Militant groups such as Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya attempted to destabilise the government by ruining the country financially. As approximately 98% of Egypt's economy was based on tourism back then, tourists became an obvious target and there were shootings and bombings of buses, boats, tourist markets, and the horrific Luxor massacre, where 62 tourists were beheaded and disembowelled at the Temple of Hatchepsut.
Unsurprisingly, the place was deserted and we were one of only 6 boats active on the Nile at the time. When the boat docked, it was not against the shore but against a giant pontoon of 10-15 inactive cruisers that we had to cross to get to the land. We walked straight into the Valley of the Kings and into Tutankhamun's tomb, whilst a 2 hour wait would have been the norm for such an internationally renowned tourist destination.
* Hapi is the Egyptian God of the Nile
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