Wednesday 5th October

This was another lazy day at the pool.  When your surroundings are just so beautiful and tranquil, it's really hard to pull yourself away.  I always describe the pool area here as being like a little oasis in the middle of Luxor.  Even though there is basically traffic at all sides, you're really not that aware of it even although the drivers continually sound their horns all day and night!!  My time in the gardens was spent in and around the pool and experimenting with my new camera - this was its first real test and I went around taking some experimental photos.

Reflections

Gardens through the fisheye

Shisha corner through the fisheye

Today we tried lunch at Hamees, which is near to Sinbad's cafe where the cats are, so again if you don't like cats, then you won't like here!  Actually, we were not impressed by the food and, again, as seemed to be becoming normal, staff seemed to send out for ingredients before making up and serving the orders.  It's probably a bit hit and miss as to whether you get a good day or not, but at least everything was edible.

Before dinner tonight the ten of us all went out on a motor boat sail at sunset, which was really good.  I love being out on the Nile as it's so peaceful and relaxing and at least with a motor boat you don't need to rely on the wind to go out on the river.  These are just a few photos that I took

Tonight we walked along to Deans Bistro for dinner which we thoroughly enjoyed - that chap Dean certainly likes his music and the friend that we travelled with had a good conversation with him about what he was downloading as they both seemed to have the same interests.

As we walked back to the hotel that night we had an idea - as we passed by one of the two or three bakers shops, we decided that as we had been let down by the recent lunches, we would buy our own rolls and then go to the local supermarket for the fillings!  So, that's what we done.  It only cost us 4LE for eight yummy rolls!!!

Some of the goods on display at the bakers

If this worked out well, we decided that we'd just continue with this idea for the rest of the holiday!  With our purchases in hand we walked along to the Memphis cafe for our usual coffee then it was back to the hotel for nightcaps - can you tell that we are creatures of habit??

Tuesday 27th September

This was to be a very sad day for me as it turned out, but more of that later.

We basically spent most of the day relaxing at the wonderful pool area of the hotel, enjoying the sunshine in this little oasis in the middle of Luxor!!  Here's a little taste of what the pool area looks like

I have taken loads of photos around the hotel so will also be posting them to Webshots once I get a bit of time to myself, and will probably post more here too as I get through the days!

We went to a local place, El Kababgy, for lunch today which lies on the banks of the Nile, but it was quite poor and nothing like the place it used to be. It appears that because there aren't many tourists around, there are no stocks of food etc., and when they do get someone wanting to eat, they go out and buy the ingredients to make up the order - all of that makes for a very SLOW service.  needless to say, we didn't go back to eat there at all, which is a shame as they would have probably had our custom almost every day for two weeks!!

At night we walked along the back streets of Luxor (El Medina Street) and experienced no hassles whatsoever.  In fact everyone was very friendly and we felt completely safe as we normally do when in Luxor.  We were just a little more apprehensive and vigilant than normal after reading lots of negative comments regarding Luxor after the 'revolution'.  We ended up at the Taste of India in 'Little Britain' and had a decent meal and a couple of drinks before heading back to the hotel for our usual nightcap on the balcony.

Just after arriving back at our room my mobile phone rang and on answering it was my dad to let me know that my aunt Alice had died very suddenly.  That was a pure and utter shock to the system as I had only just seen her on Sunday before we travelled to Luxor.  All I can say is thank goodness I had both my mobile phone and netbook with me on holiday so that I could help my parents arrange things in my absence.  So, to all of you people out there who think it's a bit sad taking netbooks and phones on holiday, I can tell you they were both a Godsend to me.  In my aunt's memory, I'm going to post her photo here.  She would have loved the fact that she was 'on the internet'!!  She was 80 but didn't look that age and certainly didn't act that age - she was more like a 16 year old and lived life to the max!!

Alice Whitehead Robertson MBE 1931 - 2011

Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other
That we are still
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way you always used
Put no difference into your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we always enjoyed together
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was
Let it be spoken without effort
Without the ghost of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever meant
It is the same as it ever was
There is absolute unbroken continuity
What is death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind
Because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you for an interval
Somewhere very near
Just around the corner
All is well.
Nothing is past; nothing is lost
One brief moment and all will be as it was before
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!