After a delightful night of smoking some double apple on the eternal Nile River and spending some quality time with my brother, it was time to get moving on to being tourists.
Ahmed and our guide, Tamer Ibrahim picked us up at 10:00 am and we got underway to the West Bank. Today was a day for the Valley of the Workers and some other sights unseen. This trip was more for relaxing and conducting a little business than adventure. We got more than we bargained for (always a good thing) and ended up shopping for real estate, smoking something I had not smoked before (!), getting some hands-on experience restoring an ancient tomb, and attending an ancient festival!
Our prescribed trip would take us to a few burial sites at Deir El Medina and to Medinet Habu, the second largest Temple in Luxor (behind the Karnak Temple). Both sites were heart-stirring in their own right. However, the highlight of the tombs and temples was an opportunity to grasp a piece of history itself. 
While inside one of the tombs at Deir El Medina, we came across one of the workers carefully washing one of the uncleared paintings. A very time-consuming and scary job (considering the consequences of messing up), it takes a great deal of patience and a steady hand. We spoke to the worker, in whatever broken languages we could, and asked if we could take a picture. Usually,the workers don't mind and will generally ask for a little "baksheesh," a gift for time or effort. usually a 5 L.E. spot will do. Being that noone was around (severe lack of tourism), the worker asked me if I wanted to grab a brush and help out. Are you kidding? I would PAY to be able to do this for a day or two. To actually get to work on uncovering a tomb of this type is a dream every kid who watched Indiana Jones! Not that I would be opening the Ark of the Covenant (as it turns out I'm glad about that), but just to be a minuscule part of doing this work is an honour at least. I got a blurry picture of me doing the work (see right) and I will cherish that shot forever. 
Our next stop was for a cold beverage. When I say it's hot out there, it's because my vocabulary is too limited to find descriptors that are appropriate to describe the level of heat the desert provides. This is the kind of heat that melts tires on cars. If I had the guts to wear my galibeya in front of these guys, you can bet I'd have it on (small fear of insulting them, but I'm getting over it).
Ahmed knew of a small cafe near Medinet Habu, and I have to say, it was just as the doctor ordered. A true oasis in the middle of the desert, this cafe was inexplicably surrounded by palm trees and shade that dropped the temperature by seemingly 40 degrees.
We dropped Ahmed and my brother off at the cafe to tour the ruins of Medinet Habu. Had I not visited the Temple at Karnak on the last trip, this experience would surely be transcendent. This is a BIG temple. From the front of the temple, you can see all the way to the back. There is an upward sloping floor with the walls and ceiling moving slowly inward. If you can imagine a pyramid turned on its side, this is what you would see. On each side there are rooms dedicated to each of the gods. The imagery is of war and victories, mostly of Rameses III. I don't think a one-time visit to Luxor would be full without seeing this temple, especially since it is on the West Bank.
When we were finished touring the temple, it was time to hit the cafe for a Coke Light, a Turkish coffee, and some sheesha. I say Coke Light because they do not have Diet Coke in Egypt. What they have is the saccharine-laden Coke that was outlawed in the states. I definitely do not like this type as much, but a cold one is refreshing in the heat.
The Turkish Coffee has become a requirement for me for some reason when I'm over here. Not sure why, but I get a craving for it in this heat. When I sat for my sheesha, I was surprised to find that they did not have (my preference) the flavored varieties, nor did they carry the elusive Tombac. What they did have, and what I have come to find is the most popular type among the locals, is what they refer to as Salloum. The unflavored tobacco would make you think of as a cross between Tombac and the sheesha we are used to seeing. Wet and sticky, it burns like the flaovred sheesha we smoke, but tastes much like a cigar. You get the real tobacco flavor from it and I can definitely understand the draw. Very nice, but very strong. I am bringing back a few bags to the states to share around. 
The Salloum is what we have now continued to see throughout Luxor, and we had a great time at the Nubian Cafe explaining to them that we were not real men, but instead wanted some Double Apple and Mango. The ribbing has been light enough to make it worth it for us in the more "womanly" vein.
When we finished at the cafe, we asked if we could go out and take a look at some of the local agriculture. I love the sugar cane from here, but had no idea that bananas were such a large part of their production. We saw banana trees for miles and as you can see by the picture of the trees, they were packed with bananas. It's still incredible to see so much green produced from just one river. Flying into the area gives you the sense of how influential the Nile is on this area. If you fly into Luxor, do not go to sleep. It is a lesson from the air.We got to talking about the cost of some flats in the West Bank of the Nile and as it turns out, we were able to take some time out of our day and actually see some flats that are for sale.
The purchasing here is a little different. If you buy into a new spot, they are entirely custom, so the builder completes the work by your design. Of course, the closer to the Nile, the more expensive it gets, but very reasonable even as close as possible (you can only get so close because the flood plains belong to the people to farm).
When we finished the day, we headed back to the East Bank to grab some foodstuffs and check out a festival that has got me really thinking about putting something great together for the people of Luxor. The festival is called the Mulid of Shaykh Yusuf Abu el-Haggag and it brings travelers from all around Luxor to the area to share in family, history, and giving to the poor. Up next, I will explain the event and give some ideas on what we were discussing to help out. Cheers!
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