In the morning as we drove toward the two statues of Agemenon there were hot air balloons scattered through the sky.
This was something I had looked into doing but it couldn't fit with our schedule on the boat. The hot air balloons were watching the sunrise over the Valley of the Kings. It is something that came highly recommended if the time was available but it would also break the bank. Eventually I will make it onto a hot air balloon to watch the sun rise or set.
The next stop was Hatshepsut's Temple at Dehl Al Barhi. It was absolutely amazing to see because I have taught so much about this temple and to actually see it was amazing. It had been completely buried for many years and there was some damage to many of the statues because Thutmosis II, wanted to remove her from history and destroyed many of her statues or at least the faces. The temple is set back a ways from the place were we were dropped off so we could take in a great view.
Her temple was modeled after a tomb that had started 500 years prior to her temple but it was never finished. Off to the left of her temple the remains of the original were still visible. In the mountainside their were multiple tombs people who were close to her and of noble blood.
This was just amusing to me. The sign reads that this tree was a present for Hatshepsut. Well the tree no longer exists, maybe it was stolen or misplaced but we want to remember it in true Egyptian form.
After Hatsheptsut we went to the Valley of the Kings, where we were able to go into four tombs and see the amazing paintings and preservation that was done for Egyptians of power in the past.
Tuthankamen's tomb was available to see but we surpassed it to view tombs that allowed us to see the stages of production, from sketching with red paint, to blue paint, to etching the stones, to finally painting with vivid colors that were able to last till today. One of the highlights was something Amir said as we were trying to board the trolleys. Instead of, the next train is ours, we got "Family Attack". This amused us for the day. As well as Marco's interpretation of what we were going to be taught during the day. "If you ask what time we are going to meet you, we will get in 6,000BC they mummified Hot Chicken Soup by pulling the brain out of the nose and then...oh yeah in one hour at the entrance." 
My Tootsies after walking through the Valley of the Kings for a couple of hours. It was a little dusty.
Next stop was the Alabaster factory, where we were able to see the process of alabaster being made into a vase.
At 11:00 we had to part in the center of town to be a part of a military convoy. A few years back at Hatshepsut's temple tourists were attacked and killed. Since then there has been great protection provided. With that being said we had to sit for a half hour with 30 or more other buses waiting to be escorted to the boats waiting to pass through the Locks at Esna. When we were driving there were police on all sides of us and at every major intersection. It was slightly intense.
When we finally reached the boat, there were over 50 boats connected to each other waiting. We initally had to walk through 9 boats just to discover were were in the wrong link. But it was a nice tour of what a lot of money is able to get you. The rest of the day was spent sitting by the pool getting sun and watching Clive harass and get harassed by men on boats trying to sell their goods to us. I think he just liked to get them going and see how cheap they would go. He was quite the negotiator.
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