Luxor - March of the Victors!
Three years ago we were in Luxor, and in the temple of Hatshepsut they mentioned the production of "Aida" in passing. I don’t know about you, but when I say “staging Aida in the Temple of Hatshepsut”, I can’t crush the toad... I want it, and that's it! But three years ago. . .
And this summer we find information that more than 20 years later, after rather unsuccessful productions of Aida on the pyramids, an international project is being started - there will be as many as 2 (yes, two whole performances! ). Oh and Ah go camping!
After the first "Wow! " let's go! Sober comes: so how much money? Tickets - yeah. . . The road - wow. . . Housing and food - uh. . . Transfer, little things, excursions, force majeure-oh. . .
My dearest half comes to the conclusion: this is, as Ukridge used to say, a little too much!
But I (I confess, sometimes quiet) decide, as the unforgettable Bonya used to say, first get into a fight, and then we will see. Like a boa constrictor, we will cut the tail in parts, but to the very ears. And I buy tickets - it sounds so simple, like I took it and bought it. In fact, there were 5 days of correspondence with the organizers, and they had with banks to generate a link to the payment order and I could pay by card, not by transfer.
The next stage is the road. Those who know will immediately understand: "Aida" is given on October 26th. Yes, that's right, it's autumn break. And the phrase "we are cheap to Hurghada and back" caused a healthy and prolonged hysteria, groans, "oh dead" and similar manifestations of the good mood of travel agents who did not see point-blank alternatives to the package. Okay, the well-known shop on the internet for charters has become my favorite page - five times a day. And so. . . Darling, do you want to laugh? On our dates from Lviv for 54 euros to Hurghada - is it really funny? It's funny. . . It's funny that Intercity doesn't go to Lviv! So, there - through Lviv (we'll see the opera at the same time! ). And back - another month (! ) of monitoring gives a gift from "Azur" - 66 euros to Kyiv! It's just some kind of holiday!
Housing. Everything is simple here: whoever likes what he books. We wanted to live on the banks of the City of the Dead, closer to the temples and the opera, and rented an apartment. There, in fact and on the spot, you can, but the first time you don’t need...
Insurance for "Hotline". Tickets for the bus Hurghada - Luxor and back - on the Egyptian Go bus. All! Let's go!
On the morning of the 24th, we grab our things, rush to the station, jump into Intercity - at 13.45 we are in Lviv: we walk, drink coffee, watch ballet. We're going to the airport. But - oh, mom! - the flight is delayed for 6 hours, and we do not take off at one in the morning, but at 7.20. And we have a bus to Luxor at 8, and upon arrival, the owner of the apartment should catch us there... Write letters in small handwriting... We sit down and write. Wife - airlines, with claims (answer, the stump is clear, netuti to this day - I love the rhyme stump day... ). I - to our host with an explanation of force majeure. The answer is immediately: "When you arrive, we will meet, everything is in force. "
Spend the night, fly, hello, Hurghada! Control, taxi, go bass - urgently two tickets to Luxor. Yes! Bus at 15:30. In a couple of hours, we went to Dahar in "Spinees" and bought nyams. Loaded up and off we went. It's almost 5 hours on the road, one stop and two films from the monitor. We arrived - by taxi to the Nile River, met there, ferried on a longboat, brought and settled. Here, I don’t know what to call it, probably mansions! Three bedrooms, kitchen, two bathrooms, hall and terrace as a dance hall. In, how! They even lost me at first and searched there for a long time, but I was always there! And now sleep - 42 hours on your feet!
26th, premiere day! Woke up, breakfast and coffee - oops! Air balloons! Over the mountains and plantations of greenery! Beautiful. . . We went on an excursion.
A short digression. In Luxor, on an excursion you will be shown the Colossi of Mnemon - no options (and they are free! ), the Karnak Temple and the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Valley of the Kings of the Three Graves (this is a brand and expected). And depending on who the guide has an agreement with - a banana island or an alabaster trading post (or two locations). Everyone!
And Ramsessum, the temple of Medinet Abu and the Valley of the Queens, the tombs of the nobility? Luxor Museum and Mummification Museum? We had a small window of opportunity, we looked: Ramsessum (for an amateur) and Medinet Abu (yes, it’s great, it’s no worse than the Karnak temple, you can take tickets at the ticket office, they won’t sell them on the spot). Any minibus will take you to it.
In the evening we go to the premiere. The organizers promised a transfer - in fact it turned out that they meant ordering a transfer for us. In short, we go and catch a taxi along the highway, we rush by minibus to the ticket office, and then... And then we understand that the Egyptians are paranoid, they simply blocked all traffic and let only limousines with VIPs and tourist buses with bags. And there is absolutely no taxi! But that's not what we're told, is it? I have a very good relationship with the Egyptian police, the guys are friendly and ready to help, and most importantly, they have the power to organize this help! Stopped the car, explained what and how. They immediately stopped the locals' car and put us in. Well, like a tuk-tuk car... But do you want a taxi or checkers? We rush, awesome security guards at all checkpoints slow down - we present tickets. "Aida" opera! ("5th element", Korban Dallas multipass! ). Limousines, Bentleys, Mercedes and tuk-tuk, there will be something to remember for everyone... And fun!
Control, tickets, lead by the hand to the seats - opera! "Aida"!
Sacramental - you have to see it live! Lviv siphon - well done! Choir chapel Dumka - super! Oksana Lyniv is a world-famous conductor! Really made history! Directing and costumes - no frills - a classic of the genre! Light. . . guys, this is something! The lighting designer did a great job and a little more! The Hilton bus dropped us back to the bridge in Gourne, and there it was a stone's throw to the house!
The next day, we took a slightly relaxed boat trip to Luxor, walked along the Corniche, looked into the Winter Palace and their garden. We looked at the Luxor Temple (not to be confused with Karnak, again, for an amateur).
On the morning of the 28th, we checked out, took a taxi to Go bus - and to Hurghada! There, the plans were for three hours to swim, but I didn’t find our flight on the airport website, I got crazy, grabbed a taxi and went to see what and how. The flight was found, but we decided it was not worth it to wind up the ends... We waited for the plane - we fly. All! Kyiv!
Something like this. If you can’t, but really want to, then you can! Do not be afraid! You can go to Egypt yourself.
Ramsessum
Balloons
Medinet Abu
Medinet Abu
Aida
Aida
Aida
Aida
Aida
Winter Palace (garden)
Karnak Temple
See you soon, Luxor! No packages!
