So I walked along the pedestrianized Corniche to the Eatabe hotel (Mercure Etap as was). I don't often get the chance to photograph the dahabayas from this side of the river. I did not take a felluca, motorboat, caleche or taxi, or visit a private museum but ignored all offers until I reached the morgue-like atrium of the hotel. I guess that occupancy is between 5 and 10%, and this should be the busiest week of the year.
There were a couple of large decorations in the atrium, but not worth getting the camera out for. The ATM has completely empty. No staff in the lounge bar, although it was too early for happy hour. A New Year's Eve menu for the Italian restaurant was priced at US$15, and was almost tempting. The normal Italian menu pricing looked unchanged since my last visit a couple of years ago.
So I took a seat in the garden, where I was served with a cold Sakara Gold for Le30, complete with a complimentary bowl of peanuts, by a properly attired waiter. The bar menu, shown in today's slideshow, appears unchanged over the last 2 years, and now offers good value. Indeed prices are similar to Nile Valley and Marsam on the West Bank. A green beeeater provided entertainment,
Tayeb then drove me to Aboudi's where I bought another 3 books. See my Facebook page for details. I will have to check the weight of my bags for my return flight.
After calling at an ATM to top-up the wallet I went again to Kam Thai where I had an excellent 3-course meal for about £4.50. I don't usually photograph my food - I prefer to eat it while it is hot, don't like drawing attention to myself by using flash or standing up to get the perfect camera angle. Today I did take the requisite pictures, which I have labelled from the menu I gave you in early November.
A very good day, and I must return again to Luxor before the special exhibition closes on about 12 January and to continue working my way through the menu of the only restaurant i know in Egypt that does not cater at all for Egyptian tastes (except maybe for its bottled water).