h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In all the tombs and pyramids that have been excavated over the years, there has never been any mention of a 'Pharaoh's curse'. As for all the people involved in excavating Tut's tomb who had premature deaths, what about all those workers who lived to a ripe old age?

There is no curse and never has been. Reference to one without considering that it's all just coincidence spoils an otherwise good article.

Did you read the whole entry?
I listed the people who lived to a ripe old age.
I originally never mentioned the curse, but it was requested when I put the entry up at Peer Review, that I add on a bit about the curse.
I prefer to deal in facts when I write my entries.
Thank you for reading my entry!

This curse business is nothing but total and absolute rubbish, rubbish I say. I can categorically say that there is no curse what so ever related to the pyramids etc. I have just returned from an extended stay in Egypt where I visited mant such sites and I have returned fitter and healther that ever. And what's more I must add that I

Message finnished by paramedic, it would appear that the person typing this memo has suffered a fatal heart attack, so I thought I would finnish this note for him.

When I was at school, many hundreds of years ago, a troupe of actors performed for us one day a play version of the events concerning the excavation of the tomb in question. The 'Pharoah's Curse' featured prominently, and this ghoulish sense of retribution from the grave stuck in my imagination for years afterwards. Whether rubbish or not, the author is quite right to draw attention to the fact that the curse was indeed talked about and much speculated at the time.

Sam.

Apologies! I went to Egypt on holiday last year and read quite a lot on Tutankamun before, during and after my stay. As a result, I have to confess, I skimmed parts of the article. Yes, you do mention the fact that the curse is pure fiction. Once again, apologies.

Where did you go in Egypt? I'd love to go there - my flatmate's just got back and we watched a few Super8 movies he took whilst there. The thing that really struck me was the light; everything seemed to have this warm, rich orange glow.

Thanks for theResearcher #171067!
Thanks for the apology, Cheerful Dragon, duly accepted!
And thank you, Sam

"Leave my tomb alone or the canary gets it" - what a pathetically brilliant curse! When I die, I want one just like it.

Great article, keep 'em coming!

Sorry about the delay in answering. We travelled a bit in Egypt, on a package deal by 'Voyages Jules Verne'. The itinerary was: 4 nights cruising Lake Nasser, 7 nights cruising the Nile, 3 nights in Cairo. The Lake Nasser cruise took in some of the temples around Lake Nasser that are frequently missed. They're not in such good condition as the ones at, say, Luxor, but they are worth a visit. The Lake Nasser cruise finished at Abu Simbel. This is a 'must see', and approaching it by water is the best way to get your first view of it. Flying in from, say, Aswan and getting there by coach just wouldn't be the same.

The Nile cruise took in the Temple of Philae, near Aswan; Luxor, its temples (Karnak and Luxor) and the Valley of the Kings; the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo. The stay in Cairo took in the Museum, and the Pyramids and Sphinx. There was plenty of time on both cruises to relax, and we had long enough in Luxor and Cairo to do some shopping. Haggling is essential in Egypt, although some shops (e.g., the museum shop) have fixed prices.

Personal recommendations:
If you want to cruise Lake Nasser (highly recommended) you need at least 4 nights. 7 nights is even more relaxed and easy going, if you can get it.
Aswan is very modern (at least the part we saw was) and is only worth visiting for a bit of shopping and to visit the Temple of Philae.
The standards of the cruise boats on the Nile is highly variable, so choose with care. Having said that, it's a good, relaxed way to see some of the places along the Nile.
Try to avoid guided tours of the temples at Luxor - you never get long enough to have a good look round. Alternatively, if time permits, head back under your own steam. The Temple of Karnak needs at least one morning to see it properly.
The Valley of the Kings is worth seeing *once*. You only get to see 3 tombs, though, and they change the tombs that are open on a regular (yearly?) basis.
Cairo is only worth a couple of nights. Try to fit in the sound and light show at the Pyramids, as well as visiting them in the daytime. The Museum is worth a brief visit but is overcrowded (with exhibits as well as visitors). If you want to buy souvenirs, head for the Khan al Khalili. We got some great souvenirs there, very cheaply.

Of course, if you're just into sun-bathing or scuba-diving, head for the Red Sea coast. Never having been there, I can't make any recommendations, though.

{that's my jealous-to-death-smiley}
Thanks, hon!
I enjoyed reading that....~one day~
*sigh*

Trips to Egypt aren't necessarily as expensive as you might think. I remember one holiday program a few months ago where Chris Tarrant and his wife went to Egypt for just 8 days. They did a few nights in Cairo and a few nights on the Nile and the cost of the holiday was about £1100 each. Richard and I did 14 nights for about the same amount. Shop around and see what you can find. Cheaper can mean poorer quality, but not necessarily. Avoid big package groups like Cosmos. Also, some of the 'quality' names can be expensive for what you get. Kuoni, for example, would have cost more for the same length holiday, and we wouldn't have got the Lake Nasser cruise. On the other hand, we could have booked a balloon flight from Luxor over the Valley of the Kings for an additional £75 each. You pay your money and you take your choice (or vice versa).

So save up your pennies and go! It's the trip of a life-time. Richard and I are certainly planning to go back, only this time it will be about 5 nights in Luxor, a couple of nights in Aswan and 7 nights on Lake Nasser. Mind you, it's a few years away yet.

I'd love to go.
But I'm a single-parent with an 8 year old son.
There's no-one I can leave him with and I am not allowed to take him out of the country.
I'll go when he's gone!
I'm already saving