Hotel Sofitel: Luxor
We got up early and took a cab to the airport, so we could get on a plane and star a new adventure in Luxor. The flight was uneventful...and that is good. Once we got our luggage we grabbed a cab and headed to our hotel. The Hotel Sofitel in Luxor had been described as the winner of the "Best New Hotel in Egypt" award. The place did not seem new to us...but it fit our needs very well. As opposed to the opulent luxury of the hotel in Cairo, this one was more of a resort - and the hotel's heart was its pool. And, given the extreme heat...we were happy to have a place where we could go for a dip.
Luxor Temple
The first day there, Jake and Mike went out for a bit of exploring...while Chris and I took a bot of time off from sightseeing and spend a few lazy hours poolside, drinking cold Stella beers and napping in the shade. Mike - not one to miss out on any potential sightseeing - wanted to hit the ground running and go check out Luxor Temple...and Jake (who, despite being a swimmer, does not like to lounge by the pool) joined him in his excursion. They had a great time and eneded up with many beautiful photos.
Cab driver's tricks.
Per Mike's instructions, we met up with Jake and Mike downtown at a pre-determined time (although Chris and I were a bit late). Mike had wanted to eat at a restaurant by the main square - where he had heard that there was a "special market" that day. As it was - he found out that there was no "special market" (it was simply a cab driver's trick) and the restaurant where he wanted to eat had been out of business for a while. So, we jumped on a new cab and headed for a different restaurant in Luxor, where we enjoyed another fine Egyptian meal that included sheesh-kebabs and all sorts of hummus and pita bread. As a special treat, Jake ordered one of the local sodas (Mirinda) which turned out to be a beautiful glow-in-the-dark beverage of a bright green color.
