Round and round we go

Day Total: REST DAY – NO RIDING

Song of the Day: Girlfriend – Matthew Sweet

The first full day off from riding provided ample opportunity to wonder about, explore the town, eat (a lot), and visit sights of historical significance. More importantly, it provided a greatly needed opportunity for the body to recover slightly and reflect on the first 6 days on tour.

My day started early with the usual Muslim call to prayer at around 5am. I have not fully worked out the timing yet – it seems some of them commence at 4:45am, others at 5, and still others around 5:20am. Regardless, it is a staple of every single day in Egypt and while you don’t always appreciate it you must respect it for what it is and all that it means to the local people.

Paul and I split a room which after talking to my father turned out to be a great idea. Apparently his respiratory infection worsened overnight to the point that he said he was close to booking a flight back to the US. We’ve since got him sorted with some proper antibiotics (thanks to Torrey and Karen in Denver for briefing me on such issues prior to my departure I knew we needed Zithromycin) and he is headed in the right direction. Paul and I met Kendra at 6:30am and the three of us walked down to the banks of the Nile near the Luxor temple to meet our tour guide for the morning, Ahmed. We met this guy when he accosted us as we opted for a self-guided tour of the Luxor temple the day prior. We negotiated a good price and promptly found him waiting for us. Three minutes later we were ushered onto a small boat to be whisked across the river to a waiting taxi. Apparently the river crossing shortens the journey immensely as the alternative driving route means heading north to a proper highway bridge. In any case, 5 minutes later we were on the other side and waited patiently as Ahmed called somebody – probably a brother or a cousin as seems to be the norm here – to arrange for a ride.

A taxi pulled up and we all got in. The car was a real beauty – a Pugeot 405 touring edition – circa 19-something. I love these cars as they embody the “make use of everything and make it last” mentality you find in so many of the people here. They also have serious ground clearance which I imagine might be quite handy.

The taxi was also interesting for the simple fact that it would not be the same one we would return in at the end of our tour. Instead, Ahmed found an idle tour van and whisked us away in it – complete with other tourists’ cameras and jackets. But alas, I get ahead of myself…

First up was the Valley of the Kings. This valley is home to over 50 tombs of Egyptian kings and represents the richest cache of Egyptian artifacts, structures and assorted antiquities. Unlike many of the other sites we have visited, this one was much more regulated – your ticket let you enter 3 tombs (out of 4 or 5 that allowed entry) and no photos are allowed. That said, I will take a crack at a short description, but wikipedia.com should be able to give you some visuals. The depth of the tombs and the perfection of their construction stood out immediately as you descened into them. When you consider that they had to chisel out the rock, cut it, form it, then plaster over it, it is amazing at how precise the finished product is. Add to that a myriad of hyroglipchic carvings, 10 ton granite tombs, and intricately painted rooms and the effect is nothing short of stunning. It was mind blowing to be inside these rooms and see art work that is still perfectly intact after 4000 years. Mad props to the Egyptian artisans – you knew how to do your work. The greater irony is that I’ve yet to see another building in any city in Egypt that indicates even an above average mastery of construction and architectural techniques. Go figure.

Once we visited our 3 tombs we jumped into an idle tour bus and were off to the Habu Temple. Ahmed was a great tour guide there showing us a few things we would not have picked up on our own. Paul had his DSLR camera out and I happened to notice that he was randomly shooting pictures as it hung down from his neck. When I called him on it, he wanted to know how I noticed. “Great, now I have to take some real photos”. There was no shortage of photo opportunities – the temple was very impressive with massive columns and an abundance of inlaid and raised-relief symbols adorning the walls. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

We left the temple (without Ahmed – all part of his plan) and went to one of the many Papyrus galleries. Effectively, once in the taxi, we were a captive audience and had no choice but to go inside. They did bring us some nice tea and a free lunch of falafel. Paul bought a print, Kendra and I politely declined. Interestingly enough, the longer we sat in the shop the better prices got and Paul finally got a 50% discount. They finished our visit with a demonstration of how papyrus is made – very interesting actually and surprisingly simple. I think you could probably use the cattails found in marshy areas of the wetlands and when I return I plan to hit up the farmers market circuit to sell this hot new paper product. I figure a printer-ready offering would be a huge hit when bundled with some cheesesy hyroglyphic/kartoush producing software. Imagine priting nametags for your next Avon party using hyroglyphics. That’s what I’m talking about! Though I’m sure organizations such as the Colonial Dames would frown upon this. Betsy, will you please inquire?

Once back in Luxor, we arranged for a 30-minute massage at one of the nicer hotels in town. It ended up being a joke of a massage, but hey, we’re all human so even though it was horrible it was still nice to be touched. She used a lot of icy/hot oil and asked me for a cash tip before starting, while working my back, while working my shoulders, and one more time on my left calf for good measure. I nearly craked up when she started very lightly karate chopping me as part of her routine, always ending with “Good?”. It was nice to use the pool which floated on the Nile – clean, clear and very refreshing.
The day ended with a leisurely walk through the markets back to our hotel/camp. My dad was feeling much better, so we went to dinner in a nearby restaurant. Called the “King Tut” restaurant, it was, as you might imagine, completely unremarkable. C’est la vie. It fell well short of the exciting atmosphere and flavor of the street food on which we dined the previous night, but you can’t win them all and the frresh orange juice was tasty at least. Back at camp, we crawled into our tents, opting out of the hotel room for the final night.

It has been an interesting week – I rode my bike over 450 miles in 6 days, I’ve met multiple people whom I feel I will keep in touch with for many years to come, and I’ve learned a ton about my spirit and my body. The repeated, miniature doses of reality were both harsh and liberating: I now know it’s going to be one hell of a long trip and that it will only rarely feel easy. However, pushing oneself to various levels seems to give clarity that can’t be readily achieved under the circumstances which I left behind. I am fortunate to have been able to talk to Torrey regularly which has been more valuable than I would have imagined. Her enthusiasm (even though she’s been sick) keeps me going and in many ways I feel like I’m on this journey as much for her as for myself. I pulled out the “special” holiday card we put together before leaving yesterday and had a good laugh. So ridiculous, but somehow so right.

Tomorrow is a quick 116km to the town of Edfu on the banks of the Nile. I’m sure the legs will respond well to the day off, but so will everyone else’s which likely means a frenzied pace with the lead bunch. However, it’s only 2 days of riding this week before boarding a ferry to the Sudan for 2 days, so hopefully that makes it a tad easier.

Until tomorrow…