More Temple Time

After a good rest I prep and go to the Luxor Temple. I have to fill in some hours some way or another and sitting amongst these ruins are pretty good. Also the toilet is nearby and pretty clean. I had a decent breakfast of an omelette and some bread, which has given me some energy but I don't want to push it too much. After hanging out at the temple I make my way down to the Karnak Temple by foot. It's a risky operation but I made sure I take plenty of Immodium to prevent any accidents.

It is an interesting journey through the backstreets. I get hassled by kids wanting lollies or baksheesh (money) and stared at because normally tourists take horse drawn carriages along the Nile or get driven up in enormous tourist buses. I end up handing out some lollies that I had bought especially for the local kids but this attracts even more and I get a bit frustrated. Especially when some of the kids come back for seconds when some of the others have not even received one lolly at all.

I move on quickly to get away. I reach a dead end and two enterprising young boys keep telling me to go a different way. I am a little worried about their intentions and tell them to go away. They are telling the truth but I am so jaded by the whole rip off, hassle, lets see what we can get away with bullshit that I don't believe them. Because they had passed on this information they wanted baksheesh but instead I gave them some candy. I ask a shop keeper for verification which she confirms and I continue my journey.

I finally arrive at Karnak Temple tired and very dusty. The whole journey has been on unpaved roads and I am feeling very dirty indeed. Karnak Temple is huge and the tourists arrive there in the thousands. I can't believe the numbers that stream in as I make my way around the site. It gets all a bit too much and I leave before seeing everything. As I leave even more people are entering and all I can hear are Egyptian Egyptologists speaking Spanish, English, French, Japanese and Italian.

I retreat back to my hotel rrom and contemplate going back for the sound and light show. I decide I should make an effort to see at least one because the Lonely Planet recommends this one at Karnak as being the least kitchy. I go back to the temple and pay the 25 EP for the student tickets and an additional 30 EP for a camera ticket. Just bloody ridiculous. The whole show is pretty crap and if it wasn't for being able to walk around the temple at night with such a beautiful night sky I would say don't bother. Definately don't pay for the video ticket. You don't get anything to see that is worth filming.