Valley of the Kings and Karnak, Egypt

After an early morning wake-up call and a large cup of instant coffee, several friends and I tied on our life vests and crossed the Nile River via water taxi. Still half asleep, we arrived at a large sand lot and watched with anticipation as our hot air balloon was prepared for flight! We launched into the sky as the light began to outline the horizon. We glided over the Valley of the Kings, gazing at the mountains and terrain below, and finally enjoyed a lovely, hazy sunrise.

We then visited the famous Valley of the Kings, built to house sarcophagi enclosed mummies of the mighty pharaohs awaiting their passage into the afterlife. The tombs are massive in size and ornately decorated with engravings and paintings to document the life of the pharaohs along with wishes for their afterlife. The valley is known to contain 63 tombs and chambers!

After paying tribute to King Ramses and viewing the physical remains of King Tut, we continued to Hatshepsut’s temple, built at the base of a rugged cliff and depicting the divine birth of the first female pharaoh.

We spent the afternoon at Karnak, the largest ancient religious site in the world! This temple spans over 247 acres and was built over many years by nearly 30 pharaohs. Karnak was stunning and perhaps the most impressive temple in my mind. I enjoyed the famous Hypostyle Hall, a hall area of 50,000 sq ft with 134 massive columns!