Item 01: Irene Victoria Read letters from her husband, 27 November 1914-1 November 1915 - Page 161
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[Page 161]
At 8.30 next morning we started off on the excursion to the Tombs of the Kings, a donkey ride of about 12 miles there & back. Our dragoman had provided the sheepskin & this proved to be an inestimable boon. On this trip we went right up into the mountains through a wild & barren gorge. At the end of the gorge are some 30 or 40 tombs of Kings, we had time for three only – in one of them we saw the mummy King in his sarcophagus just as he had been placed ages ago. From the top of the mountain pass we enjoyed a beautiful view of the Nile valley – the descent was too steep to ride our donkeys & we had to pad the hoof for a couple of miles. We arrived at the Ramesseum at lunch time & here found a nice hamper waiting for us. The Ramesseum is the temple & palace of Rames II the Pharoah of the Oppression. After lunch we got aboard the donkeys once more & retraced our steps to Luxor & after visiting the Temple there got back to the hotel & had a bath & some afternoon tea. We left Luxor at 6 in the evening & had the good luck once more to get a compartment to ourselves. Cairo was reached at 7 in the morning & at 9 we were back in our tents at the camp.