We thought it was about time we
updated Six Go Mad!
Luxor.
In 2003 was one of the years we had with Baha our taxi driver. He had 6 children
and I think he was struggling against a year of money inconsistency. I know that
a few years later he had to give up taxi driving & drove one of the small local
buses of the city. I know he
appreciated our steady business throughout the two weeks that we used him & invited us to his
home in the centre of Luxor. You have to be careful, if you don't insist on just cake & drinks, you find you
will end up with this lovely family trying to showing they can feed the five thousand
on their own.
We
know this happens because Abdu asked us to his home in Karnack and he gave us a
"small" meal. Egyptian hospitality knows no bounds. In fact, I think it is true
to say the the less money they have, the more generous they try to be. Going to
see Abdu is such a pleasure. We always get taken to meet all the relatives &
gather children round us like the Piped Piper of Hamlin. Everybody remembers you
and it is just like going to meet your family. I have lots of brothers in Luxor!
The houses and narrow street have a biblical look. You meet the real people of
Egypt and get a glimpse of real life. I have to admit that although we don't go
every year, these visits are the highlight of me holiday.
When
your in Luxor, there are constant weddings along the Corniche. Wedding cars
hurtle up & down, horns blaring and the ubiquitous wedding band drumming up a
storm. Unlike England, where there is a guest list, everyone seems to be made
welcome in Egypt. We were invited, by the lads around the pool, to go at night
to Eide's reception. It was wonderful! As it was a Muslim wedding, there was no
alcohol & all the better for it too. The noise of the band, that accompanies the
bride & groom everywhere, is more deafening than a cotton weaving shed! (For non-northerners, that is LOUD!). As usual, Egyptian hospitality was
everywhere. The children were all over the place, having lots of fun & wonderfully well
behaved. Every one danced (not together, but the ladies were stunningly good!) There was a dais with thrones for the happy couple and it was wonderful
that there was no drunken Uncles falling about all over the place.
Amoun's is the place to eat in Luxor. We
have tried other places, which have been excellent, but to shear quality & value
for money is so hard to beat. Air-conditioned, great food, in the centre of
town, real family people & great prices! We were eating a lovely
meal for about £2 a head. Try the lentil soup & the Chicken casserole or the
Egyptian meal balls in tomato sauce, Dawodbasha. Because we are so used to
pre-prepared packaged food at home, its sometimes hard to remember that Egypt
was three growing seasons a year. Everything is fresh & prepared there & then.
What you see on your plate was probably in the ground a few hours ago! Any taxi driver will take you there &
pick you up after your meal. Walking is a great idea too! You'll meet the people
of Luxor. Take their little hassle with a smile, they are only trying to make a
living but no one is never offensive, the Luxor smile is famous! You will have
disappointments too, like seeing a MacDonald's opposite the Temple, full of
Egyptians thinking its trendy ... just like G.B. Someone must have pulled the
right strings to get that location.
I have recently heard that Amoun's is on the move, after a bit of mass
alterations in the centre of Luxor. I found this on an Egypt discussion site;
"Amoun & Hussein
restaurants and the surrounding bazaars are being moved to a specially
constructed 3 floor building on Savoy Street (some are moving in this evening).
One of the restaurants will be overlooking the Nile and the other will have a
view of the Avenue of the Sphinxes"
How true & accurate it is, I have no
idea ... watch this space.
Roshdy
was very keen to show us the new hotel on the West Bank,
the "Hotel Al Moudira". It is
located
south of the village of Daba'iyya; about four km to the south the Luxor bridge,
near to the temple of Medinet Habu. Officially opened in July 2002, this unique
super deluxe boutique hotel was inspired by the style of old oriental palaces.
"Al Moudira" has one of the very few swimming pools on the West Bank. Each of
the elegant 54 spacious double rooms is furnished and fitted out in a special
oriental or pharaonic style and decorated with artistic handmade wall paintings
and tiles. The large bath rooms are inspired by Turkish bath houses. All rooms
have air-condition, satellite television, telephone and mini-bar. The owner
visited to Alexandria & Cairo to find pieces of architectural salvage to dress
this place like a film set. Its location, taste & probably price, sets it apart
from the normal life of Luxor. There is no doubt you live in the real West Bank
area. Whether you actually met & greet the real West Bank people may be
debatable. I think the hotel has a good following with German clientele.
We
had a spring holiday for one week at the St. Joseph hotel. It is a two star with a
consistently good reputation that is well deserved. Away from the centre of town
but near the other large hotels. It is on the other side of the Corniche, it has no
garden area and a small roof top swimming pool. None of these facts should put you off
from going to this very nice hotel.
The staff, food & views are outstanding, even the water tower can look good at
sunset! Our room had air-conditioning that needed adjusting & we wanted a
fridge. I have never had such fast service in an Egyptian hotel. Everything was
done is a jiffy and with a big smile. This place comes highly recommended.
I
guess it could get a little noisy & crowded in the summer months. Finding shade
around the small pool might be a little difficult with too many guests,
nevertheless, value for money, superb staff and lovely food, we all thought it
deserved a higher rating than it got.
We met people there who have been many times, they all claim that the standard of service & food is always excellent.
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