No mosquitoes or Fleas in the room, a little surprised, slept under the losquitto net anyway, need the practice.

Breakfast - very basic, no sign of the 50+ items including freshly made omlette to order in sight. the usual gambit by the waiter: where are you from: X , people from X very nice, wecome, welcome ..........., I can see the cogs in his brain turning to decide how to ask for money. later I ask for a second cup of tea, he is irate, Breakfast one tea, he says as if I have just insulted his sister. There goes the tip.

Health - have had a minor cold since in Egypt, think it was due to the aircon in the hotel, feel my chest and sinuses infected, take some salt from the breakfast table for disinfecting the throat and sinuses. Consolation: rather be ill here where it is dry I think it would be worse in Uganda.

Westbank - I go for a stroll by the Nile, already being hasseled for taxis and carriage rides. This is so counterproductive because I react in the opposit direction, even if I wanted to do it in the first place. I eventually do get on a boat to go across to Westbank - valley of the dead, where all the tombs etc are, Ferohs went there to be burried, it is just a small dusty village, taxi touts swarming, entire place is geard to take you to the tombs and camel rides etc it is getting hot, I dont stay too long. before catching the boat one guy keeps offering me trips and I tell him I have done it all which I have, he says you want to get high?I decline. Once on the boat there are lots of guys that decend on tourists trying to sell them taxi/camel rides etc. I am already fedup and tell one to just leave me alone, he seems insulted!

Before the trip took a few photos of the temple, wanted to get an allday ticket, they dont do it. I visit the mosque which had been built on top of the temple, they werent particularly interested in the antiquities at the time and the mosque once buiilt can not be removed. I go inside they have actually incorporated the top sections of the colums and walls of the temple in the construction, it seems strange.

You look Egypt- this is what I am told a number of times while trying to blend in with the scarf around my head - if they are saying it it means it is obviously NOT working.

Had awalk round the temple walls last night, it was already closed and guard everywhere including near where there are breaks in the wall, I dont fancy being shot or prison just yet!

Butchers sell meat on stalls on the street, uncovered and visited by hundres flies.

Armed guards in front of every tourist site, it is apparently for our protection following various attacks and death of many tourists, AK47s and big shields behind which 2-5 guards are present.

Lots of chinese bikes here Dayun, Halawa. Haojiang, when I asked my guide if they were any good he said "two years" very popluar though. I am annoyed I had enough time to have taken my full licence in the UK but didnt think of it till it was too late. Havent seen anyone with a bike helmet on their heads yet, helmets if present is normally carried on the handle bar and is of building construction type.

Surprise : have not seen any accidents so far or deaths as I expected considering the driving practices - just a minor bump in Cairo. apparently the drivers look out for every one in front of them and by beeping and swerving make sure there is no acccidents- considerate.

There seems to be a village type mentality, lots of people appear to know each other.

Despite all my efforts I am still a tourist and they clock me from a mile away, have in someway felt more of a foriegner here than in the UK, a little like Germany: where are you from is the first question.

Tea - another cafem .75 LE more like it, there are also prices on the wall, unusual. my policy  is simple , if treated well and fairly  I will go back (which I did after my lunch) otherwise there is just  the initial  visit.

Lunch - getting hungry. had initially headed for the hotel after the Westbank  visit  but wondered into  town.  Found a place and walked in, usually there is takeaway down stairs. you pay your money and then present  a piece  of paper  in exchange for food, cant work out  what the food is and there are more than one counter, so  I wont even know  where to collect it either. I go upstairs to the restaurant. I order  "wahed makhsus" which  I have heard  shouted by the  waiters and wait in anticipation, I am craving meat. Meanwhile a group of  women and  children turn  up  looking for a table, little is already practicing his gambit of English on me preparing for his future in the tourism industry. I give them my table and share one with another guy sitting on his own. My special turns up and turns out to be a Koshari traditional pasta/rice/lentil mixture, not what I had hoped for but the chili sauce may come handy with my cold. at the check out dest "where are you from....., come again.

Will probably have a little rest before making my way to the Karnak temple which is the other end of Luxor (this is the right spelling) temple and they are supposed to be connected by a 2.8 Km road which has in the recent years has been built on by people but is due to be reclaimed. Karnak temple which I initailly visited yesterday with the tour and made up my mind to stay longer, is even more extensive than the Luxor one. Largest hall consisting of 134 pillars (huge ones) is here, the roof is gone but the place is incredible nontheless.

The sanctuary at the Luxor temple used to be used only by two people, the high priest and Rameses the III who used to come down the Nile on a boat and following ceremonies at the temple ride down the straight road to the Karnack site. When Alexander the Great came here, while restring the sanctuary put his own name (instead of the Ferohs) in the Kartushes on the wall, well I guess he was pretty important too.

In the morning considered carrying the stuff about Uganda tour which I printed off last night with me to check out decided against it, pain to carry, will check it out later. The internet cafe owner was complaining, he is used to charging tourists 2LE per print page and I was having none of it, paid him less than 1LE cheeky man, he is effectively charging twice what you would pay in the UK and get away with it, not with me though, I haggle over anything, but sometimes I get overzealous and haggle too much, oh well cant get it right all the time. Tourism is the main income of Egypt but I dont intend to be personally responsible for the Egyptian Economy.