Luxor, the land of the most annoying sales people in the world.

So, I arrived in Luxor today after a "short" 100km ride. I was making good time, and finished in a little over 3 hours. I am bordering on calling myself a cyclist. Anyway, I arrived, set up my tent and went out for a solo tour of the city. I saw the Luxor temple, which was pretty neat. I haven't gone in yet, but I plan to. I had too much walking to do. I visited the market and then it went downhill. The shop owners hassle the heck out of you., They all want you to come into the store to give you a "special price, my friend". I didn't buy anything, but there are a lot of trinkets to see. I have my first full rest day tomorrow, so I will finish my shopping, do some laundry (for the first time) and have a shower! The people here are very pushy, and not nearly as nice as in Cairo, but I sort of expected it. It's a huge tourist town. The ride here was very eventful. I a lot of children on the side of the road waving and asking for money. I actually got hit by a stick wielded by one of said children today, and was pretty annoyed. I guess it's good practice for Ethiopia, where stones are thrown with high frequency.

I have met some very nice people here on the tour, and am meeting more as I ride past different groups. The group is so diverse, with people from Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Norway, Holland, Trinidad, South Africa, Egypt, and the UK. I have had a few requests foir information on the daily routine and food, so here we go:
0530: Wake up, freeze, pack up gear and freeze.
0600: Breakfast. Usually oats, bananas, pitas, instant coffee (which offends me), peanut butter, jam and sometimes hard boiled eggs.
0700: Start cycling. Freeze some more. Watch the sun rise over the desert and get chased by dogs.
0900: Stop for a first snack and apply some chamois cream.
1100: Stop for lunch. Usually some sort of pita sandwich that I fill with salami, veggies, PB, jam, cream cheese, regular cheese and an orange. Also refill 3L of water and 1L of orange drink for some salt.
1145: Resume cycling. Hate life and all that accompanies it. Wish the ride was over.
1500-1600: Finish riding. Sob about the pain in my ass cheeks. Set up tent and unpack gear. Have a post ride soup. Always vegetarian. Break out in vaginas due to lack of dead animal.
1630: Clean my bike like I'd clean a rifle. It's the only tool I have, so it's staying in good shape.
1715: Rider meeting. We get briefed on the next day's activities.
1730: Eat dinner. The food varies, but here are some examples: Mashed potatoes with meat spaghetti sauce/chicken cous-cous stir fry/spaghetti and BBQ'd chicken/Fish and veggie pasta.
1800-1900: Complain about the pain in my ass. Listen to others do the same. Have a tea.
1900: Bed. Instantly fall asleep.

So, I complain about my ass pain, but it's actually not too bad. I have had no chafing, which is lucky, because a lot of people have. It's just sore from sitting on it for 7 hours. And the rides are usually pleasant. The desert gets a little boring to look at, but we've passed mountain and ocean, so it gets better. So, I'll post some pics and satisfy your appetites.