As I walk through the Valley of the Kings

The next day, we grab the typical Egyptian breakfast and head towards that ferry that will take us to the other side of the Nile and to the hallmark Egyptian sites in Luxor. On the other side of the Nile hordes of taxi drivers yell at us trying to take us for as much as they can get. They shoot for the moon and we end up taking a local minibus towards the main site.





At the crossroads we visit the Valley of the Queens, followed by a temple and finally Valley of the Kings. The tombs at the Valley of Queen are all open and a ticket permits access to everything. After quickly checking out the tombs we visit a temple on our way to Valley of Kings. This temple is excavated in the middle of a valley that was covered in sand. Tents are setup like a gauntlet towards the entrance. At this point Eric and I acquire headwear through rigorous bargaining. The guy actually chased us down when we didn’t want this price. You know you’re getting a good deal when the salesperson is made at the transaction.



From the temple we venture up a rocky pass to the other side of the valley where the Valley of the King rests. The climb was tough, but the view was much worth it. In the distance you can see the long stretch of green palm trees that line the Nile.



We arrive in the middle of the Valley of the Kings, already past the ticket entrance area. We try sneaking into a tomb, but we are caught and we walk back to the entrance to get our tickets. This is the only place that my KU Student ID didn’t work. Again the guy saw the “issued date” and said the card is finished. Then I tried using my Kansas driver’s license again and he caught on to it. After arguing with him I finally cave and end up buying the full price ticket. Eric and Matt who ended up buying 100 Egyptian Pound fake International Student Card’s had no problem what so ever.



The ticket for the Valley of the Queens grants access to all the tombs, while the ticket for the Valley of the Kings is only four tombs. Each visit the ticket check punches a star shaped hole in your ticket. There are multiple tombs open and you have to choose your tombs wisely. Or if you are lucky like me you catch the ticket checker while he’s taking a snooze and get to visit more than four.



After getting back around sunset, exhausted we head back to our hotel. At the front we see Ruda and another Japanese guy checking in. It is such a small world.