It's late in the afternoon and the ostentatiously armed guards at Denderah are irritable and keen for us to leave. It's a shame because this is the loveliest temple of all – dedicated to Hathor, goddess of love, music and beauty – and really needs a little more time than we have.

In the end, the guards lock the gates and we have to walk across flowerbeds and round the back of the information centre to get out.

On our way to the airport to fly back to Cairo, we stop off at Luxor Museum. Cairo gets all the good stuff, of course, but there are still some interesting artefacts here, including a stunning statue of Thutmosis III in granite and several mummies. Wandering around the artefacts, I meet someone I know from London. I feel a stab of envy – for while my journey along the Nile has ended, his is just about to begin.