Cairo to Luxor

Yesterday, I flew to Luxor from Cairo. The taxi picked me up at 11:40 for a 2:00 pm flight-and the traffic was horrendous.

The driver said to me "You should have left at 11:00-who told you to leave at 11:30? (the original pickup time)-I mentioned it was the hostel.

The traffic was horrendous due to a motorcade for the President-who is running for re-election (vs nobody, or a really weak candidate-from what I understood). There are billboards and signs for Cici, (the President) everywhere.

I did make it to the airport on time. i didn't print out a ticket-I took a copy of the record locator and presented it to the security officer at the airport-and that wasn't enough-so I had to go to an Egpytair office at the airport, and have a ticket printed.

At the airport, I met a Yemenese girl living in Egypt now who was working, and was hoping to study in the US or Canada. She mentioned how Yemen is totally destroyed, and how the glamour or Dubai is a position for the entire Arabic world.

The one hour flight was uneventful, and landed in Luxor a few minutes late for some reason. I found the driver to the hostel. The hostel gave me an upgrade to a private room-I think I am the only one staying here.

I walked around downtown, towards the Luxor temple, which is on the Nile Riverfront, and beggars, horse carriage drivers, sail boat captains kept begging me to give money, get a ride, etc.

I ate dinner at some restaurant of lamb-I have eaten too much meat but most food here is-and then went back to the hostel at about 8:00 pm to get away from the beggars.