But all that apart, Abdul used to have his very own felucca, one of the smaller ones, but it was all his own, but he had to sell it to pay for his father's medical care, (he has a bad heart and diabetes as I understand it). Not an unusual move in the circumstance except that soon afterwards the Egyptian Govt. decided that no more felucca licences would be issued..... Of course, Abdul sold at the bottom of the market and shortly afterwards prices rocketed!!
Annoying to say the least, so Abdul now, when he can, sails somebody else's motorboat/felucca, and splits the proceeds with the owner. Nevertheless he, and the owner of the boat, pick me up on the riverbank opposite my hotel, next to the garbage barge... I know this is going to cost me but it is the personal service you pay for, US$30 to take me across to the East Bank not far from the museum, wait for me and bring me back again. It makes economic sense if there are 10 people but not really for one passenger!!
Luxor Museum is delightful, one of the best museums I have been in anywhere in the World....
Not too many pictures here or it will spoil the fun for everyone else..... As usual there is an extra charge for taking your camera in, and as it is only EG£5 it is worth it. Go in the morning because it is less crowded.
Blogger takes the definition down a bit too much sometimes......
The sarcophagus with hieroglyphics on the inside was interesting. Why put them on the inside? To give the deceased something to read perhaps?
I return to the boat via the bakery where they have a great selection of pies both sweet and savoury, and next door I find a man with a huge vat of boiling oil cooking falafel outside of a street food shop..... He gives me one to try, fatal mistake because I then have to buy a dozen! (Pig)
Arriving back at the boat Abdul and co spot the bakery bag.... That's fatal too, I intended that they were for them anyway, but when they started eating my falafel as well........... But the Egyptians DO like their food, and they are going to make tea.....
I don't know how tea arrived in Egypt, whether it is a leftover from the British, or whether it arrived direct from The East by the overland route, either way the Egyptians thoroughly understand the concept of boiling water, and instead of presenting you with a cup of lukewarm water with a tea bag on the saucer beside it, this is real tea.
They call it Egyptian tea but to be honest the chances of growing a camellia bush in their climate is virtually zero so I have to assume it is imported and most likely from India, whatever it is leaf tea... Real tea..... It is usually served in a glass, or perhaps a glass mug, and if you are really lucky there will still be a handle on the mug because otherwise it is too hot too handle!
Every boat has a cubby hole with a ''Gaz'' stove and a kettle or saucepan for making this delicious brew...
And when you are offered tea be careful... It is going to have about 4 spoons of sugar in it, I normally put milk in my tea, but this stuff I can drink black and with just a hint of sugar to ''take the edge off'' as it were.
Abdul and his ''co boatman'' are a bit up market as well because they are using bottled water, don't be at all surprised if it is made with a saucepan of water lifted straight out of the Nile!
Nothing wrong with that by the way, after all it is going to be boiled and the Nile is a good deal cleaner than you might think!
Heading back to the West Bank I can see all the cruise ships moored up going nowhere, even more of them than when I was here two years ago.... And all the feluccas as well....
Tomorrow is revisiting The King's Valley.......
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