I have never seen so many pictures and posters of Bob Marley in my life. Every spec of every wall was like a shrine dedicated to the man. The funny thing is, during my stay I did not hear one Bob Marley song on their stereo ... it was usually just the Gypsy Kings which brought back fond childhood memories of early saturday mornings in the Pezeshk house.Upon my arrival I wound up meeting an English girl who was on holiday before finishing her last year of medical school; she became my partner in crime for the rest of my stay in Luxor.
The Sights:
The Luxor Temple, located right along the nile, is beautiful and well preserved. While walking through the ruins all I could do was imagine what the temple looked like in its original setting with the Avenue of Sphinxes leading right to the massive entrance. It must have been quite a sight to both the local and the passerby. The tombs in the Valley of the Queens was also quite impressive.
My favorite place however was the Temple o f Karnak. First of all, it's huge and with every turn there is something new and amazing to gawk at. I arrived just before sunset and had the pleasure of seeing the light of the red sun pass through the grand Hypostyle hall hitting the curves of the stone in all the right places. Although there was a sea of Eastern European tourists with many of the women in some quite scandalous outfits, my eyes were fixated on the intricate carvings of towering walls and columns ... well, at least most of the time. I'll tell you one thing though, to look up and always see an obelisk in the ancient skyline is quite a cool experience.
Overall: Luxor is much more laid back than Cairo but with just as much charm. I was able to relax and also see many things. Should I ever make it back to Egypt, I might just be obliged to make another stop here.
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