We opened the front door on the first morning at 10am to find two donkey carts waiting for us outside; this was to be our mode of transport for the day! We jumped on and soon found the right way to lean to avoid falling out (they tipped backwards slightly) or clunking your head on the roof as you got on. Dad reckoned that the rocking did more for his back than the massage he'd had two days before!
First stop was the Mountain of the Dead and we visited four different tombs there. It was amazing to see the painting that had survived in some vivid reds and thick blues. Most of the painted tombs though had been damaged though when the Siwans actually moved into the tombs to live during the War to avoid bombings and troops who had come to the oasis. So sad that they survived so long and then were gone so quickly.
We then went to the Temple of Amun and had another gorgeous view of the sprawling oasis and decaying hills of the Shali. Travelling by donkey cart wasn't too bad after we got used to it. It also meant we could easily watch the world go by. Our morning ended at Cleopatra's Pool where both Scotty and I had a dip (I in my shirt as the town is a lot more conservative than elsewhere in Egypt). The water was lovely and warm - just perfect for a dip. Scotty managed to dive down and see the bubbles of gas come up from the natural spring and dad dipped his toes being careful not to slip on the algea growing on the steps.
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