The Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's Temple

One of the most memorable and impressive sites we visited was the Valley of the Kings. A complex of tombs that were constructed underground in the Hills near Luxor, they were designed to deflect raiding and theft. Because of their underground location, the carvings and paintings are incredibly well preserved.

We visited in the afternoon on a day where the temperatures reached 105. It was challenging to move about in those conditions, and made it nearly impossible to imagine the toiling it took to create these structures in the first place, and then the years and years of painstaking archeology to recover them (just a fraction have yet to be found). We felt bad for our guide, Amr, who was enduring these long days while also fasting for Ramadan.

We also visited the Temple of my favorite Pharaoh, Hatshepsut. She cleverly assumed the throne in the 15th Century and ruled successfully for over 20 years. Considered to be one of the most successful Pharisees ever, she declared herself King and insisted on being depicted as a male in her statuary.