We flew from Cairo to Luxor on January 24. The flight took us over the eastern desert between the Nile and the Red Sea (just visible in the background). While it is bleak and barren now, 10,000 years ago the area was lush and green with many complex river systems. All that is left of them now are the river beds, filled with sand.
The rear of Temple A, completely overgrown with a spiky plant with shallow roots known as camel thorn. Controlling encroaching vegetation is a constant challenge in Luxor as the plants and their roots can damage the monuments. Before we can begin any work the grasses and camel thorn have to be removed, which is a challenge. This photograph and those that follow were taken by our foreman, Abdel Aziz Farouk Sharid, whom you will meet next week.
Halfa grass is a very tough, hardy plant with an extensive root system that can grow through cracks in stone and cause severe damage. Before we can even begin to work, the halfa and camel thorn have to be cleared, which takes about 10 days – it’s a big site! Fortunately, Abdel Aziz got started well before we arrived so that we may begin work on Saturday.
Camel thorn is a real pain to deal with! The spikes are very sharp.
The halfa grass can simply be bundled up and removed. Camel thorn is another matter. It has to be raked carefully onto a sheet of canvas so it can be removed without cutting the workers. We are most grateful to them all for undertaking this annoying and sometimes painful work.
Our first night in Luxor on January 24 we sat on our balcony and watched as the Theban cliffs were illuminated. Day or night, the view across the Nile is spectacular.
Posted by Richard Fazzini and Mary McKercher
