We had been meaning to get to Dendera to see that Hathor Temple for a few months. Today, we made it a reality by getting over to catch the northbound 9:15 AM train to Qena, Egypt. We didn't buy tickets as it's worth the surcharge just to get aboard, find a good seat, and pay the conductor. The train was a little bit late departing and so got in a few minutes later than the one hour we'd been expecting. I love watching the scenery pass by from a window of any train running up or down the Nile River Valley. As we approached the enormous sugar processing factory, we knew we'd almost arrived.
We'd been through Qena a few times this winter. Yet, the train drops one smack dab in the center of the old city center. We walked down a main shopping street and started looking for a taxi. Jay was shocked as the first driver said LE30 and he thought it was just a few kilometers away. We paid LE20 and got in one. He had quite a ways to get out of town and then cross the river to get back on the West Bank. The taxi driver dropped us right inside the parking area.
We saw many young Egyptian, college-age students but really no other tourists. It really was a stunning structure. Jay mentioned that every single area of the Hathor Temple had carvings. Of course early Christians had defaced some, while others had been removed to sit in foreign museums. Yet, there were quite a few areas where we could see the original paint. These structures must have been ultimately more inspiring back when they were in perfect condition. This site is only half as ancient as the Pyramids, dating back only 2,000 to 2,300 years. We spent a lot of time looking at the copious rooms and images.
Jay packed a picnic lunch so after exploring we ate on site. When it was time to return, the site police patrol were very concerned that we intended to walk out to the road to catch a small local van back to Qena ourselves. They nearly took us to the train station themselves but, at last, a taxi happened by. The guys in uniforms conceded to send us back to town that way. We went back to the train station, but as we'd guessed the A/C express train didn't pass through that station until after 5:00 PM. It was only two and we didn't see the need to wait. So, we got back in another taxi and went to where the small van/buses leave to Luxor. We were the last two passengers and I had to sit in the middle seat upfront next to the driver. The 60 KM on that road always seems as though it takes forever. There are good stretches but frequent road humps near intersections that slow vehicles to a crawl.
We made it and walked back to the Ferry to get to our side in Luxor. It must have been the sun or breeze as I'm really tired.