The owner is starting to build a block of 6 apartments at the end of the garden. The plans look good, and there is room for a swimming pool in the future. I suggested that, as these are on the ground floor, they should be accessible to the old and less able-bodied. If a ramp down from the present garden is not possible then there should be a good handrail, and any steps should be even-sized. There is hardly any accommodation in Egypt that is 'accessible', and there should be a market in a few years time, insha'allah.
The light was not good for photographing the tombs of the Middle Kingdom, but I did my best. It will take some time to identify some of them though, as not all the tomb numbers are visible with a telephoto from the temple terraces. Some tombs have MMA (Metropolitan Museum of Art) numbers rather than TT (Theban Tomb) ones, so I will have to look them up.
When we reached the 3rd terrace the car park was still nearly empty. We were alone: no tourists, no officials. The sun was in a good direction to highlight some of the inscriptions.
But then the coaches arrived. Mainly Russians, but lots of them. It got too busy. I retreated to the sidelines and let them take their "I was here" photographs. I took some more of Mentuhotep's temple, but the sun was getting low. It looks better in the early morning!
As Christmas approaches we are seeing more people staying and eating on the West Bank. At last some of the restaurants are not empty. The hotels are filling up, if only for a few days.