Luxor's...

Back Blip

Here's Dd surveying the Corniche at Luxor in Upper Egypt with the escarpment that separates the Nile from the Valley of the Kings visible in the distance.

It's a while since I've quoted from my travel journey of 35 years ago but here are my first impressions of the town from that time. And be warned, it's a somewhat different reaction from that of the sweet-mouthed young man you may have 'heard' in the journal before...

Luxor is a sh*t hole and many of its people well suited to living here. Anybody to do with tourists is a bl**dy sh*t - a cheat, a swindler. It's such a strain. My tone of voice is hard, I don't say 'Thank you' after the 'No!' anymore.

The kids are so endearing - they know how to say, 'F*ck off!' They pedal bicycles at you, point to the graveyard and ask if your father's in it. Baksheesh, baksheesh, baksheesh is all you hear. Parasites.

Luxor is a sh*t hole. It should be a show piece - it's got more ancient Egyptian sites round it than anywhere else and what do you get...dust; dust so thick that you choke in the evenings, car headlamps swirl the stiff round, it clogs everywhere, hangs not in a haze but a thick fog.... dirt: filthy streets, horse sh*t everywhere, broken down pavements, dirt roads for main roads ...and junk: junk shops, junk cafes, junk everything.

Two faced parasites, big smiles sooking up to rich tourists...we see through it all.

Luxor is a sh*t hole.

Well, let's see what tomorrow brings!!!