I visit the Karnak temple at night, there are Light and Shows going on. Would have preferred being allowed to do my own thing instead of being bombarded by images and explanations on the walls, being ushered from place to place. The first group is in French, no point standing around for an hour so I wonder in with them.

I wonder off amongst the colums into the dark a couple of times, then I cast a long shadow as I am caught in one of the spotlights! I stand still, dont know if I have suddenly become part of the show and being watched with hundreds of pairs of eyes or not. The light changes, I am then found by the torch light of a guard and told I should stick with the tourists. I later join the english speaking group and go throug again, waste of time and money, bit of a show.

I return to town centre. On the way out I was asked 50LE return, I walk away, we agree 15 one way. On the way he offers to drive me to Cairo later in the week (I have my flight from Cairo), ye right! I had no change, gave him 20, he tries to keep the change.

Back in town, tired and hungry, head for my teashop, pick up a small tray of sweets on the way, greeted with a big smile and wave from the boss, this is my 3rd or 4th visit today. He was very nice earlier, changing (what I had thought was a hot drink) my order for a hot cup of water and fresh lemon, I am trying to handle my cold.
I order tea and shishe, its kill or cure time for my cold.

The shop over looks a junction, no traffic lights, lanes or anything. The scene is at best can be described as random. between 9.30 and 10.30 it appears to be rush hour: people, cycles, motor bikes, cars, horse drawn carriages, trikes, donkey drawn carts, mini buses criss cross one another at their respective speed, at random angles sometimes sort of head-on! Arabic music is blasting out behind me as I sit outside watching all this and the partial moon overhead, I am enjoying this quite a bit.

The shishe is not doing well, one joint is leaking since it is held together with cardboard bits, boss is summoned and order it to be sorted. new rubber washer supplied,fire stoked and I get on with happily producing smoke, eating baklava, drinking tea and being entertained by the "flow" of traffic.

A biker arrives Egyptian style, no lights or helmet or jacket, delivering something, I engage him in conversation about getting lessons and licence, he says unlike most people (Egyptians love bikes, he is not kidding, there seems to be more bikes than anything else) ride without licence but he produces his from his wallet. There are no schools, they are self thaught, amazigly since they seem to be still alive. He offers me to try out his bike! I decline, he cant understand why. He is returning in half an hour, I think this is a good time to make my exit as my tea and shishe have by now expired. I am not quite Egyptian enough to jump on a bike at 10.45 at night, in Luxor without any kind of helmet etc.

For some reason the lad taking my money is asking for 5LE, I have change for 1.75 (which in hindsight should have been the price anyway, 0.75 for tea and 1 for shishe) he takes the money.