The train ride down, ten hours from Cairo to Luxor, was a great experience. I have never before seen the Nile Valley. It is so rich in agriculture, beautiful. It is GREEN, like I have never seen green, but just for a definite distance. All of the sudden, on both sides of the Nile, it just immediately switches to sandy desert after a few kilometers. I could see the sand dunes starting on both sides of the Nile Valley. I’ve read about it but was so excited to see it. Our train moved pretty slowly and we passed people working their fields, kids playing, herding some oxen or cows, or riding a donkey cart loaded with vegetables… It was a great opportunity to view the rich agriculture of Middle and Upper Egypt. Although I usually feel that from the train I am only viewing the worst parts of a place, because this track runs so randomly next to the Nile and down the Valley, we really were able to see all aspects. Small towns, little remote huts, little temporary huts made of palm branches for workers to shelter from the sun… It was very interesting. I’m thankful we weren’t able to get on the first overnight train so that I could use the sunlight to get even the most breif glimpse of life in Middle/Upper Egypt.