After crossing over to the West Bank with our newly hired trip organiser, another person emerged that would drive us around between the major sites.

We drove first to the Valley of the Kings, where having paid the entrance fee, we had the difficult task of deciding which three tombs to visit.

RIGHT Some abandoned Pharaonic statues alongside road to Valley of the Kings

We decided first on the tomb of Thutmose III, probably the most extreme attempt here at hiding a tomb. It was built in a fault, and is reached by a long, steep staircase between two cliffs.

The other two tombs we chose were less strenuous to reach. But we found the attendants, gaining fewer visitors than some more popular tombs, trying to encourage bribery. In the tomb of Tausert/Setnakht, the attendant suggested that we give baksheesh in return for being able to take photographs... in complete contravention of rules designed to protect the artwork within.

ABOVE Me halfway up the staircase to the tomb of Thutmose III

ABOVE RIGHT The staircase leading up to the tomb of Thutmose III

RIGHT Excavaters clearing a new tomb site pass rubble down a line away from the entrance

BELOW RIGHT Stef standing on the road leading, to, er, somewhere else on West Bank

In the tomb of Seti II, the attendant offered to shine a torch inside a sarcophagus containing a mummy, also on the expectation of baksheesh. Stef had his own torch though.

The attendant at Thutmose III had also wanted baksheesh, for providing ripped cardboards used as fans, but that did actually at least prove useful!

Finally leaving the Valley of the Kings, it was close to lunchtime. Our waiting driver took us to a café selling 'English' style food, mostly limp looking sandwiches and various other unimaginative and unappealing looking westernised dishes.

Stef had a sandwich, but I insisted I wanted something local, specifically Ta'amiya (felaffel). Driver not looking too pleased, (but well, what's the point of hiring a driver to be taken to a place selling food that imitates badly what we can get back home?) he drove us off again, and did manage to find a stall still selling felaffels, and mmm, it was heaven!

ABOVE and LEFT Deir al-Bahri (Temple of Hatshepsut)

Seeing two more tombs in the Valley of the Queens, Stef and I decided at this point we had seen enough tombs, so bypassed the Nobles, and Artisans, to go to the Temple of Hatshepsut.

Having seen all the sights we intended to in Luxor, we were only too keen to get out of this town ASAP, so went to book our tickets for our last segment back to Cairo.

In Egypt, women are allowed and expected to push to the front of queues at train stations to buy their tickets. With much glee we took advantage of this (along with an Indian couple). It was slightly eerie when, succeeding in getting to the ticket window, all the waiting, jostling men fell silent as I shouted out what tickets we wanted!