Angela will report on the present situation in Kings Valley, but she was not a happy bunny. Later in the day I spoke with a long-standing inspector, and he expects that more tombs will be open no sooner than the autumn. Only 6 were available today, and various routes were blocked off, probably for security reasons. As 2 of those 6 required special tickets, visitors had only a choice of 3 out of 4 tombs. Saturday morning is usually quiet here, but if 20 full coaches turned up the queueing would be unacceptable.
Even if they only put the list of open tombs next to the ticket office at least people would be able to decide whether it was worth LE85 to visit those 3 of 4 tombs. But those in organised coaches would have paid up in advance ... .
For the rest of the day we split up - Angela was hoping to 'bump' into Otto Schaeden (KV63) who normally eats in Fayrouz where he stays. I had my evening meal at the house of Muhamed ibd el Rassul, up in New Qerna. He is a very good cook, working both at the Ramesseum rest house and his new hotel, Bab es-Smawy.