And so we make our first attempt at moving independently through Egypt. We leave the resort very excited about getting on with our trip. Just getting this bus' timetable though has taken Marc days to find out, on top of the days' he's looked online, including the help received from the front desk staff, Mosun. Once figured out, Mosun even went to purchase the tickets for us, above and beyond the call of duty.
We take a taxi from the hotel, and encounter the first of what will be many "price misunderstandings". Marc's conversations and research repeatedly named a certain price for this short distance. When we get to the bus station, the taxi driver asks for 4 times as much, and he won't budge. Another taxi driver even got involved in the argument, and Marc won't budge either, on principal. It wasn't a barter problem, this was not a bartering situation. We ended up paying slightly less than the demand. Not a good way to start our independence, and it actually foreshadowed what the next 2.5 weeks will bring us - tourists actually have very little control over costs, prices seem to be a moving target, and we weren't always comfortable in the situations we found ourselves in. We do have to remember though that times are desperate in Egypt, the tourism industry has evaporated, we are often the only white people within visible distance and the exchange rate from Egyptian Pounds to Canadian dollars makes it loonies and toonies that we are bargaining with, ie 50 EP = ~$8 Cdn.
Onward to Luxor! This is the Go Bus that runs between cities, newer, efficient, fun! The drive takes about 3 hours, moving away from the Red Sea and into the desert further South in Egypt. We are thrilled to be in the desert, the different colours are astounding, depending on the light. Who knew?
Here below, you can see the area we are navigating. The Nile Delta straight down the middle, the Red Sea to the right, Hurghada where the diver is. We cross the Eastern desert heading southwest to Luxor, the furthest point south in this trip. From Luxor we will fly up to Cairo for the Pyramids, then take a train to Alexandria before heading to London. Right now, we're happy to arrive in Luxor and make it home for the next week.
Our bus driver, in the left photo, brings his 9 year old son on the trip, who excitedly sits in a pull down seat in the stairwell, eating chips, drinking pop and having what seem like great conversations with his dad. He seems to be very proud to be on this trip with him. Some of the scenery on our way...while mostly desert and hydro towers, does have what looks like homes in the distance. We have a rest-stop halfway, and it reminds me of the many times stopping between Toronto and Ottawa on Hwy 7 at the Log Cabin Restaurant! This is the same, except the desert version, and we have to pay to access the washroom even though the toilet doesn't flush and there's no toilet paper or tap water! My mother taught me well - always travel with a stash!
Top right photo, all of the transport trucks have very colourful backs, custom designed. We have begun making lists together of "Best...." And the award for Best Drive goes to the road between Qena and Luxor. As we get to Qena, the landscape becomes green, bit by bit, and we realize we've reached that mythical (to us) Nile Delta. Nothing more than a dirt road that bypasses miles and miles of green suddenly, town after town where donkeys, old tractors, bicycles, trucks stacked perilously high with goods, robed men and women carrying goods on their head, all sorts of adapted transport vehicles abound. It is a glorious drive in to Luxor and gets us excited about arriving. We even pass a soccer pitch right by the road.
Our host meets us at the bus station in Luxor, and with the craziness surrounding the arrival, we are so happy he did. He's come with an air conditioned van and a driver who take over for us and get us through the city. We get our first glance of the Nile! On the East bank of the Nile lies metropolitan Luxor city, it's big attraction being the souk and Karnak Temple. We are staying on the West Bank, home of The Valley of the Kings, and a village with dirt roads and family life, lots of expats and long-term retired tourists and amateur Egyptologists, much slower, much quieter.
Our terrace apartment is right on the Nile, we're on the top floor, 4 flights up, and the 360 view is incredible. The street life that goes on below us is ever-changing, as is the boat and ship traffic on the Nile. There are children heading to and from school every day, moms coming home from the market, mules and carts being packed up, laundry women carrying their wares, donkeys, horses, and chickens grazing below us, men fishing daily from tiny boats, ferry traffic taking commuters across the Nile, felucca so and cruise ships, the ex-pat next door works on her garden every single morning. We spend the week, when home, just watching local Luxor life go by, and we love, love, love it.
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