The Return to Egypt 2019, and The Return To The Valley Of The Kings... And Food..

If you were paying attention (I will be asking questions later), you will remember that I did comment that the guided visit to the Valley was a bit rushed and very crowded so going it alone will, I think, be better.

I have arranged with Abdul the taxi driver to take me there and come back and pick me up with as I thought, leaving me plenty of time while to be there, but I got that wrong as well!

Arriving in the car park I run the gauntlet of the souvenir sellers before getting to the ''reception centre'' which has a very nice 3D model of the Valley, but obviously being without a guide I am fair game for every ticket tout and ''official guide'' in the place.... 

Tim's Top Tip of The Day... If you ''un-guided'' when you arrive at the reception centre to the left of the 3D model behind a screen is a board telling you which tombs are open today... The man that approaches you and takes you around the screen is going to expect to be tipped.....

Having said that I am all for free enterprise but I think US$20 was a bit much... He got LE£5 and that was it.... And then you have to go further and buy your entry ticket which gets you into the 3 tombs that are open that day, and if you are like me and want to avoid the crowds, you can pay the extra to go into certain other tombs. Indeed I want to go and see King Tut's tomb....

And then there is the extra bit that you have to pay to get on to the ''happy train'' to get up to the main site. You can walk, but why walk...... Well actually it is seemingly quite difficult to get on one of the trains because the guides are shoving all their punters on first. So I try my best to look foreign and pretend I am part of a party to get on the train...

There are no photos here because I have had to leave my camera behind at the gate....

The Valley is a very barren, hot, dry area..... If you are going to be walking about to the further tombs then go early!!

I have paid extra, about GB£6 to see the tombs of Rameses VI and Tutankhamun as well as whatever else is open..... Well worth the extra to avoid the crowded, (but not so crowded as my last visit), tombs closer to the gate. 

Indeed the curator/security man at the tomb of Rameses VI, having nothing else to do, came with me and pointed out many of the main features!

And then I got to Tutankhamun's tomb.... I never got to see it because somehow I felt that it would be disturbing him, you see he is still in there..... And everyone has a right to peace in their last resting place.

Returning to the car park an hour late (!), I cannot see Abdul the taxi driver, but I am accosted by another taxi driver, and my Abdul is not answering his phone... Am I being duped? But no I am not, Abdul has had to take his son to the doctor so could not wait for me so he has arranged for somebody else to come and look for the Englishman with the grey beard wearing a ''Howard Carter hat'' to meet me.

I am fully expecting to have to pay again for the return trip to my hotel, but no, my new driver works with Abdul and has already been paid, ''But I was waiting nearly an hour for you'', which is at least worth a tip even by my frugal standards.

And now it is evening and time to eat.... 


Having been here for a few days I have found a few places to eat.... Unlike the East Bank, the West Bank is a bit more ''basic'', don't expect carpet or even ceramic tiles on the floor, hard packed earth seems to be more normal.

But either way the food is good. The cookery I can only describe as ''Eastern Mediterranean/North African'' but with a greater emphasis on meat than I was expecting, and many of the meat dishes are ''spicy''. Indeed when you order they usually ask you how spicy you would like it.

 What I would like to know is, who has the time to cut up a plate of salad in such small pieces??

Decorations in most places are ''ethnic'' to say the least, and the service is not always top notch, but who cares when you can sit and look at a view of the Nile by night.


 And you can get a good feed for less than GB£4!!

Having been here for a few nights now I suddenly realise that many of the foreigners that are around are not just visitors, they are indeed medium to long term residents.

I noticed on my previous visit that there seemed to be some Brits around who might well be regular visitors, but here on the West Bank there are more than I expected.

Which explains at least one menu...







Sorry about the photos, they are from my phone again.

There are also many street food places with an amazing array of things to eat, and chips of course, but then they do grow very good potatoes in Egypt!

And don't be surprised if you have a cat for company while you are eating.













I am getting quite good at arranging the photos on Blogger now......












Meanwhile at my hotel I am getting the all important breakfast sorted out. The first morning I ended up with everything on the menu, and a couple of things that weren't, but we have now managed to cut it down to an omelette, an orange, and some pitta bread.


 There is no plan for the next couple of days apart from having a wander around and poking my nose into corners where it should probably not be, and I might go and find the Abdul that I met a few days ago, or perhaps I will go and chat to that Ahmed who sails a boat called ''Ahmed'' that belongs to his uncle who is called.... Ahmed.

.........