Our merry band awoke on the 26th with a decision to make. Luxor is a city that lies on both banks of the Nile. Sites are traditionally listed as either being on the East or the West bank. We had to decide which bank we wanted to see on what day. Since we were already off to a late start, we opted to stick on the East bank (that's the side our hotel was on) and visit the sprawling Karnak temple. So, after a hearty breakfast eaten on the roof of the hotel, we were making our way north along the Nile. the Karnak temple complex is within the city limits of Luxor, and before long, we were standing in front of the first pylon, preparing ourselves for the wonders no doubt hidden inside.
Of all the temples and ruins that I have visited in Egypt, Karnak is without a doubt both the largest and the most diverse. It was added to by a long series of pharoahs over time, each one having unique ideas. The result is a simply massive assortment of great halls, temples, pylons, and a sacred lake thrown in for good measure. It quickly became apparent to us that we would be spending the rest of the day there, and so, secure in this knowledge, we took our time exploring.
The great thing about many of the Egyptian ruins, and Karnak in particular, is that the guards don't pay attention. We found ourselves in some forgotten corner of the complex, completely isolated from the nearest tourist or tourist policeman. Karnak is a work in progress. scattered on every available patch of ground are giant stones of every shape and size. Throughout antiquity, weather and invaders have taken their toll on the temples and tombs, and so today archaeologists are working to reassemble many of these ancient sites. So, through chance, we found ourselves in a quite impressive temple alone. And conveniently enough, there was construction scaffolding forming a ladder to the roof of this particular building. Not wanting to waste such an opportunity, Kevin and Eric scrambled to the top while I went outside to capture the moment in pictures. Before long a guard appeared, yelling and gesturing wildly to the guys on top of the temple. After feigning ignorance for a few minutes, they finally consented to return to the ground, but only after striking several poses for me.
The day was highlighted by experiences such as this. The only other encounter of the day worth mentioning happened at another such deserted temple. As we were traipsing along, we ran across three rather attractive-looking young women. In the course of introductions we learned that their names were Boudour, Aasma, and Adeline, that they hailed from France, and that they were studying Arabic in Syria. After a brief chat, we went our separate ways and thought nothing more of it at the time.
It was nearly 4:30 by the time we left Karnak, and so the next order of business was to find supper. The other thought lurking in our collective thoughts was our impending departure from Luxor, or more importantly, how we could get to our next stop in Sohag. As we ate supper we debated the best means of transportation. The idea of a minibus was suggested, as well as taking the train or even hiring a taxi. In the end, we agreed to try to get tickets on the train, as it would be the easiest and most reliable method of transport. Upon finishing our supper, we wandered through some souqs (open-air markets), and were just about to head for the train station to inquire about tickets, when we ran into the French girls from earlier that day. We quickly discovered that they too were in search of train tickets. We agreed to go to the station together and try our luck.
I had the opportunity to talk with Boudour as we walked. Although she had an unmistakably thick French accent, her English was quite good. I learned lots about her in a short time. She was born in Morocco to a French father and a Moroccan mother and it was there that she lived until the age of 15. She then moved to France where she had gone to school up until this year when she took the opportunity to study Arabic abroad in Syria. I took this opportunity to ask a burning question I had. Being fluent in three languages, I asked her which one she dreams in. Apparently French is the answer. Okay, enough about that.
Once the six of us were in the train station, our plight became apparent. According to the ticket agent, all the trains were full for the foreseeable future. Now we all knew full well that this was a lie. The trains are never full. What the ticket agent meant to say is that he didn’t want to give us tickets because we’re foreign, and the word customer service has never been introduced into the Egyptian language. However, despite this setback, we were not going to give up that easily. In fact, we were in luck. Knowing Arabic fairly well, our three French friends began to solicit passing Egyptians, imploring them to help us procure tickets. It wasn’t long before a kind young man consented to purchasing tickets for us. And so while we tried to look casual and inconspicuous (very difficult to do for six white people in an Egyptian train station), he was able to get us tickets for the next night at 7:30 PM. Success!
The night was still young as we left the train station. Wanting to thank our Egyptian friend, we decided to go to a local coffee shop and celebrate our good fortune. So for the remainder of the evening we talked, exchanged stories, and enjoyed each other’s company. Finally, when the hour grew late, we departed from our French friends, but only after agreeing to meet each other on the train platform the next night. And with that, Eric, Kevin and I headed back to the Happy Land Hotel for our last night’s sleep in Luxor.
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