Overnight train 12 hours from Cairo to Luxor in the south (Upper Egypt - further up the Nile). Our man Osama sat with us at the station until the delayed train arrived. Sat in the local cafe. Safely on and stowed. Then the fun begins. No shower - one buttock at a time in the sink. Adjoining cabins so we opened doors to share the meal. d*** and Yvonne's cabin had a rattle at speed that beggared belief. Kept d*** occupied for hours -hammering a thong in to try to stop it - to no avail. Went up five carriages up to the "Club" car where, it was advertised, there was WIFI. No WIFI. Just a lot of Egyptian men and a s***load of heavy smoke. Some slept well while others suffered. Dylan and I suffered Tut's Curse - the Egyptian Bali Belly. We pretty well spray-painted the tracks from Cairo to Luxor with diarrhea. Got up at 5am with the sun - curtains back watching the scenery roll by - fields, villages, towns, donkeys, villagers working the fields. Really obvious that the Nile is the life force for Egypt. Dozed to find ourselves at a station with seated villagers staring in through the open window. Maybe I should have worn something to bed. Arrived Luxor - already hot at 9am to a change of plans. Not the check in to the Nile Cruise boat for a hot shower and breakfast- straight into our tours with the affable tour guide Sayed - informative, funny and also honest.
First stop the Karnak Temple. Awe-inspiring. Successive development by succeeding Pharaohs trying to outdo each other have left a huge legacy on the outskirts of Luxor - population one million. Luxor - formerly Thebes of biblical fame hosted many dynasties of Pharoahs celebrating Amon-Ra the Sun God. And Amon was certainly there during the tour. Lucky we didn't get Amon-stroke during the tour through the mighty temple. After that the Luxor Temple - smaller but significant because Alexander the Macedon (the Great) built a temple inside the Holy of Holies chamber around 300 BC. Persistent "guardians" trying to show us "special spots" for money of course. Stopped by a supermarket to stock up on tonic - non-tourist price negotiated by Sayed. Finally boarded ship - Sunrise Cruises for lunch, shower and a long long afternoon siesta in a lightly air-conditioned upper-deck cabin with great views of the Nile. Dining room is at water level in the coolness. Top is a sun deck - baking hot in the afternoon - with small pool, one exercise bike (the gym), a tent (the Massage room/spa) and a stack of chairs, tables and sun-lounges - obviously catering for far more people than have boarded this particular cruise. Up for dinner and off to the Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temple. Very impressive and a bit spooky at night - more so with speakers booming out of the darkness, the howls of the wild temple dogs and the incessant chants of Ramadan celebrations from all quarters surrounding the temple. Very few people again - good for us. Long drive back through the town - everyone out celebrating Ramadan, walking in the coolness, Ramadan decorations like our christmas - tinsel and lights. Everyone very tired despite sleeping all afternoon so a nightcap on deck and we all crashed again.