I have enjoyed many, many happy times in Luxor since 1989. I love to reminisce, and would like to hear other contributor's stories - maybe first impressions, people or events that look different with hindsight, or may have changed for the better?
When I first came, there were steps from the Corniche to the big ferryboat, but the rest of the riverside was covered in huge boulders that had to be scrambled over to get into smaller vessels. There was no lower Corniche with shops.
Buildings in Televsion Street finished about where there is now the new hospital.
The roads were thick with dust to the extent that it could be shovelled up, especially outside the little railway station, where boys with donkey and carts, not cars awaited train arrivals.
Street cleaners were few and mainly concentrated along the Corniche fighting the carpet of horse droppings.
Most buildings in the town were un-rendered, being made of single thickness bare brick.
Jog any memories folks?
Nostalgia for past happy times in Luxor
Moderators: DJKeefy, 4u Network
-
- Royal V.I.P
- Posts: 2271
- Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:15 am
- Location: Luxor
- Has thanked: 3044 times
- Been thanked: 676 times
- Grandad
- Egyptian Pharaoh
- Posts: 6924
- Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:15 am
- Location: South East UK
- Has thanked: 797 times
- Been thanked: 2254 times
- Gender:
Re: Nostalgia for past happy times in Luxor
Our first visit to Luxor was in April 1996 when we did the usual 'Introductory' Nile cruise to Aswan and back. The boat was called El Tarek, an older vessel but very nice onboard with a lot of wooden paneling and staircase.
When we arrived at the airport we were chatting with two backpacking young ladies who told us they were on a return trip. We asked how they liked Luxor and they said you will either love it or hate it. We have met people who have come down on both sides of that opinion but in our case, we loved it. On the cruise boat it was like history passing by on both banks.
This was before the new bridge was built so for our visit to the west bank we were ferried across by motor boat and then that perilous walk the plank and climb over the rocks on arrival on west bank. We then had a coach to take us to the tourist sites.
We had used galeches but was shocked at how thin the horses were. We always paid the fare and then gave 10 or 20le 'for food for the horse'. They could probably feed a horse for a week with that but as long as the horse got some good feed, we were happy. Walking along the river one day we saw this sight of two horses in the hot sun and one horse lying dead on the sand.
We found that upsetting but we were to see many sights that we disapproved of or found upsetting in the years to follow but learned that we can't change the world and must accept things as they are. And we did return at least once each year until March 2013, our last visit...
We are still hoping to go back just one more time..........
When we arrived at the airport we were chatting with two backpacking young ladies who told us they were on a return trip. We asked how they liked Luxor and they said you will either love it or hate it. We have met people who have come down on both sides of that opinion but in our case, we loved it. On the cruise boat it was like history passing by on both banks.
This was before the new bridge was built so for our visit to the west bank we were ferried across by motor boat and then that perilous walk the plank and climb over the rocks on arrival on west bank. We then had a coach to take us to the tourist sites.
We had used galeches but was shocked at how thin the horses were. We always paid the fare and then gave 10 or 20le 'for food for the horse'. They could probably feed a horse for a week with that but as long as the horse got some good feed, we were happy. Walking along the river one day we saw this sight of two horses in the hot sun and one horse lying dead on the sand.
We found that upsetting but we were to see many sights that we disapproved of or found upsetting in the years to follow but learned that we can't change the world and must accept things as they are. And we did return at least once each year until March 2013, our last visit...
We are still hoping to go back just one more time..........
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 6 Replies
- 563 Views
-
Last post by LovelyLadyLux
-
- 5 Replies
- 2022 Views
-
Last post by Horus
-
- 6 Replies
- 1612 Views
-
Last post by Jayway
-
- 1 Replies
- 926 Views
-
Last post by Grandad
-
- 3 Replies
- 2018 Views
-
Last post by Jayway