Today I’m covering another day of my trip to Egypt. This time, I cross the Nile from Luxor to visit the Valley of the Queens. For those of you who’ve read the first two posts, you’ll know I took with me a digital video camera, a Canon Zoom 60 and as my main camera a Bronica ETRS with a couple of lenses and backs. The images in this post were shot on Fuji Reala, which was a 100asa stock.
First stop was the Colossi of Memnon, both statues representing Pharaoh Amenhotep III as I understand it. They’ve been there since approx. 1350 BC, and that’s the thing that gets me about Egypt, the time! These figures have stood for nearly 3.5 thousand years!! The same can’t be said of the Mortuary Temple of which these were the guardians. Not much remains above a couple of feet high.
The main part of the Valley of the Queens, (Wadi), has 91 discovered tombs. According to good old wiki it was known at the time as “Ta-Set-Neferu” (Place of Beauty) – not sure I’d call it beautiful but it was certainly striking.
The tomb of Nefertari was the first Egyptian tomb I ever entered, I still have “goose bumps” when I think about it! What caught me off guard and I hadn’t even thought about was colour! These tombs are full of colour. I had the wrong camera and film for making stills although I did shoot some digital video. Perhaps I should explain that I had to get a permit at every site for it, and the “professional” Bronica. It became a standing joke that no-one was ever interested in the poor old Canon zoom 60! The tripod however nearly caused a meltdown of anglo-egyptian relations more than once!!
Back at the Nile the Ms Star floated past, the sister ship to Ms Nile Beauty that, while I was tramping around the Valley of the Queens, my suitcase had apparently been transferred too! Sure enough there it was in the cabin! I had a shower, and back up on deck it was time for a drink – next up was Valley of the Kings, but that as they say is another story.
S.H.O.U.T. 