Happy Birthday to me!

23 today. Although I reckon I might just stick with 22.

So the felucca trip was great. But I have to admit that having to go for a pee in the bushes along the banks of the Nile is not going to be my favourite memory of this holiday! Nor is the fact that the temperature dropped far more than anyone expected and we were all freezing at night! My legs were so cramped the next day from sleeping curled up in a little ball.

Kom Ombo and Edfu were very impressive but were blown out of the water by yesterday's trip to The Valley Of The Kings and the enormous temple complex of Karnak as well as Hatshepsut's temple at Deir El Bahri and the tomb builder's village at Deir el Medina. The columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall there make you feel so tiny! Some of the bases they stood on were as tall as me! We stayed for the light and sound show at Karnak which was as kitschy as promised but walking through the temple in the dark was a phenomenal experience, even if I was surrounded by other tourists.

I can't really describe the feeling of looking in the tombs at the Valley Of The Kings. We went very early so there were few people around which only heightened the experience. To look at the beautiful reliefs which were to aid the King's journey to the solar barque of the Gods is just gob-smacking. The detail is so intricate such thousands of gold stars painted on the ceilings to represent the night sky, or the sarcophagi having even toenails and creases on the knees carved upon the Pharaoh's image. I am so glad that I studied Egyptian art in quite a bit of detail before the trip as it really helped to understand what the Pharaoh's had been trying to achieve.

Today is going to be a bit of a quiter day. We're going to a couple of museums, the Luxor temple and to do some shopping (I have to get myself a birthday present after all) and hopefully for a camal ride. Which I am looking forward to lots.