Hold your horses!!. Review on Luxor

Luxor -land of the Nile, Valley of the Kings and doped buggy drivers.Luxor is a nasty place and the people are arrogant, rude and lecherous ...if you're lucky that is.

We were not so lucky and ended what could have been a pleasant evening by almost getting in a splat with a buggy driver.It seems that everyone is high on hash and if we were'nt, we needed to buy some NOW. And this driver was willing to do the honors, when we refused, the ride by the lovely Nile turned bitter, with me wishing to reach the hotel as soon as possible and alive, if possible, considering the way he was whipping the poor horse.Man, that guy was rude and him being stoned did'nt help.That buggy made 100000 kms an hour I think.

A japanese friend we made told us of her chilling experience in luxor.She was travelling alone and had been booked in a not- very- good hotel. When she checked in, the receptionist leched and leered and made a nuisance of himself.She ignored this, as all men in Luxor seem to think its normal behavior .

At about 12 or thereabouts, somebody started knocking at her door.She was pertrified and thankfully did not open up, but she told me she did'nt sleep the rest of the night.Can't blame her there, she checked out the next day but her agent was supportive and booked her in our hotel( Hotel Lotus ).

Luxor is a beautiful place but interact with the people as little as possible.

Visiting the Valley of the Kings is an experience I won't forget ever, its beautiful with the rugged mountain terrain and the little tum tum train that takes you there is fun, the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir-al-Bahri is clubbed with the valley in the itenary.

The Luxor Temple, Temple of Karnak and avenue of the sphinx lie cheek by jowl and were close to our hotel on the east bank. And baksheesh, baksheesh, baksheesh wherever you go, as the people survive on tourism, everyone including 10 year old boys are into it.

Also take a Nile cruise or a felucca ride in that magical historical river, it may have been my imagination, but the evening seemed to be mystical .