Before planning my trip I had decided that it would be very regrettable if I had visited Egypt and not visited the pyramids, though it wasn't the main reason I had decided to go there. I did contemplate, for a short while, not bothering with the pyramids, but then realized I had time in my travel schedule. Plus I knew I would regret it (that and I didn't want to explain to others why I skipped them), so I made plans with Jim and Kim to spend the morning there on our last day in Cairo.
Both Jim and Kim had been a few days before, but missed seeing the Solar Boat, and wanted to visit again. It turned out to be quite fortunate that they came along, as I learned from them what not to do at the pyramids, or better, what to avoid:
One; at the ticket kiosk, you should have exact change or they may not let you in (as the tourist behind me found out.) It doesn't matter whether they have the change or not to give you, but more importantly whether they are willing to part with it (apparently getting change back in Egypt can be very difficult. For a comment about this and a great short study on the beauties of travel in Egypt, read: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/beyond/luxor.htm)
Two; Once inside the gate, do not give your ticket to anyone asking for them. Jim had to track a young boy down whom I had dutifully handed my ticket over to simply because he was calling out for them. I didn't realise the scheme, but they ask for your ticket and then lead you to their camel, which suddenly becomes part of the tour for an extra price.
Three; Camels and their riders. Unless you really want to experience riding a camel and are shrewd in bargaining for a price or don't mind how much they charge. You will pay for the ride, plus maybe for a photo or two, and possibly for dismounting.
Four; People putting headwear on you. If you do allow them to, you will be able to pose for a picture with your new headscarf you just bought, along with one or two of the locals in traditional garments. All at a price that you will need to try and bargain for. Jim had warned us about this in particular, and I literally ducked when someone tried to put one on me. Kim was more sentimental and ended up posing in one for a few pictures. Jim had to bargain for a good while in order to get us away without completely upsetting the sellers while not giving into the high prices.
Five; Police trying to show you a good spot to take a picture. This one seems normal enough and even friendly, until they ask you for money. Jim had warned us about this one too, but I noticed that he didn't mind paying a few pounds to a policeman who was showing us where to stand for shots of the pyramids and of distant Cairo. The police don't ask for money right out in the open, but take you slightly out of view from others, around the side of the ruins for example. It is done quietly and politely and is likely necessary to augment their wage. The average daily wage in Cairo is about $8-$10 a day, and it's possible that the police make around that amount or even less than that. (1)
After taking some pictures outside the main pyramid, Jim and I paid 25 Egyptian Pounds to enter the smaller pyramid, which was "tomb number two." There was only one way in and out, and you had to wait for a break in tourists exiting the small entrance before you could make your way in. Once inside you descended steeply on a narrow plank through a low ceilinged tunnel. You often had to squeeze past others who were climbing their way out, most who were stooped over, sweating a rather lot, and breathing deeply. The heat was excessive the lower you went, not unlike a sauna. There is one burial chamber to see. An attendant points out and explains a couple things in broken English, and then asks for payment for his service (which was probably deserved, being in that heat all day.)
We decided to tour the Solar Boat next, as that was the main attraction Jim came to see. The boat was discovered in 1954 in a burial pit next to the Great Pyramid of Khufu. It was likely used in the funeral procession of the Pharaoh, carrying his body across the Nile to the tomb. It was then carefully disassembled and buried next to the Great Pyramid. In Egyptian mythology, the boat serves as transportation for the Pharaoh into the afterlife. (2)
The boat is now housed in an air conditioned building. Before entering, visitors had to put on canvas coverings over their feet to reduce the amount of dust and sand entering the site. The shoe coverings were all size extra large I think, and mine kept wanting to slip off, so that I needed to sort of shuffle or drag my feet in order to keep them in place.
Visitors can view the boat from the walkways that surround it. The boat is constructed from cedar and was reassembled over a period of 14 years. Over 1200 pieces were carefully pieced together using only wooden pegs and rope, in keeping with its original construction materials. (2) The boat is quite beautiful and appears suspended in air, as it rests over the original pit that it was excavated from.
After a few more pictures of the pyramids, we headed back to the our hotel, which by the way was aptly named the "Pharaoh Hotel." I said my goodbyes to Jim and Kim, tried to pay our driver and leave a tip and was promptly given all my money back by Jim who would not hear of me paying for much of anything (God bless them.)
At the hotel I met Kahled, who was going to be one of the travel guides with a group of us for the next several days, along with several other members from various tour groups. Actually it was a bit disorienting as the very quiet lobby was suddenly overrun by a large group of very talkative and excited Australians who all seemed to know each other quite well. Or at least they all seemed to be Australians, the majority of them, or at least the talkative ones. In the small group that I would be joining, I met a mother and daughter traveling together from Calgary, plus more Australians and three British. They had all been traveling together down from Aswan or Luxor (can't remember) and I was just joining them for the last eight days of the tour.
Our group was joining several other groups from the same tour company for dinner, so I decided to go along. We piled onto a small minibus and headed through Cairo, along the river. We gradually left the dry and dusty centre of town and emerged into luscious, green and tree-lined avenues. One of the younger Egyptian tour guides discussed the political situation in Egypt, the immense gap between rich and poor, and the general unrest among the population. He answered our questions and was very candid with us, though respectful and calm while sharing his views. The local unrest comes on the heels of the rising cost of food world wide, inflation, government corruption, and a severe shortage of subsidized bread. (3)
The bus led us to the outskirts, winding its way through more expensive neighbourhoods as we slowly climbed above the city. The restaurant was in a residential area and was a sprawling low-level building. Near the entrance an older lady was busy at an outdoor brick oven making fresh flat bread that would be served with our meal. Our young tour guide knew her quite well and gave her a hug and introduced her to us.
There were very few other guests, and many empty tables, but the few families eating with us were obviously of high-middle or upper class. The meal was several courses and was excellent. We were served tomato soup, eggplant, beetroot, dips with fresh bread, rice in vine leaves, tomatoes with barbequed chicken, and for dessert, bananas. It was well worth the amount they charged us as a group, which covered the bus, dinner, and tip. After our meal we drove further up the road until we came out on an open cliff top that overlooked the city. Before we could exit the bus however, two of our tour guides had to discuss with some young locals whether we should pay for the opportunity to be up there. After some lengthy discussion and a couple shared cigarettes they allowed us to offload from the bus and walk to the edge of the cliff for a view. It was at sunset and the sky was mauve and violet. A layer of smog set over the city, which appeared as round particles through the camera lens. It was beautiful though. And Cairo really is a huge city.
"Thou hast made him a little less
than the angels, thou hast crowned him
with glory and honour:"
Psalm 8:6
Pyramids at Giza, outside Cairo
Solar Boat
View from Pharaoh Hotel
Reasonable request and sound advice
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Egypt
(2) http://www.exhibitfiles.org/solar_boat_museum_at_giza
(3) http://www.ww.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/17566
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