LUXOR DAY TWO: CRUISING THE NILE!

What can I say,

except a picture is worth a thousand words.

So hold onto your seats!!

Remember those hot air balloons I saw yesterday?

Well, Atlanta and I were in one of those today!

(WARNING: PICTURE OVERLOAD!)

We were up at the crack of dawn (literally),

and took a ferry across the Nile,
where we met the captain of our balloon and 
watched them slowly begin to take shape
by the light of the moon!

 ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!*!

It was mesmerizing looking down onto 

the rooftops of homes

and hearing dogs barking, roosters crowing,

and, of course, the Call To Prayer.

And the sunrise was absolutely breathtaking!

 

And as we began our descent,

people gathered to watch

and children ran (and rode donkeys) to see our landing!

"Let it Known" (an Egyptianism)

that Atlanta and I ascended into the sky in hot air balloon......

Oh yes, yes we did!

 

And just like that, we were back in our van

(furry dashboard; no furry seats)

and it was Temple Time once again!

 Ishmaal was bound and determined 

to make each one of us an expert 

at reading hieroglyphics!

(And he may just have succeeded!) 

 

We certainly had an interesting mix of people

in our little tour group:

three young and darling Egyptians, 

a lovely Australian couple who was on their 
 eight week honeymoon (!),

a delightful German man and his wife, 

two Americans (Atlanta and I),

and our faithful Egyptian guide, Ishmaal!

    

I hate to admit this, but Atlanta and I both

were starting to experience

Temple and Tomb 

overload!

Perhaps that's the reason she started dancing 

between the magnificent columns!  

 

But, alas, we had one more temple to visit!

 

And so the dancing continued!!!

As did the infatuation with that "beautiful American girl"!!

Let's just say that this young man

and his little friends

were quite memorable!

Yes, let's just leave it at that, shall we?

Yes we shall!

 

And just like that

CRUISING THE NILE

was over! 

We headed over to the local Sheraton to have lunch

....with a bird!

 

Then strolled around the shops and stopped 
for a much needed mani - pedi.....

 

....and, would you believe......

knuckle threading!

We laughed our way through it!

But let it be known that it turned out to be the

WORLD'S WORSE MANI-PEDI

we have ever experienced! 

(But it certainly was something to remember!)

Finally, our driver arrived and we left Luxor

and flew on to Cairo!

We enjoyed yet another beautiful sunset through 
the window of the plane after

CRUISING THE NILE!