Most houses are situated along a tributary of the Nile. It is interesting to observe how people live here. Here at Luxor sugar cane is grown. Again and again we see the tractors with trailers fully loaded to deliver the harvest. We are heading to the only camping site of Luxor. We want to stay here a few days, because there is a lot to see in Luxor.
The site is not exactly idyllic, but right in the center. Here we meet a German / Mexican couple who is traveling with a tent and bicycle through Africa. After all, we are not bad here, have hot showers and electricity supply. Actually it is not a campground, but rather a hotel with patio, rented to campers. This situation, we will have even more often, for campsites are rare in Africa.
The Nile is wonderful and great atmosphere prevails on its banks. The Nile rises in the mountains of Rwanda and Burundi, and flows into the Mediterranean. It flows through Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and finally Egypt, where it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. 6671 km from its source, he lays back down to the sea and belongs with the Amazon to the largest rivers in the world.
Immediately on the banks of the Nile are also major attractions such as the temple of Karnak. I am completely amazed how things have changed here after 25 years. The tourist influx is huge and it is difficult to enjoy the ancient atmosphere. The Karnak temple is not only a temple but a collection of temples, obelisks and pylons. It covers an area of 1.5 km by 800 meters. During the rule of the Pharaohs 80,000 people worked here. For over nearly 2000 years it was rebuilt and changed.
You enter through the avenue of rams, and here originally a canal was leading to the Nile.Through the avenue we get to the first Pylon, which has remained unfinished.
The Great Square is the widest square of the temple complex, on the left there is the temple of Seti, in the middle the Kiosk of Taharka, far right a columned arcade. Most impressive is probably the great Hall of Columns. 6000 square metres is the base area, a spectacular sight, a forest of 134 towering columns. They were originally painted in bright colors and the hall was roofed. Also impressive is the pair of obelisks in front of the former entrance to the main temple. We stroll through the site and are overwhelmed by these huge buildings.
From the intense cultural pleasure tired we have a culinary pleasure: Falafel sandwich. Falafel are fried balls of mashed beans or chickpeas, herbs and spices. It is thought that the recipe originated here, from the Christian Copts created as a fasting meal.
Falafel food stall