Day Four - Luxor Museum

Still not feeling to good I wasn't really up to doing much today. We decided we'd pay a visit to Luxor Museum.

After checking to make sure Saymon wasn't hovering around, he usually parked his calesh just around the corner from the hotel, we talk a leisurely stroll to the museum.

We paid for our tickets and went to watch a small video about the museum and some of the treasures inside. Once that was finished we went into the actual museum. Unfortunately cameras are not allowed so I'm sorry, there are no photographs to show you.

The museum is full of wonders, chief amongst them the mummies of Ramses I and Ahmose I. Before leaving the UK I had watched a fascinating program, James Cameron's 'The Exodus Decoded'. In this program there is speculation that the pharaoh in power at the time of the exodus was Ahmose I. The researches had gone to Cairo museum in search of the mummy of Ahmose I and had finally located him buried under other artifacts hidden away in the basement of the museum. So to find him now at the Luxor Museum, after seeing him on TV just a few days previously, was a real treat.

Also of interest (it was all interesting but you know what I mean) was one of the six chariots found by Howard Carter in the tomb of Tutankhamun. It was great to image the pharoah riding around in the chariot hunting wild game.

We spent quite a long time in the museum. Each artifact has a plaque describing the item and you just have to take your time to view the pieces in detail and imagine them in their original condition and home.

After a pleasant morning we decided to go back to the hotel. I needed by bed to continue my recovery from illness so, after a quick lunch, we headed off to our room. My wife likes to nap during the day anyway so it was no problem.

At about 2pm we got a telephone call in our room. The hotel staff said that Saymon was outside wanting his money from the previous day. Later that day we wiped the floor with the staff for actually ringing us. Locals, street vendors, etc are not allowed in the hotels (there is an armed guard inside the entrance to all hotels). How dare one of the staff go and take a message from Saymon and then ring us in our room! Anyway, Sabine told them we wouldn't be coming down until around 6pm.

Sabine did indeed go down to the lobby at 6pm. I stayed in bed for a while longer. Finally I did go down to find Sabine sitting with Eileen. It turns out that Eileen had offered to go and speak to Saymon and give him the money we owed him. Instead of finding Saymon on the street corner there was another calesh driver who said Eileen (thinking she was Sabine) had to get in his calesh and he would take her to Saymon. Yeah right! He then said Saymon was at the police station and needed money to renew his calesh license. Yeah right. Eileen effectively told him "no chance" and that if Saymon wanted his money he would have to come in person.

About an hour later we saw Saymon standing outside the hotel. I took the money from Sabine and said I would deal with it. I gave Saymon the money, told him we wouldn't be going with him anywhere with him but would let him know if we needed him. With a glum look on his face he left and I went back into the hotel. Hopefully that would be the end of it.

Day 5 >>