Tuesday, March 18, 2008

A cut cable




Luxor, Egypt
March 19th, 2008

Bad:  I just learned that two major cables that connect Egypt to Europe through the internet were severed by a boat a few weeks ago.  This is why we are having internet trouble.  It is affecting all of Africa, but Egypt the most. 

Good:  Watching the sunset over the Nile.  It is so iconic and here we are.  Wow!  


Surprising:  Kalin and Maya like Cairo much more than the Red Sea or Luxor.  Guess they like crowds and family!


We arrived in Luxor on March 17th after a 10 hour train ride.  It was a lovely trip along the Nile through fertile fields.  We passed many donkeys along the way.

Luxor is a lot smaller than Cairo, but still pretty crowded.  We had a bad moment when a 'crazy' man hit Kalin with a baseball cap.  I got furious;  Kalin cried.  The people around us responded well, but it was intense.

Our hotel has a rooftop restaurant with a great view of the Nile and Valleys on the other side.  The Luxor Temple lit up at night was a lovely way to visit this site.  Today we go to the Valley of Kings, Valley of the Queens, and Hatchesput's Temple.  It will be our biggest tour day here- six plus hours.

Pictures:  Two from the Red Sea-overlooking the bay from our hotel and loveduck on the glass bottom boat.  The third is with my family.  These are my cousin Effat's family:  Fatma (his wife), Noha (daughter),  Habiba (Gradndaughter) and Mahmoud (son).  They have been soooo great to us.

3 comments:

Myc said...

JEALOUS!!! That is all I can say.

Mt. Diablo said...

Thanks so much for posting the great pictures, Laila! We're thinking of each of you everyday. Bev and John

Anonymous said...

It is so-o-o-o pathetic, but every time I read/hear *Luxor*, I think of Vegas. And I never even saw the imitation on my sole visit there!!!!

I hope you will have some type of slide show for us to see after you return!

--Donna