The Mermons Meet Luxor -

...on May 23...We arrive in Luxor around midnight, and arise to a 6:30 wakeup call. Wow, what a day! This may not be the busiest, hottest, or longest day of the trip, but it is definately in the top 3. We are all acting a bit punch-drunk due to the schedule we are sticking to...at least that is the story we are sticking to.

The day starts with a bang when someone (we'll let you guess what part of the bus) erupts with, "we can't hear the speaker" in the middle of what turns out to be the prayer. Our guide, Gabriel, expresses his love of Mormons early and often throughout the day. His cry, "Mermons come" keeps us on the move throughout the day. Gabriel begins our tour of Luxor by telling us about the city's ancient name - Thebes. He dubs Egypt, "A gift of the Nile." Without the Nile, civilization, water, irrigation, and agriculture would not exist.

At the first stop (supposedly a short one), two 52 1/2 foot-high sandstone seated figures seem to be guarding the gigantic Necropolis.

In Hellenistic times, the "Colossi of Memnon," as they are called, were thought to represent Memnon, who was slain by Achilles at Troy. We learn that the figure on the right use to emit a strange whistle when the wind blew, due to degradation of the statue, and the whistle was called "Memnon's voice." Our issue of the day is getting through sites "quickly." The visit to our 52 foot friends starts the pattern. The short "five-minute" stop quickly turns into 30. Some authentic sheik-looking characters are milling about and "kindly" offer to be part of our pictures and then "require" payment in "dollari" for their services. We run to escape.

Next stop. We visit the Rameseum, the mortuary temple of Ramses II.

It has been through some rough treatment at the hands of Greek and Roman Christians as well as some 19th century explorers. The Christians, after taking over the area, cut off the heads of most of the Ramses statues. We find names of 19th century explorers, including the famed Lobollo who was thought to have discovered the Abrahamic Scrolls, etched everywhere all over the temple. Although tempting, none of us sketch our names into the stone. However, hieroglyphics with original paint and intricate carvings influence our group to reinact some of the ancient scenes.

At the next stop, we ruin our schedule for the rest of the day as we gauk at authentic papyri of the Abramic figures from the Pearl of Great Price. Gabriel is proud of us "Mermons" as we all get in line and buy the set. We hope we aren't ruining the surprise for some of your gifts (not everyone bought the same kind). Unfortunately, the store only has one cashier. Two hours later, we are way off schedule, but proudly carry our "Mormon Papyri" onto the bus.

Next stop: Valley of the Kings at high noon.

Most people avoid Valley of the Kings, in the middle of desert at high noon, but we've got papyri and push through anyway. We get the place almost to ourselves. IT IS HOT!!! We enter tombs of Rameses IV, IX, and Tut. They are empty except for the occasional sarcophagus, but are covered by intricate hieroglyphics and drawings. Surprise, the mumified King Tut is still in his tomb.

We travel some more on the bus and arrive at some unidentifiable spot in the middle of the desert. Amazingly, it turns out to be Pitt Tomb 33.

"No one is allowed here except for the Mermons," assures Gabriel. This is the spot where we believe Antonin Lebolo found the mummies and Abramic scrolls. The scrolls were later sold by Michael Chandler to Joseph Smith, to later become what we now know as the Pearl of Great Price. We all feel a greater connection to Egypt.

Now the heat exhaustion and general weariness start to set in.

We pass an Alabaster factory. Just the thing to cure our weariness (slight sarcasm from our director in memory of the Papyri factory)! One man demoes the beauties of alabaster by throwing it on the floor. Not too many purchases here.

We recharge with a beautiful sailboat ride across the Nile. We sail to the restaurant, which surprisingly turns out to be our hotel. Not many were lucid when we left the hotel in the morning.

After lunch we bus to the Karnak temple. This quickly becomes the highlight of our afternoon. We feel like we are stepping into ancient Egyptian history.

Alan touches many of us by drawing parallels between the religious hieroglyphics on the walls and our modern day temples. Pictures can't do this place justice, but here are a few.

We end the our excursion at the temple by the sacred lake which was historical used by the Egyptians to perform washings, purifications, and other religious rights.

We finish an exhausting, but amazing day, with dinner (Happy Birthday to Shay, Susanne, and amazingly a third - Kristen) back at the hotel and a late night flight back to Cairo.