The Expat: Day Five

Day 5 we spent in Luxor. We arrived late the night before and spent the night in another lovely hotel. For Hannah and me, who are more accustomed to stinky, dorm style European youth hostels, the accommodations were such a treat, and definitely not something most college students get to experience.
We got up early to hit the sweet hotel buffet, then met our tour guide. Surprise--we had a girl this time, which was a ton of fun. She was a Coptic Christian, one of the approximately 10% minority in Egypt. It was completely different dynamic, and I really enjoyed getting a different perspective. She took us first to these two great statues, that had a really sweet, sad myth behind them. Next was the valley of the Kings, my Everest. When the Pharaohs decided the pyramids were too risky and prone to grave robbing, they selected the dry, mountainous Valley to bury 63 royals during the New Kingdom. I was obviously terrified of going tunnel/grave exploring, but I just figured I was only going to be there once. So I sucked it up and went in three tombs, which were amazing and terrifying for me at the same time. From there, we popped over to the Temple of Queen Hatsheptsut, built right into the mountainside.
We got back to the hotel pretty early, so Hannah and I decided to explore off the beaten tourist track a little. We headed into the back streets of Luxor and had a truly eye-opening experience into the daily lives of Egyptians. From produce being pulled by donkey carts, to women selling live pigeons, and old men smoking hookah in the dust to clouds of flies surrounding everything, I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it in my life.
Around sunset, we headed back to the hotel, compelled by a desperate need to shower. Then it was off to a sunset felucca ride, which turned out to be just me, Hannah, and the two young boat captains, who were a blast. We played Arabic music, drank hibiscus tea, and watched the sunset over the Nile framed by giant white sails.
It was a great relief to spend the night in the same place again that night, the only time we spent two consecutive nights in one hotel. No stinky overnight train, no midnight wakeup call, just a solid 8 hours of sleep in a comfy bed. Hannah and I played gin rummy, read some Zola for our French Lit class, and passed out.