Luxor, Egypt
He who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality . . .
—Anwar Sadat (1918–1981), third president of Egypt
When the ancient Egyptians said goodbye to a king, he was sent into the afterlife with jewels, ritual sacred objects, statues of deities, furniture, and scrolls; that is why tomb robbing was such a lucrative practice. Ramses XI, who reigned from 1124 B.C. until his death in 1106 B.C., was the last king to build a tomb in the valley. His simple tomb is vibrantly colored with scenes from the Book of the Dead and other ancient texts.
If you are facing the end of a karmic cycle and must say goodbye to someone or something, it might help to see how the ancient Egyptians handled death. The Valley of the Kings is on the west bank of the Nile; from Luxor, take a taxi or a rental car approximately 4 miles upriver. Alternatively, cross the river on a ferry. The coolest months to visit are December through March. Otherwise, daytime temperatures reach triple digits.
Buy your tickets at the West Bank ticket office since you cannot purchase tickets at the site. Women must cover bare shoulders and knees.
Formulate a ritual for achieving closure (when you return home); for example, write a note saying goodbye. Cut it into pieces and plant it in a pot with some forget-me-nots. Or, if you want a permanent ending, write the note and burn it.
The tomb has been open since antiquity; more than a dozen messages of graffiti were left in the tomb by ancient tourists.