{"id":350,"date":"2019-11-29T12:51:55","date_gmt":"2019-11-29T12:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rollingwith.me\/wordpress\/?p=350"},"modified":"2021-01-16T11:15:30","modified_gmt":"2021-01-16T11:15:30","slug":"egypt-part-two-luxor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.rollingwith.me\/wordpress\/egypt-part-two-luxor\/","title":{"rendered":"Egypt Part Two: Luxor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Luxor for Seven Nights.<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

This was my wife\u2019s \u2018bucket list trip<\/em>\u2018. I did all the booking without her really knowing what was going on. She knew the basics:<\/p>\n

A week in Luxor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Five nights on a\u00a0dahabiya cruising the Nile.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two nights in Aswan.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two nights in Cairo.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In terms of actual details, she was kept unaware. This really wound her up at times and on occasions, she was genuinely concerned about where we would be staying. I think she was also concerned from my disability perspective. I used to joke;<\/p>\n

\u2018my management style is to never have a plan, because if I don\u2019t have a plan, then nothing can ever go wrong\u2019!<\/em><\/p>\n

In reality, I generally have multiple plans, a \u2018Plan A\u2019, but if there is a problem, then a \u2018Plan B\u2019 and if needed, a vague idea of a \u2018Plan C<\/em>\u2018. Especially since becoming a disabled person, it is important to plan & research. I read a lot of Trip Advisor reports and asked questions on forums etc and read other people\u2019s blogs. I knew what was happening\u2026 I just didn\u2019t let her know!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

And this was her first surprise.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

We arrived in Luxor after dark. As a wheelchair user, I was last off the aircraft. It was a \u2018hard stand\u2019 arrival, so no walkway to the airport. I was sat at the rear of the aircraft. Instead of walking through the cabin, as I expected, the crew arranged for the lift to come to the rear door, which was good of them. My wheelchair was waiting for me in the lift (Manchester can\u2019t\/won\u2019t bring wheelchairs to the aircraft anymore but most places do<\/em>). In to arrivals, pay the visa fee and head through passport control. Egyptian passport control really have to work on their general demeanour, our passports were checked and stamped by someone who smiled and greeted us in a friendly manner\u2026 that\u2019s not what we\u2019ve come to expect!<\/em><\/p>\n

We then had to have our passport checked by a random bloke, sitting in a chair. He checked the stamp and waved us on. Despite being last through, most people were still waiting for their luggage. \u00a0All our luggage was x-rayed as we left the reclaim area. I had a \u2018steady\u2019 arm for videoing when using my phone-camera. They were particularly interested in this and pulled me to one side in order to explain what it was. Other than that, we were through reasonably easily. Our driver, Mahmoud, had been arranged by the guesthouse and was waiting for us. I\u2019d exchanged emails to ensure they understood that I had a non-folding wheelchair & attachment, so the driver was in a mini-van, with plenty of space. In to the taxi and off we went. Being dark, we couldn\u2019t really see a great deal. We were staying on the west bank of The Nile. Luxor is a reasonably large city of slightly over half a million people. The vast majority live on the east bank. The airport is in the desert, further to the east. With the only road bridge some distance from the city, we had quite a long drive. Elaine was really beginning to wonder what was going on. No sooner had we crossed The Nile and driven back in to a slightly built up area, than we turned off and headed back out in to the country. When we turned off the road and on to a rough track, I think she finally resigned herself to the fact that we were being kidnapped!<\/p>\n

If you look at the map, the airport is at the bottom right (east). Our boarding house, Beit Sabee, is the pink dot, top left. The only road bridge is further south, not even on the map.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Google
Google Earth image of Luxor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eventually we arrived at Beit Sabee guesthouse<\/a> and received a very warm greeting\u2026 \u201cWelcome! We want you to be happy here, please this is your home. If there is anything you want or need, please just ask.<\/em>\u201d This level of friendly, helpful service continued for the whole time we were there. In fact, sometimes the staff there were almost too eager to be helpful! On one occasion, I stood up and two of the guys leapt to their feet. One asked \u201cis there anything I can get you?<\/em>\u201d I replied, \u201cno thank you, I\u2019m just going to the toilet<\/em>,\u201d at which point the other gentleman rushed to the toilet and opened the door for me!<\/p>\n

Entering to an inner courtyard, with settees & a table, we were given water and offered juice. There is a ground floor room with easy, level access but this didn\u2019t have air-conditioning. We were also offered a first floor room. I can manage stairs without too much difficulty, so we went and had a look at the alternative room. It has air-conditioning, so we took this one. Ahmed asked if we were sure that we were happy and offered to show us other rooms if we weren\u2019t. We were happy. To be honest, we just wanted to go to sleep at this point! But we forced ourselves up to the roof terrace for a beer. It was cool and peaceful. You know that feeling when you\u2019ve been travelling, you arrive and just take a deep breath and the world just slows down as you breath back out? That..<\/em>.<\/p>\n

After a good night sleep and a refreshing shower, we went back up to the roof terrace for breakfast. Now Elaine was able to appreciate her first surprise. Beit Sabee is in the last row of buildings before the hills that hide The Valley of the Kings<\/em> & The Valley of the Queens<\/em>. Although we were technically in a city, this area feels more like a village. Location, location, location.<\/p>\n

\"View
From the Terrace at Beit Sabee towards The Valley of the Queens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ragrab, another member of the Beit Sabee super-team served us breakfast. Fresh bread, yoghurt, fresh figs, eggs, Greek style cheese, mango juice & tea.<\/p>\n

We\u2019d already decided that today, Elaine\u2019s birthday, would be a relaxing, chill out day. Dinner was arranged for the evening, up on the terrace. That night we had an Egyptian style chicken tagine. It\u2019s a bit like a Moroccan tagine\u2026 only Egyptian<\/em>. Then the three guys (Muhammed was the young guy, third member of the team) appeared carrying a birthday cake. After finding out it was her birthday, Ragrab had gone and bought a cake especially for her. They then sang \u2018Happy Birthday<\/em>\u2018 in English & Egyptian. The guys also blew up balloons and strung them up, making sure Elaine had a party!<\/p>\n

\"Cream
Elaine\u2019s Birthday Cake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The following morning, we went for a hot air balloon flight. Now I don\u2019t like flying. And I don\u2019t like heights. Obviously, hot air ballooning is high on my list of \u2018things to do on holiday\u2019<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

NOT!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

But this was Elaine\u2019s trip, and she loves hot air balloons. I contacted them in advance regarding my mobility restrictions. I\u2019ve been in a hot air balloon previously, in Morocco, so I knew what to expect and I confirmed to them that I could do the \u2018brace\u2019 position for landing. Getting in & out of the basket could not be called \u2018elegant\u2019 but with help and my feet being directed on to steps and some upper body strength, I managed. I actually enjoy being in a hot air balloon. As long as I don\u2019t look straight down, I am fine. When the burners go out and you just float, it is so peaceful. And the views are quite special too. Our pilot was very safety conscious, which was confidence building for the passengers. He had us practice the landing position three times before we actually needed to do it.<\/p>\n

[click on small images twice, once here & once in the new window, to view full size]<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n