5/30/2011 Luxor/Steigenberger, sunrise hot air balloon, Ramesseum, Medinet Habu, dinner at Lantern

Again we wake up super early at 3:30 am for our 4:00 am pick up.  This will be our 2nd attempt for hot air balloon.  A representative from Dream Balloons picks us up.  We go to the ferry dock where the same boat we had yesterday takes us across the Nile to the West Bank. 

SUNRISE HOT AIR BALLOON.  Today the weather and the wind are perfect so we will have our hot air balloon experience!  Instead of going with Dream Balloons Richard and I are directed to a different basket-Sky Cruise.  I'm not sure why.  It's a large basket with a big group.  Our pilot is Captain Antar.   For over an hour we drift above Luxor and the temples, across the Nile and the Theban hills.  At the end we get a certificate and a T shirt from Dream Balloons!  Oh well.  I leave a nice tip for the ground crew per suggestion from Captain Antar.

Waiting

Just about ready

Our balloon

Captain Antar giving us instructions on getting in and out of the balloon, safety, etc.

Lots of people in the basket

Sunrise

Can see the sunrise on the buildings below us

Shadow of our balloon

Sinbad Balloon

Our pilot Captain Antar

This balloon is already landing

We're getting ready to land

Back at our hotel  for breakfast.  Richard has grilled tomatoes, breakfast potatoes, some other things I didn't make note of.  I have fruit, mini danish, orange juice, and coffee.  I've asked the hotel to arrange for a taxi for us to the West Bank.  It will be 180 LE.




RAMESSEUM.  Admission is 30 LE.  Ramses II was ruler of Egypt for 67 years and built his mortuary temple as a statement of his eternal greatness.  The huge complex is dedicated to Amun and took nearly 20 years to build.  Now it lies mostly in ruins with only some columns still standing.  The guardian who walks with us and gives us a lot of helpful information asks for 20 LE which I thought was very reasonable.

Admission ticket

Richard and the guardian of the temple

MEDINET HABU.  Just a short distance away.  Admission is 30 LE.  Here the guardian asked for 100 LE.  No way-too much.  I can do this on my own.  I end up giving him 50 LE which may or may not be too much.

Postcard

Admission ticket

Then we swing by to take another look at the COLOSSI OF MEMMON.  Lots of aggressive vendors here.

Back at our hotel we decide to spend the rest of the day relaxing at the pool.  We get some ice cream from ??  We get cones of blackberry and carmelita.  Cost 30 LE.  The pool area has awesome views of the Nile.  We decided to walk around from the pool over to the corniche area to watch the river traffic for a few minutes.

Richard is relaxing in the lounge chair

Plenty of loungers

Right by the Nile River

Ferry boat

Can see how close our pool is by the closed umbrella on the right

We're leaving tomorrow so we start packing.  Then we walk to the Mobaco Cotton store.  Size 7 is the largest they have and I buy a blue polo short sleeve collar shirt for Richard.  It's just like the kind of shirt he wears for golfing.







LANTERN for dinner.  I had read reviews which said lots of positive things about this restaurant.  Plus it's a short walk from our hotel.    This place only has 12 tables which are all occupied.  We wait a few minutes.  We're in luck as a group is getting ready to leave.  Owner Debbie came over to our table to introduce herself.  We chatted for a bit.  This place is busy and popular because we will see lots of other people arriving only to not be able to get a table.  My husband and I decided to go with the specials written on the chalkboard.  He had the beef tangine and I had the chicken coconut curry.  Food served piping hot.  Delicious and plenty of it.  Beer, coke.  Dessert was enough to share-peach/apple cobbler.  The service was great and the food was terrific.  Cost without tip was 169 LE.

Entrance

Beef tangine

Cobbler

We have really loved this hotel and our stay in Luxor.  The only drawback for us was the aggressiveness of the taxi drivers and  caleche drivers but they are only trying to survive during this time of decreased tourism.  I would definitely return to this hotel.