We woke at 6:30am to get ready for an exciting day ahead. Unfortunately Dan had woken up with stomach cramps and wasn’t feeling the best. That beef shewarma pizza last night probably wasn’t agreeing with him, that and the half block of chocolate and can of coke he had before bed. We showered and got ready for our 7:30am departure to the pyramids. We were leaving early to beat the heat as it was going to be 38 degrees today. We headed downstairs to the restaurant and at 7:10am ate breakfast: crepes, mashed potato, spinach meatballs, scrambled and boiled eggs, pastries and bread loaf (Egyptians love their bread) and spreads. We also had orange juice, English breakfast and hibiscus tea, and coffee. We were done by 7:25am and went to the lobby where our group was waiting.
Pyramids of Giza
We all boarded the minivan at 7:30am and we set for what we were sure would be a memorable day. The drive from the hotel to the pyramids took about 20 minutes and about 5 minutes before we got there we could already see the pyramids dominating the skyline with the urban apartment buildings in front of them. Quickly urban life gave way to the desert and we had reached our destination, the Pyramids of Giza. It was an amazing sight and a dream come true for both of us. We walked to the heavily guarded entrance as Hoda paid for our entrance fee. We then paid 100EGP each to enter the Great Pyramid. We got back on the bus and entered into the Pyramids complex.
Camel Ride
Before we were to visit the pyramids we got the opportunity to ride the camels in the Sahara near the pyramids and got some photos taken by our guide. Riding a camel is a lot different to riding an elephant. They’re very rough with their steps, but as soon as we realised it was all in the hips, it was pretty comfortable.
After the ride we tipped our guide and bought a magnet from the stalls.
Back on the bus we were dropped off between the Great and Second Pyramids and were given 45 minutes to look around. As soon as we got off the bus we stood in amazement as we took in our first real look at the Great Pyramid. It was an architectural masterpiece; absolutely perfect.
The Great Pyramid
Short on time we quickly looked for the entrance to the Great Pyramid and showed our tickets to a nearby Tourist Police Officer who signalled that the entrance was on the other side of the temple. We reached the entrance after a brisk 3 minute walk and it was boiling hot but we didn’t really feel it, even when we climbed the large rocks 10 metres up to the entrance on the pyramid itself.
Walking through the lit cave like entrance made of limestone we eventually halted to a case of stairs enclosed in a small 1x1m tunnel for about 30 metres. Thankfully there were rails as it was difficult pulling yourself up while other tourists were coming down the same tunnel. It then cleared wide open and we could see the hollowed out pyramid right up to the top. In this room we continued walking up a narrow 25 metre inclined staircase. There was so much space inside and you can actually see each stone on top of each other from the inside. At the top was a small flat corridor for 3 metres which then opened to a black walled 5x5m room with no decoration or carving on the walls which we thought was unusual given that the Red Pyramid was heavily decorated. There was just one empty black stoned sarcophagus near the distant wall but still, the quietness was humbling. So much work building a temple for one King to be buried in. Another tourist couple came in and the woman sing a triad on her own and we could clearly hear the completed chord echoing a couple of seconds after she finished. Ev felt like breathing in deeply to appreciate the moment, but the air was very stale, even though a ventilator was in the room. It was pretty amazing. We only hung around for about 2 minutes until we decided to leave back through the narrow staircases. After another uncomfortable journey back out of the pyramid we were drenched in sweat but very happy with our accomplishment.
We took some more pictures of the outside of the pyramid and realised time had quickly gotten away form us. Time flies when you’re having the time of your life.
Sphinx
We got back on the bus and the air conditioning was a welcome relief. The bus took us to the entrance of the Sphinx. The amount of people coming and going was ridiculous, and this was low season! We couldn’t imagine what it would be like to line up if it was actually busy. Again the structure was incredible and still in quite good condition. It is a difficult thing to comprehend that the Ancient Egyptians were able to construct such engineering wonders. It was around this time that Dan started to get a headache, plus his stomach was still churning and extreme heat was compounding the problem. Nonetheless, we hung around and enjoyed the beauty of the Sphinx.
It is believed the Sphinx was built by Khafra, builder of the Pyramid and son of Khafu, builder of the Great Pyramid. Time really was flying today and before we knew it we were heading back towards the bus.
We made a quick detour to the service station cafe ‘On The Run’ to grab some sandwiches and drinks. All of the Egyptian fast food restaurants were closed due to Ramadan. Food and water made Dan feel a little better. We didn’t stop long and were moving again towards the Egyptian Museum. Another 20 minute bus ride through the bumpy streets of Cairo and we were at our destination. We hopped off at the museum at around 12pm and the heat was really beginning to take its toll. We were told it was 36 degrees in the shade, we didn’t want to know how hot it was in direct sunlight.
Hoda paid our entrance fee and we were handed remote listening devices so we could hear her through our earpiece. We thought we were going straight into the museum so we didn’t bring our hats. Bad mistake, the first 15 minutes we were in the Sun talking about some of the sights outside the museum. We finally got inside and the museum wasn't air conditioned either, so add that with a couple of thousand people and the afternoon was becoming less enjoyable, which was a shame because we were both really looking forward to it. Anyway, what we did see inside the museum was incredible. Our first stop was the Tutankhamun exhibition. There were over 2000 items, including his Golden Death Mask and his Inner Gold Coffin, all of which were recovered from his tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. We wish we were able to take photos but the museum was so popular that no one would ever leave otherwise.
After Hoda gave us a guided tour of King Tut’s exhibition we were given an hour to explore on our own. Our first stop was the Hall of the Royal Mummies. Yes real mummies wrapped in cloth. It was amazing to see the mummified bodies of various Egyptian Kings and Queens including Ramses II, Tuthmosis III and Amenhotep II. The majority of the mummies had their blackened heads and arms exposed and you could still see their eyelashes, hair and well groomed fingernails. It was unbelievable. Dan was feeling quite ill at this stage (not from the mummies) and sat while Ev continued to explore other areas of the museum. She said she felt more of a connection to the pyramids after being at the museum, and really enjoyed herself. We stopped off at the (air conditioned) gift shop on the way out and bought a book on the pyramids and the Egyptian Museum, a wallet and an Egyptian fan for Ev.
We waited outside in the 36 degree shade as the rest of the group finished up. We were finally back on the bus and Dan was really boiling up now. Hopefully a cold shower would do the trick.
It took another 20 minutes to get back to the hotel. It was 3pm and Dan had a cold shower in Richard and Denise’s room and went straight to bed. He didn’t feel much better. Everybody had freshened up and had their bags packed ready for our train to Aswan at 8pm. By this stage, Dan was downstairs on one of the couches in the foetal position with a fever. Some of the group thought it may have been malaria but Dan just needed a good nights sleep and an air conditioned room. Our van arrived at 7:15pm and took us to the train station. We boarded the sleeper train and Dan was in bed as soon as possible. He couldn’t eat and didn’t want to drink anything, but thankfully Ev was there to look after him. She bathed him with a wet towel (which was painful as hell) but after a couple of hours she was able to get his body temperature down so he could sleep. Isn’t she wonderful?
Weird dreams followed, it was a crazy night.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dan-ev/collections/72157624677997272
Pyramids of Giza
We all boarded the minivan at 7:30am and we set for what we were sure would be a memorable day. The drive from the hotel to the pyramids took about 20 minutes and about 5 minutes before we got there we could already see the pyramids dominating the skyline with the urban apartment buildings in front of them. Quickly urban life gave way to the desert and we had reached our destination, the Pyramids of Giza. It was an amazing sight and a dream come true for both of us. We walked to the heavily guarded entrance as Hoda paid for our entrance fee. We then paid 100EGP each to enter the Great Pyramid. We got back on the bus and entered into the Pyramids complex.
Camel Ride
Before we were to visit the pyramids we got the opportunity to ride the camels in the Sahara near the pyramids and got some photos taken by our guide. Riding a camel is a lot different to riding an elephant. They’re very rough with their steps, but as soon as we realised it was all in the hips, it was pretty comfortable.
 |
| At the Pyramids of Giza |
Back on the bus we were dropped off between the Great and Second Pyramids and were given 45 minutes to look around. As soon as we got off the bus we stood in amazement as we took in our first real look at the Great Pyramid. It was an architectural masterpiece; absolutely perfect.
The Great Pyramid
Short on time we quickly looked for the entrance to the Great Pyramid and showed our tickets to a nearby Tourist Police Officer who signalled that the entrance was on the other side of the temple. We reached the entrance after a brisk 3 minute walk and it was boiling hot but we didn’t really feel it, even when we climbed the large rocks 10 metres up to the entrance on the pyramid itself.
Walking through the lit cave like entrance made of limestone we eventually halted to a case of stairs enclosed in a small 1x1m tunnel for about 30 metres. Thankfully there were rails as it was difficult pulling yourself up while other tourists were coming down the same tunnel. It then cleared wide open and we could see the hollowed out pyramid right up to the top. In this room we continued walking up a narrow 25 metre inclined staircase. There was so much space inside and you can actually see each stone on top of each other from the inside. At the top was a small flat corridor for 3 metres which then opened to a black walled 5x5m room with no decoration or carving on the walls which we thought was unusual given that the Red Pyramid was heavily decorated. There was just one empty black stoned sarcophagus near the distant wall but still, the quietness was humbling. So much work building a temple for one King to be buried in. Another tourist couple came in and the woman sing a triad on her own and we could clearly hear the completed chord echoing a couple of seconds after she finished. Ev felt like breathing in deeply to appreciate the moment, but the air was very stale, even though a ventilator was in the room. It was pretty amazing. We only hung around for about 2 minutes until we decided to leave back through the narrow staircases. After another uncomfortable journey back out of the pyramid we were drenched in sweat but very happy with our accomplishment.
 |
| Inside the Tomb |
 |
| Staircase inside the Great Pyramid |
We took some more pictures of the outside of the pyramid and realised time had quickly gotten away form us. Time flies when you’re having the time of your life.
 |
| The Second Pyramid behind Dan |
We walked back to the bus and met up with Hoda to ask if there was time to see the boat museum but unfortunately there wasn’t. We decided to buy a decent headdress each from a vendor and this experience nearly ruined our trip in Egypt. We found a guy selling the headdress and asked him for a price. Unfortunately he outsmarted us and ended up ripping us off. We were on guard for the rest of the day. The headdress was too tight for Dan anyway.
Sphinx
We got back on the bus and the air conditioning was a welcome relief. The bus took us to the entrance of the Sphinx. The amount of people coming and going was ridiculous, and this was low season! We couldn’t imagine what it would be like to line up if it was actually busy. Again the structure was incredible and still in quite good condition. It is a difficult thing to comprehend that the Ancient Egyptians were able to construct such engineering wonders. It was around this time that Dan started to get a headache, plus his stomach was still churning and extreme heat was compounding the problem. Nonetheless, we hung around and enjoyed the beauty of the Sphinx.
It is believed the Sphinx was built by Khafra, builder of the Pyramid and son of Khafu, builder of the Great Pyramid. Time really was flying today and before we knew it we were heading back towards the bus.
We made a quick detour to the service station cafe ‘On The Run’ to grab some sandwiches and drinks. All of the Egyptian fast food restaurants were closed due to Ramadan. Food and water made Dan feel a little better. We didn’t stop long and were moving again towards the Egyptian Museum. Another 20 minute bus ride through the bumpy streets of Cairo and we were at our destination. We hopped off at the museum at around 12pm and the heat was really beginning to take its toll. We were told it was 36 degrees in the shade, we didn’t want to know how hot it was in direct sunlight.
Hoda paid our entrance fee and we were handed remote listening devices so we could hear her through our earpiece. We thought we were going straight into the museum so we didn’t bring our hats. Bad mistake, the first 15 minutes we were in the Sun talking about some of the sights outside the museum. We finally got inside and the museum wasn't air conditioned either, so add that with a couple of thousand people and the afternoon was becoming less enjoyable, which was a shame because we were both really looking forward to it. Anyway, what we did see inside the museum was incredible. Our first stop was the Tutankhamun exhibition. There were over 2000 items, including his Golden Death Mask and his Inner Gold Coffin, all of which were recovered from his tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. We wish we were able to take photos but the museum was so popular that no one would ever leave otherwise.
 |
| Tutankhamun's Golden Death Mask |
We waited outside in the 36 degree shade as the rest of the group finished up. We were finally back on the bus and Dan was really boiling up now. Hopefully a cold shower would do the trick.
It took another 20 minutes to get back to the hotel. It was 3pm and Dan had a cold shower in Richard and Denise’s room and went straight to bed. He didn’t feel much better. Everybody had freshened up and had their bags packed ready for our train to Aswan at 8pm. By this stage, Dan was downstairs on one of the couches in the foetal position with a fever. Some of the group thought it may have been malaria but Dan just needed a good nights sleep and an air conditioned room. Our van arrived at 7:15pm and took us to the train station. We boarded the sleeper train and Dan was in bed as soon as possible. He couldn’t eat and didn’t want to drink anything, but thankfully Ev was there to look after him. She bathed him with a wet towel (which was painful as hell) but after a couple of hours she was able to get his body temperature down so he could sleep. Isn’t she wonderful?
Weird dreams followed, it was a crazy night.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dan-ev/collections/72157624677997272
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