Above are the Colossi of Memnon, which flanked the entrance to the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. They're more than 60' high. Made from solid blocks of quartzite sandstone around 2,300 BC. The base are as tall as a person. Before the High Dam at Lake Nasser was built, the high water of the River Nile would reach midway.

We arrived with expectations of yet an even more wondrous adventure! How could anything, we asked ourselves, be as enthralling as our first few days in Egypt, visiting one of the Seven Wonders of the World?

Our first stop was the Isis Hotel, which is situated directly along the Nile edge. Therefore, as we walked through the hotel towards the garden and pools, we found ourselves looking across the River Nile, and for the first time we could see the true expanse of Ancient Egypt. From here we could see the Mountains of the West Bank where the Valleys of the Kings and Queens lay.

The hotel pools & gardens that over looks the Nile. >>>

Left: Across the River Nile, viewed from the Isis Hotel.

Feluccas are the many boats that can be seen and hired for about 10£E to 15£E. we took one of these feluccas across the Nile to the Camel farm, where we enjoyed a voyage across the desert sands.

After our visit to the valley, we stopped at a nearby quarry to buy some wares. Several Egyptian workers were laboriously extracting the granite to sell inside their shaky old building. As Sarah and I walked in, we were greeted with the most amazing hand crafted sculptures. Our amazement and interest must clearly have shown, for when I started bargaining quite intensely, I unexpectedly found a tall, proud and fully robed Nubian standing in front of me! He had deep, very fierce dark brown eyes, staring hard, without speaking, into mine. I simply felt rooted to the spot, quite mesmerised. Consequently, I found myself giving deference to this man before me. Our guide later informed me, 'this was to establish the traditional mark of contact, and that I was correct in showing to this one in particular, the respect that his race expected.' It was quite an insight into these Nubian warriors. In fact it was, momentarily, very unnerving and a little disconcerting. Best as I can put it really.

The photos below are from the temple of Karnak. The Obelisks could be 70 feet high or even higher, with sides of 10 feet at the base and a weight of 300 tons. They were then floated along the Nile from the Quarries of Aswan. 

Below is the entrance to the tombs at the head of the valley. It's very hot, even in February. Some perspective on the size of those columns in Luxor.

Sadly this is the place where the Islamic organisation Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya set upon and killed 60 tourist on 18^th November 1997. The security is still prevalent, but low key.