Day 4 - The Pyramids

Today we slept in a little bit - which was nice because it was our first full night of sleep in a while. We met up around 8:15 am, grabbed a quick breakfast, and met Gladys in front of our hotel. We started the day with a fairly long ride. We were headed to Memphis, which was the capital of ancient Egypt during the Old Kingdom. 

To get to Memphis we had to drive through Cairo and across to the East side of the Nile. As we learned yesterday the ancient Egyptians lived on the East side because this is where the sun rises (life) and had monuments/tombs on the West side because this is where the sun sets (death). Driving through Cairo was interesting. The people in Egypt for the most part are so poor. It is really sad. We drove next to a Nile canal for a long distance. All along the canal, there were tons of trash. People don't have an alternative so they dump their trash in the canal. There were literally islands of trash in the canal. On our way, Gladys taught us more about ancient and modern Egypt. At one point Debbie asked Gladys where they grow bananas. She replied, everywhere, and promptly stopped the car so she could buy bananas for us from a local fruit stand. Alison and I were not brave enough to eat one and risk getting sick, but Blake and Debbie ate them and said they were delicious. 

We arrived in Memphis. The main attraction here was an open-air museum. Probably the most amazing thing in the museum is a giant statue of Ramses II (he was a prolific builder). The legs of the statue are broken so it is displayed laying on its back. When it was in one piece it would have been 22 meters tall. It was huge!

Ramses II. This statue is like 20 meters tall. It is huge!

After the statue, we walked around the remainder of the museum. They had the top of a pillar decorated with the image of the cow goddess Hathor, a couple of smaller statues of Ramses II, some sarcophagus, and the second largest sphinx in Egypt. 

Column top decorated with the head of Hathor

The gang in front of the second largest Sphinx in Egypt

Stone sarcophagus 

hieroglyphics on the sarcophagus 

Statue of Ramses II. Sometimes it felt like all statues were of Ramses II.

Picture showing all the vendors. They set up as close as possible to any area tourists would want to visit. 

We left Memphis and drove to Saqqara to see the step pyramid. On our way we got stopped at a check point, only briefly because we were tourists. Everywhere in Egypt, there are checkpoints. Gladys told us we got through quickly because the soldiers could see the van contained tourists and in Egypt tourists (especially American tourists) are given priority. 

We made it to Saqqara with no problems. Saqqara is the biggest cemetery in the world. Everywhere we would look there were tombs. Debbie would ask Gladys if something was a tomb and Gladys would reply, yes - everything here is a tomb. Our first stop here was the step pyramid. You access the step pyramid through the funerary temple. The temple was the gate and there would have been a wall all around the pyramid. In fact the pyramid was built because the Pharaoh came to inspect his tomb, and couldn't see it over the wall. Imhotep, the builder, decided to add another layer. When he did not like the way it looked he added six layers - each one smaller than the last, to create the step pyramid. It was a pretty impressive pyramid. 

Funerary temple outside the step pyramid

Step pyramid at Saqqara

Inside the funerary temple. These columns were carved to resemble wood. 

While we were taking pictures Blake and Debbie both were approached by men with donkeys. Blake got up on the donkey and had them take a picture. Debbie put on a turban and got a picture standing next to the donkey. As soon as she noticed what was happening, Gladys ran right over. She wanted to know how much they had paid and was ready to run the guys off. Gladys was like a mother hen making sure nothing happened to us while we were exploring. 

Debbie dressed like a bedouin with a donkey

While we were walking around the ruins we noticed some tourists climbing on the ruins (this is obviously not allowed) and it made Gladys really upset. She was passionate about preserving the antiquities we saw for future generations. She found an officer and got him to tell the tourists to stay off the ruins. Later we were in a funerary temple for a princess. It was beautiful, but pictures were not allowed. We were respectful and followed the rules. Some other tourists and guides were not following the rules. Gladys was so mad. There was a man from the architects office who was supposed to be there to make sure no one took pictures, but he wasn't doing a good job. Gladys let him know that he was doing a poor job. We really appreciate Gladys's passion for protecting the treasures of Egypt. 

Ruins near the step pyramid at Saqqara

In the distance, you can see two pyramids

Remnants of an ancient wall near the step pyramid. In ancient times this wall would have gone all the way around the step pyramid. Today only fragments of the wall have been uncovered.

One of the cool things we saw at Saqqara was the inside of a pyramid. Gladys let us know that if we wanted we could go inside of the great pyramid later in the day, but she told us that it would be an extra charge and that we could go into a pyramid while we were at Saqqara for free. We of course thought this sounded great (we decided not to go into the great pyramid because we have heard there is nothing really to see and it is very hot inside the pyramid). The pyramid we went to in Saqqara was in pretty bad shape on the outside. It has mostly fallen apart, but the inside was incredible. There were hieroglyphics all over. It was beautiful. Gladys could not come in with us as guides are not allowed, but a man from the architect's office came with us. He spoke rough English and tried to give us a tour. We walked through and took pictures, which we didn't realize was not allowed until he told us at the end of the tour not to tell anyone we took pictures and wanted a tip for letting us. There is not a soul in Egypt who does not want a tip for every little thing they do for you. 

The outside of this pyramid has pretty much been destroyed, but the inside was intact. 

Hieroglyphs inside the pyramid

Inside the burial chamber of the pyramid

We had a little bit of time until lunch so we stopped at a carpet school on our way out of Saqqara. School in Egypt is mandatory for all children, but some impoverished families don't send their kids to school because they need them at home to help work. A man in Saqqara came up with carpet schools as a way to help alleviate this problem. Students go to carpet schools where they learn to read, write, and make carpets. This way they can get schooling and work in a safe environment. We observed them working on some carpets and learned about the process. Debbie even gave it a try. It was cool to learn about the carpet-making process, however, as we looked back we wouldn't have minded skipping it. None of us was really interested in buying a carpet, although they did look really cool.

The carpet school we visited. 

Debbie helped tie knots to go into the carpet

Blake concentrates on a carpet loom built in the ancient style. 

We headed back into Cairo and toward the pyramids. This was a really long ride - mostly because we got stuck in traffic that was not moving. Traffic in Cairo is crazy. There are basically no traffic lights or signs, and the few that exist are ignored. People routinely drive on the wrong side of the road and do whatever they want. I was commenting that it is a miracle that there don't appear to be many accidents. Everyone is trying to get to their own destination as quickly as possible. We also had to drive through a terrible, dirty area. This is the part of Egypt that is hard to see. Modern Egypt is poverty and chaos living in the shadow of greatness and order. Alison commented that it is almost like they rest on their laurels. If you take away the pyramids and the ancient treasures all you have left is sad.

We ate lunch near the pyramids. Lunch was amazing. We had some pita bread with the most delicious falafel and tons of exotic sauces. This was followed up with the main course of meat (grilled chicken and beef) and rice. It was so good. You cannot get food like this in Utah. For dessert, we had rice pudding.

It was finally time to see the main attraction. The only surviving member of the seven wonders of the ancient world - the great pyramids at Giza.

We spent the afternoon at the Pyramids. We started at the Great Pyramid and it was absolutely spectacular. It is over 400 feet tall and was built with blocks weighing between 5-10 tons. As we drove up and the pyramid came into view it was overwhelming. The size is so huge. No picture does justice to the majesty of the site. Gladys gave us a few minutes to explore and take pictures. You have to be very careful of the vendors around the pyramids. They are very pushy. You have to completely ignore them – no eye contact or anything. We were smart and able to avoid them for the most part. We climbed up on some stairs and marveled at the pyramid. It was seriously one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. When it was originally finished the great pyramid would have been covered with smooth stone and polished. Some researchers think when the sun would have shined on the great pyramid it would have been visible from the moon. Even with the top layer long gone the pyramid is an awe-inspiring site.

The Great Pyramid

Next we drove up to a panoramic viewpoint. On our way, Gladys asked if we wanted to ride camels. I was mostly a yes (after observing camel rides at Saqqara I was worried that I might be a little bit of a tourist trap). Alison was a no (she rode one last time in Egypt). Blake was also a no, but Debbie said she would if I would. Then Blake and Alison decided that if Debbie and I were doing it they would too. We were so glad we did. It was such a good experience. We took a few photographs while Gladys arranged for a camel ride with a reputable vendor.  I made sure to take a lot of pictures for Alison because one of her regrets from her last trip was that she only had one picture from the panoramic view of the pyramids and it wasn’t very good. We remedied that this time around.

Panoramic viewpoint

The camel ride was seriously a highlight of the trip. We started at the panoramic viewpoint and rode camels down to an area between the second and third pyramids. When we rode the camels we would mount while the camel was seated. As soon as we got on our guides told us to lean back and the camel would stand right up. Debbie was up first and didn't know that when she leaned back the camel would stand up. She was pretty shocked. It is a jarring experience -the camels are surprisingly tall. The ride itself was so much fun. Riding a camel is a lot like riding a horse, only the camel is taller. They had a nice gentle gait. Riding across the desert to the pyramids is a site we will never forget. Our camel operators were a father and his son, who was maybe 10-12 years old. They were funny. The kid especially he would always tell us to take his picture and ask if we were happy. It was so much fun - it ended up being a huge highlight of the trip.

Alison right after her camel stood up

Our camel caravan

One of our camel drivers 

Crossing the desert toward the pyramids

Alison's camel did not want to go down!

View from on top of the camels

After the camel ride we headed over to see the Sphinx. Like everything else in Egypt, it was huge. Apparently the Sphinx was carved because there was a large block of stone that obstructed the view of the second pyramid. Kefron, the Pharaoh who built the second pyramid decided to have them carve a monument with his head and the body of a lion in the block. We took a lot of pictures around the Sphinx. At one point I made my way lower and closer to the Sphinx. To get there I had to fight my way through a thick crowd of Asian tourists. I stood my ground and got some good pictures. As we were leaving the Sphinx Debbie asked Gladys if we could walk to a sandy area in front of the Sphinx. Gladys said sure and waited while we went to take more pictures. We were so glad Debbie made this request because some of the best pictures of the trip came from this spot. We stood there watching the sun begin to set over the pyramids. It was a surreal experience.

The Sphinx 

Debbie kissing the Sphinx

I love this photo

Sunset at the pyramids

After the pyramids, we made our way back through Cairo to the hotel. One thing that isn’t very apparent from most pictures that you see of the pyramids is that Cairo basically is built right up to the pyramids. Most pictures make it look like they are in the middle of nowhere but they really aren’t far from the city.

Back at our hotel, we ate at an Italian restaurant in the hotel. It was very good. It would have been good in the US. Debbie had some seared beef medallions that they cooked tableside. Blake and I had pasta, and Alison had risotto. After dinner, we called it a night.