Strange days...

Listening to: The Muzzein

Today is odd, surreal and strange. Our normal buffet breakfast isn't on, waiters are floundering around at a simple request of toast and tea.

It's now 8.25am and our 7.30 mini bus pick up for the West bank tour hasn't turned up. Two phonecalls later to the tour operator from the nice man at reception via his mobile (we did pay for it) arranged for another pick up that still never came - so we re-scheduled for tomorrow. It gets phenomenally hot at the sites and there was no way we wanted to go any later than planned. So with a shrug we head for the souqs and have quite a relaxing, pleasant day. Bartering hard, laughing, having fun with the locals and Dave practising being an Egyptian with his groovee head scarf/turban that Mahmoud showed him how to do (I have pix which I shall post on my return).

It's getting to be after 4pm already, so we head back with some of our bargains before returning to Karnak temple for the 6.30pm light and sound show. It's gets very dark, very quickly, very early here. We're moving into winter and cold nights. Although the show is somewhat kitsch and daggy it is brilliant to see the temple lit up at night. Standing among the awesome columns with the moon and stars above listening to the deep, godly voices boom tales and history from a lost civilisation over the loud speakers makes me want to hide in the temple and sleep overnight.

Even more atmospheric at night, I could've lingered so much more but being part of a tour it's all about 'yallah, yallah' (hurry, let's go). That aside, what a lovely night in my fave temple beneath the stars finished yet again by another visit to our fave haunt the Oasis Cafe where we met George (Egyptian) and what a gorgeous dynamo he is.

We went to sleep smiling as we are increasingly seduced by the lure of Luxor :)