European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 02, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                / ,. Continued from Page 11 warned by our Leader about poisonous vipers that live in these parts. That afternoon we Rode camels to the ruins of the monastery of St. Simeon a Christian edifice that was built in the eighth Century and survived into the Middle Ages there s something spooky even sacred about the great mass of Stone and Brick perched on top of a Hill. Surrounded by nothing but desert. It seems appropriate to approach it by Camel. For a Small fee a Friendly guide guard leads visitors through the confusing Maze of corridors cells and staircases. He alone is Worth the trip. As we followed him Down a dark passage he mowed a very authentic meow. He led us into the remains of the baptistery of a Chapel and proceeded to cry like a baby As he pantomime a baptism. Quot no sleep Here he said As he showed us the place where the monks prayed. Then a we moved on to the spot where the monks did sleep. He Lay Down and snored then jumped up and continued on to quote Camel garage a Camel Mercedes of desert Quot a the place where our camels awaited us. Then it was Back to the River for a thrilling ride across Ltd. By Felucca Nile Sailboat. There Are islands and huge boulders jutting out of the water in this part of the River if Felucca sailing Ever becomes a competitive sport our / Captain Quot would surely be a Champion. With astonishing skill he mane Verd the wooden Sailboat in and out of crannies that appeared to be narrower than the boat. Like Aswan Luxor is a fiver town. We travelled by bus there making stops in route to visit temples at Erfu and Korn combo. Luxor is near the site of Egypt s ancient capital Thebes. The height of its glory was during the 18th and 19th dynasties 1570-1200 . When As Many As 1 million people lived there. Luxor is Rich in remains of those glory Days. The Temple of Luxor adjacent to the River and several Large hotels is a Mammoth Complex of Gigantic statues columns arid pylons. Groups of egyptians on Winter vacation were there during our visit. They were fond of photographing one another a usually in front of a great statue such As one of Ramses ii. Karnak on the Edge of Luxor is an even vaster site Quot sufficient to accommodate 10 european cathedrals Quot according to one Guidebook. We made two visits there one by Day and one by night for the sound and Light a production. Quot construction of the temples at Karnak went on for 1,300 years ending about 700 . A 2,690 years ago which by egyptian standards Means that some of it is fairly new. This age Factor adds to the intrigue of Egypt. How could All of this have been built so Long ago and still be standing How could the egyptians have figured out How to build such beautifully elaborate perfectly symmetrical structures How could they have moved these hulks of Granite guides have some of the answers but still the ancient structures remain spellbinding. Karnak is particularly so especially at night during its 90-minute found and Light show. Quot.  / As moving lights Are directed at key spots and a appropriate music plays in the background visitors Are led Down the processional Way past the Row of ram statues through the great court of columns and on to Quot. The Hyp style Hall. The Hall a Forest of 134 Gigantic columns each towering some 80 feet is amazing in both size and a. Symmetry. Shadows whether cast by the Sun or artificial Light add a touch of myster. And when a Long Robed Swarthy Type suddenly jumps out from behind one of these monoliths and whispers Quot photo. Come with me. I show you Best place Quot it can be downright scary. There s More to see while staying in Luxor. Across the River on the West Bank is the Valley of the Kings the place where the pharaohs were buried in Royal splendor. The egyptians believed you could take it with you. The More one had the More he took a All for use in the afterlife. A there Are 62 known tombs in the Valley a Dusty hot place of Sandy Hills and canyons that seems fitting for the dead. About 10 of the tombs can be visited although they Are not always All open. Vitany of the excavated tombs were found empty the a a it a. 0 m a. I the entice Temple Complex was moved in the mid 60s to save it from the ring Waters of Lake Nasser. Valuable contents having been carted off by grave. Robbers. Some experts believe the Graves were robbed shortly after burial by those who did the burying. Then in 1922 along came archaeologist Howard Carter. He discovered a Tomb whose contents were. Intact the Tomb of King tutankhamen. Although King Tut was no giant in the world of pharaohs he was Laid to rest with fabulous Gold and jewels the Tomb contents have been removed to the museum of egyptian antiquities in a Cairo. A a ,. A. A even without their Gold and jewels the tombs in the Valley Are Rich to behold. Wall paintings with elaborate Quot scenes of egyptian life still exist some amazingly Well preserved. Quot. A Luxor was the last Stop on our egyptian adventure a journey that had begun in Cairo. There we had visited the City s famous museum chock full of ancient treasure including King Tut s Tomb re created with All of its original contents. A from Cairo we visited the pyramids and great Sphinx at nearby Giza Anco More pyramids at Saqqara. There Are some 200 pyramids still in existence in Egypt but the three largest at Giza Are the ones most famous and most photographed. / a \ maybe it s because they Are no Surprise a they look just As one expects a that the pyramids Are somewhat disappointing. Or maybe it s because those pushing postcards rides on Camel or horseback and mini pyramids Are so annoying you to want to flee a instantly a a in any Case the Mammoth Mounds of Stone Are astounding feats of engineering they were built during Tho old kingdom when ancient Egypt was at the height of its civilization a some 4,500 years ago. One Way to escape the Pesky hawkers is to Retreat. Inside a Pyramid. The shafts that Lead Down into the inn Chambers Are Only about 3�?T/i-feet High so you must Crouch As you carefully make your Way Down a series of wooden planks. _ we went into the great Pyramid of Cheops the oldest and largest. It was made of 2,500,000 enormous blocks of Limestone. There s really nothing to see inside but the getting there and getting out Are an adventure a just one of Many that elevates a trip to Egypt beyond the Ordinary. 12 stripes Magazine May 2, 1991