Revisiting Luxor’s West Bank

West Bank Tour

Today I did a tour of Luxor’s West Bank as part of a van arranged through Bob Marley Peace Hostel. Their price was EGP40 (NZD6.50) compared to EGP100 at my hotel. Not bad for nearly 7 hours inclusive of a guide. I visited the Valley of the Kings some 22 years ago.

I was collected at 0800 by my guide Peter (a Coptic) and the driver. After picking up a few people, we headed to the other side using the bridge south of town. The ride gave me an idea of how Luxor has grown over the last 22 years.

First stop was the Valley of the Kings where we visited the tombs of Ramses IV, IX and III; the entry tickets include three tombs and additional tombs like that of Tutankhamen are additional, if desired. Things have changed now and there is a little shuttle service that takes you from the entrance to the tombs. Also, photos are now strictly prohibited and there is a fine of EGP1500 for each photo taken and this is non-negotiable.

I liked the tomb of Ramses IV the best. It had the sarcophagus in there still and the murals were in relatively good condition, without protective glass.

I also really liked the 3D perspex model at the visitor centre which showed the layout of tombs amongs the topography of the area.

Text continues after this gallery.

Next was Hapshepsut Temple, which I remember fairly well from 22 years ago. It is also quite distinctive with two tiers of columns set against the backdrop of a cliff.

Text continues after this gallery.

Probably the most intricate and well-preserved was the temple at Madinat Habu. The entrance buildings were built in Syrian style. The walls were richly decorated with writing and murals. Some of the murals were nearly intact with their rich colours too.

Text continues after this gallery.

Last stop were the Colossi of Memnon with two large statues. We had all lost interest by then and no one hopped out of the van. We continued to lunch at Crocodile Restaurant. I was very hungry by then and agreed to the buffet lunch at EGP50 which was pricey but reasonable. As I had finished the full bottle of water that I had brought with me, I was thirsty too. I wasn’t happy paying EGP15 for a can of soft drink when the street price was EGP3 but did it anyway. The local couple of Alexandria was very pissed at the drink pricing too as they pay only EGP7 in a top notch resto.

At this point I decided that I wouldn’t tip the guide Oeter because he is obviously on the take from the resto. I then recalled that he had collected EGP200 for the entrance tickets which he bought for us at each place. Adding up the ticket stubs, they only totalled EGP190 and it appears he assumed he could keep the remaining EGP10.On the way back, Peter noticed that I hadn’t put anything into the tip envelope. He asked if I wanted to put anything and I shrugged.

Travel warnings etc

Having not been to Cairo (yet) this trip, Egypt feels safe. In fact it feels good without being overrun with tourists. In Luxor it feels busy enough with the Russian tour groups coming from the Red Sea.

What surprises me is that there are so many Americans around. I seldom see Americans when I travel because they don’t tend to visit the countries that I’m drawn towards. But despite the travel warnings, they’re here! Good on them! There must be something about Egypt that brings them here regardless.

Putting things right

I went to my local convenience store straight after the tour to buy some water, soft drinks and chips. They had ripped me off when I wasn’t thinking straight yesterday; they charged me EGP10 for a can of drink and a bag of chips when it should have been about EGP3.50, right under the icon of Jesus (they’re Coptic).

What nerve they had when the promo price for the chips was actually written in Arabic on the pack (EGP1.50), which I didn’t see until I was back in my room. So today, I made my selection and told them what I thought the fair price was. I wouldn’t budge and they accepted. I think I made my point clear.

Luxor now and then

I recall Luxor 22 years ago as a sleepy town with a nice corniche as its heart. We walked along the corniche countless times popping into the Etap Hotel to use the toilet frequently as we were both sick from food poisoning.Now it is a city with a nicer corniche but the centre seems to have moved inland a bit which makes it a bit of a pain to get to the corniche.

• The city has expanded in all directions with lots of buildings, hotels and housing blocks.
• It looks like many housing blocks have been demolished to keep the Avenue of Sphinxes clear and also to have wider streets.
• There are lots of buildings on the West Bank when there were previously next to none.
• It has become the hassle capital of the country, it appears.

I miss the old Luxor.