The Pyramids of Giza @ Cairo

see all photos »

July 10, 2004

Cairo

Van, Nicole, and I boarded our plane from Athens to Cairo at 1a.m. Even though we were completely exhausted, we all shared our disbelief that we were actually going to Egypt! After a 1.5 hour flight, we arrived in Cairo and purchased an Egyptian visa for $15. It was nearly 4a.m. by the time we met with our Contiki rep who escorted us to our shuttle. He looked pretty cranky since our flight had been delayed by 2 hours. It didn't help that were the last ones off the plane and that he saw us taking our time to pose next the WELCOME TO EGYPT signs. After waiting a long time for our luggage, we headed for our shuttle. Van, Nicole, and I exchanged nervous glances. We would later discuss the serious culture shock we were experiencing. Unfortunately, no matter how open and excited people can be to international travel, not being remotely familiar with a culture other than one’s own can be uncomfortable and even frightening. Once at the Oasis Hotel, we were even more nervous to discover metal detectors and armed guards. At about 6a.m., I finally made it to my room. Drained of all energy, I fell asleep. Later on, we went into central Cairo at about noon. We immediately felt the heat but I had been preparing myself for it so it was not as bad as I had expected. As we went into the city, I noticed right away, amidst streets and buildings., the Giza Pyramids! Van and Nicole giggled at me when I said, “Woah, are those really the pyramids?” We would return to following day for a closer look. Once in the city, we had lunch at a local mall. We then went for a long walk along the Nile River.

see all photos »

July 11, 2004

Cairo...Giza...Sakkara

On this morning we met our local guide, Amadeus. His real name was Mohammed, but as he explained it to us if you call out Mohammed in a crowd every other guy will turn around! Our first stop was the pyramids at Giza. After visiting the pyramids, we took a camel...yes a camel to the Sphinx.

Our next stop was the Egyptian museum. Without a doubt, this is the most fascinating museum I have ever seen in my entire life. I was in disbelief at the vast quantity of objects that have withstood over 3,000 years! Unfortunately, we were only given half an hour on our own. I promised myself that if I had time, I would go back to the museum at the end of the tour. (I did!) By the time we finished our stop at the museum, we were all famished. After that we went to a traditional Egyptian lunch of kebabs, falafel, rice, bread etc. The bread tasted a lot like a flour tortilla. Unfortunately, we our guides wasted about 2 hours of our time with bookkeeping. Then it was off to a perfumery and papyrus factory. Unfortunately, I bought some "perfumes", which I later discovered lasted about 5 minutes. I felt so ripped off! So, DONT buy from the shops that your guides take you to,,,its all about the commission for them! We then had to rush to meet out train for the overnight journey to Aswan.