November 16 - Luxor and Karnak Temples

Just a quick note about the next couple of days:  I'm not sure waht kind of wifi I can expect in Aswan, so if no news for a couple of days, not to worry.

What can one say about these Temples?  The photos I have - I will put in a few - can't convey the impact, especially Karnak Temple.  I went to the Sound and Light Show at Karnak last night.  A bit cheesy, but none the less impressive.  The show starts at the front entrance to the temple, and progresses through the length of the temple with the major features illuminated.  It is quite impressive, really, much better than the one at Giza.

I didn't bother with a guide for these Temples.  The main features have some descriptive sign boards, and there are enough guided tours going through for one to be able to attach oneself to the periphery of a group and listen in on the guide's spiels.  I have to say that the guides I had for other sites were all far better than the ones I have been hearing here, so I'm glad I didn't waste my money.

Main Pylon entrance to Luxor Temple.  Very much on a grand scale.

Such a haunting face.  I think it is Ramses II, looking pensively out on the crowd - mainly Germans grinding cigarette butts out everywhere, Eastern Europeans shedding trash as they go, and Americans wailing to have just discovered that if they don't pay for the extra side trips on their tour they will spend the rest of the day shut up on their bus while the paying customes are herded of on the side trips.  Oh the joys of independant travel!

I love this painted fresco added by the Romans, fading but still full of life.

Here is Karnak  

The Avenue of Sphinxes leading to the Pylon entrance.

An Avenue of Rameses.

Everywhere remnants of Gods and Men who thought they were Gods.

The sheer size of these columns, the enormity of the accomplishment is hard to comprehend.  

Another haunting face; Amun Ra.  Oblivious to the crowds, He is staring off into some private eternityof his own.

On the way back from Karnak, my caleche driver hijacked me to follow the trail of the Avenue of Sphinxes that once connected Luxor and Karnak Temples.  This Avenue is slowly being reconstructed, but there is a long way to go.

Imagine having these Sphinx remnants outside your front door.  These people are lucky - had the remnants been under the house as was the case with many others, the house would have been bulldozed to clear the Avenue.

I think I am pretty much caught up now.  Tomorrow my car will collect me at 7:00 for a full day dirve to Aswan.  I'll be back as soon as wifi allows.