Greetings from Luxor, aka Thebes, ancient capital of Egypt. This was the centre of thousands of years of civilization, and dynasties of pharaohs built their monuments, temples, and tombs here.

Walking around the surreal valley of the kings, amid broken limestone cliffs, was unforgettable. The cliffs rise from the lush, flat plains around the Nile, and nestled within are the tombs of the pharaohs. Seeing the carvings inside the tombs, some still covered with vibrant colour thousands of years old, was a glimpse into the earliest human empire.

The highlight of Luxor was the temple of Karnak. The scale of human achievement is impressive even today. It was mindblowing to walk amongst the gigantic columns of the hypostyle hall. Check out the 007 movie "The Spy who Loved me." It's where Bond and Jaws were chasing each other around.

Tomorrow we cross the Red Sea to wander around Sinai for a while. We'll make the trek to St. Katherine's monastery, but spend most of our time snorkelling and relaxing before the trip back to Cairo, and then onto Montreal. After 20 months away from Canada, it'll be good to get back home.