I just thought I wold do a quick plug for EES as I have just paid my memberships dues. I have been a member for donkeys years and it is great to support something so worthwhile. They produce a very good magazine as part of your membership and even manage to get it posted to me in Egypt so no problems if you outside the UK. Loads of information on the website www.ees.ac.uk

I Had Already Heard That Ticket Prices Were Going Up 25% In November And Trip Advisor Have Published A Very Useful List.

I have to say the list is a little odd in places as Nefertari’s tomb is mentioned, the Taftaf is already 4 at the Valley of Kings and 2 at Hatshepsut and other names are spelt interestingly or missing altogether. B is used instead of P e.g. Pabasa is Babasa, but having said that it is a good list as it goes

Http://Www.Tripadvisor.Com/Travel-G294201-C85221/Cairo:Egypt:New.Entrance.Fees.Starting.From.Nov.2008.Html

Archaeological Site Price (Le)
Abdein Palace Museum 15
Abu Seir Pyramids 20
Abu Simbel Temples 80
Akhenaton Tomb 25
Alexandria National Museum 35
Amada Area 45
Anba Samaan Monastery 25
Areish National Museum 25
Ashraf Barespay School (Medressah) 8
Assasif Tomb 30
Aswan Museum 30
Ay Tomb 25
Babaza Tomb 25
Bahareia Oasis 45
Bashtak Palace 8
Beir Yousef 25
Beni Hassan Tombs 30
Beni Soueif Museum 15
Birds’ Villa At Kom El Dekka 15
Catacombs (Kom El Shokafa) 35
Causeway Of Unas Pyramid 5
Citadel Of Saladin In Cairo 50
Citadel Mahka 25
Coptic Museum 50
Dahshur Pyramid 30
Deir El Bahary Temple 30
Deir El Hagar Temple 25
Deir El Medina Tombs 30
Dendera Temple 35
Doush Temple 25 Giza Pyramids Archeological Site 60
Edfu Temple 50
Egyptian Museum 60
Egyptian Treasures Exhibition 15
Ein Aseil 25
El Anfoushy Archaeological Site 20
El Araba El Madfouna At Abydos 30
El Bagawat Area At Oasis 30
El Darb El Asfar 25
El Ghoueita 25
El Ghoury Collection 25
El Hamameya 25
El Harawy House 15
El Kab Tombs 30
El Khoukha Area 25
El Kousair Fortress 15
El Lahoun Pyramid 35
El Mamela Tomb At Esna 15
El Mozawaka 25
El Nasr & El Foutouh Gates 8
El Sebouaa Area<45
El Seheimy House 30
El Sennary House 25
El Set Wasila 15
El Shatby Site 20
El Towed Temple 25
El Zayan Temple 25
Electronic Guide 25
Elwet Abd El Gorna 25
Esna Temple 20
Ezbet Bashandy 25
Fostat City 10
Freizar Tomb 20
Gayer Anderson Museum 35
Gebel El Mawta (Mountain Of Dead) At Siwa 25
Graves Of The Royal Family Of Mohamed Ali 20
Great Pyramid 100
Greco-Roman Museum 40
Hawara Pyramid 35
Heibes Temple 30
House Of Gamal El Din El Zahaby 15
Islamic Art Museum 40
Ismaelia Museum 15
Jewelry Museum 40
Karaneis Area 25
Karnak Temples 65
Karoun Temple 25
Kom Ombo Temple And Crocodiles Museum 30
Kom Osheim Museum At Fayoum 10
Luxor Museum 80
Luxor Temple 50
Malawy Museum 10
Manial Palace Museum 35
Mariet Razna Museum At Zagazig Governorate 10
Matareyah Obelisk 15
Medinet Habu Temple 30
Meidoum Pyramid 35
Meir Metkal School (Medressah) 8
Meir Tomb 25
Mencaura Pyramid (3rd Pyramid) 25
Merit Amoun Statue 25
Mery N Petah Temple 15
Mohamed Bek Abu El Zahaby Collection 25
Mummification Museum At Luxor 50
Mummy Room 100
Museum Of Meit Rehyna ( Memphis Museum ) 35
Mustafa Kamel Archaeological Site 20
Nafisa Al Bayda 8
New Tombs At Sakkara 30
New Valley Museum(Al Wadi El Gedid 30
Nilometer At Rodah Island 15
Nubian Art Museum 50
Open Air Museum At Karnak 25
Pompay’s Pillar 20
Port Said Museum 15
Princes Tombs 30
Queitbay Fortress (Day Visit) 25
Queitbay Fortress (Night Visit) 25
Queitbay Fortress At Rasheid Tower 15
Ramesseum Temple 30
Ramouze Tomb 30
Rashid Archaeological Area 15
Rashid National Museum 25
Refaei Mosque 25
Roman Theatre 20
Romel Cave Museum 10
Royal Chariots Museum 35
Sakkara Archaeological Site 60
Saladin Fortress At Taba ( In Usd) 10 $ Usd
San El Hagar Museum 20
Sebil Ali Bek Al Kebeir In Tanta Free
Sebil And Kottab Of Sultan Queitbay 25
Sebil Island 25
Second Pyramid 30
Solar Boat Museum 50
Sultan Hassan Mosque 25
Taba Museum 15
Taftaf 2
Tanta Museum 15
Tel Basta Archaeological Site 20
Tel El Amarna 30
Temple Of Philae 50
Temple Of Hor-Moheb 25
Temple Of Kalabsha 35
Temple Of Oracle Of Amun At Siwa 25
Temple Of Seti The First 30
Tomb Of Nefertary 100
Tomb Of Bashedu 15
Tomb Of Menna And Nakht 25
Tomb Of Rameses Vi At Valley Of Kings 50
Tomb Of Tutankhamun 100
Tombs Of Roy & Sheroy 15
Tona El Gebel & Ashmounin 20
Tree Of The Virgin At Matareyah 15
Unfinished Obelisk 30
User Hat , Khonsu & Benya 15
Valley Of The Kings 80
Valley Of The Queens 35
Wekalet Al Ghoury 15
Wekalet Bazaraa 20
Zeinab Khatoun House 15
Zewiela Gate 15

Nicole aka glyphdoctor has written a really interesting article http://www.glyphdoctors.com/mod/resource/view.php?id=1184 I encourage you to have a read of it.

I felt one of her points about Egyptian workmen recognising changes in the soil better than a graduate student was so relevant. Some of these guys have worked on digs for decades as had their fathers and their grandfathers, they have a feel for things which is worth far more than theoretical knowledge IMHO. At the Open Air Museum there is a guy called Ahmed who is a complete whiz at recognising and reassembling, he had retired but they made him start working again as he was irreplaceable.

Her points about the Arabic language and Egyptian specialists are very pertinent as well

This year has been the most extreme in terms of temperature since I moved here. In January we were so cold we had sever weather warnings as it was so cold and everyone was told to stay in doors. Daytime it was in the 20’s but at night brrr. Now we have had the last 3 days at 44c, in April!!! So be warned, I dread to think what the summer is going to be like

There is now a big sign at the airport stating the taxi fares to the various hotels on the East Bank. The centre of town is 25, slightly out of town(Sheraton/Hilton) is 30 and the Jolliville and Sofitel are marked as 35LE. That will make getting a taxi at the airport much less hazardous but please remember my post about being generous when it comes to tipping.

My Goggle alerts tell me that various artifacts have been found in the Nile, I am not surprised and in fact think this might discover something I ave always believed in. It is another Ramasseum puzzle, why only one colossus, why an asymmetrical temple? I personally think it was planned to have two, maybe the second didn’t get off the drawing board or maybe it sunk on its way from Aswan to Luxor! Perhaps this search of the Nile will prove me right, that would be soooo cool.

Micheal on the roof is a bit of a star buff, he has done navigation exams and has a captains licence. He is leaving soon having spent the winter here and last night had a farewell and spot the space station party.

Yes the night sky is so clear here and although there is some background light there is nothing like the UK. So at 19:24 exactly as forecast the space station appeared, it raced across the sky and then disappeared as the shadow of the earth caught it. We were all quite fascinated and my Egyptian husband was entranced knowing there were actually people up there.

So there is another aspect to your holiday in Egypt, check up and see if there is anything special in the nightsky while you here.

BTW the ancients were brill at star gazing, remember the ceiling in TT353

This is another one of my heartfelt quests for information. At the back of the third south pylon at the Ramaseum there is a great battle scene. Ramases is in his chariot riding into battle, defenders are at the top of the fortress, the artillery are shooting arrows, cavalry are charging, a son of Ramses is about to top a enemy soldier, a lovely lively scene and right in the middle at the bottom they are having a barbecue!!!!!!

Here are some much better images, my photos heavily editted by Hannes from Germany

Well it looks like it, someone is carrying the buns, another person has a jar of wine and there is a small cow. It has always puzzled me as it just does not seem to fit.

Today I was at the Ramasseum and there were some obvious archaeologists sitting there and I asked them about it and they said they were just discussing it themselves. Speculation was that it might have been added later but the content still puzzled everyone.

Does anyone have any idea, I am sure it has been published in French as Christian leBlanc is working there, but I do not read French so that is no help.

Here is another photo taken by Stan

I know when you are on holiday in Egypt the constant requests for tips or baksheesh are wearing. In fact it can put you off. I want you to understand what it is like for a man here.

Firstly they marry late because they have to wait until they can afford to provide for their wife. My boat captain married last week in his late 30’s. A man with backing like my brother in law can marry earlier. And remember that Egyptian ladies will wait for marriage.

Secondly they will have a lot of children, they have to, with no social support or pensions it is your children that provide for you.

Thirdly few have a ‘proper’ job, in Luxor there is no industry, no manufacturing no way for a young man to make money expect on the fringes of tourism. That is why you get hassled, they are desperate.

And at the moment they are very desperate, I am sure that you have read about world food shortages, this is affecting Egypt as well. I used to buy 7 pieces of bread for 1 Egyptian pound, now it is 4 medium pieces (long thin rolls actually). I can afford it, thanks be to God. But at the subsidized bakeries there are queues, see the picture.

So when you bargain down from 20 LE to 15 LE which is for you 1 dollar it is for them life or death. They call bread ayish here it means life (in other Arab countries it is called khoubz). It is served at every meal and sometimes it is all they have. Then think about them trying to buy medicines, I am diabetic and insulin costs me 95 Egyptian pounds and lasts me 15 days, how do you think the ordinary Egyptian manages this price. Education is free but books, pens, uniforms are not.

So remember that one dollar and please be generous

I revisited this temple last week and found some more things from last time http://touregypt.net/teblog/luxornews/?p=597. Do have a look at my report as it fits with this.

Firstly I have swapped to a new computer which is a nightmare, I really wish I had paid extra and got Windows XP, Vista is useless and I have had to throw away my scanner, web cam, and loads of software (LEGAL!!!). So I am having to experiment with a new photo editor so for give me. The picture in the previous post was taken at Tod, I didnt notice the piggies before.

Also with the help of Micheal I found a 5th dynasty piece, this temple must have been in use for a long time.