EGYPT

In November 2021, Ian and I were staying at the serene Embrace Hotel on Luxor’s West Bank, tucked away in the quiet beauty of its Nubian architecture. Little did we know, just across the Nile, the city was hosting the Opet Festival Reborn, a global spectacle marking the grand reopening of the 1.7-mile Avenue of Sphinxes.

While we were fast asleep, a once-in-a-millennium celebration was unfolding. It featured a reenactment of ancient rituals with hundreds of performers in pharaonic costumes, horse-drawn chariots, and the rhythmic chanting of the Amun Hymn echoing between the Karnak and Luxor temples. The sky was literally ablaze with fireworks, high-tech light shows, and glowing hot air balloons, yet we managed to trade a historic archaeological triumph for the most legendary sleep of our lives.

The next morning, the hotel staff greeted us with wide eyes, eagerly asking what we thought of the incredible celebration and the presence of the president. When we admitted we’d slept through the entire thing, including the chanting priests, the fireworks, and the grand procession, they were absolutely amazed.

They couldn’t believe we had managed to find such perfect peace and quiet while the rest of the world was tuned in to the glitzy rebirth of a 3,000-year-old tradition just a short ferry ride away. We had come all the way to Luxor to witness history, only to become a local legend for sleeping right through it.