Day 3 - The Pyramids & Egyptian Museum

Trip Start Nov 04, 2008
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Trip End Nov 23, 2008


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Friday, November 7, 2008

21.40 - Another long and tiring day today. We were up early for breakfast and the start of our tour. As our Pyramid View Hotel is already in Giza, the drive to the pyramids themselves was relatively short. Unfortunately the day began very hazy and we were unable to see the pyramids at first, even from our hotel window. Anyway, there was nothing we could do so we had to just get on with it. We met our leader for the day, Ahmed, who talked us through some of the history of the pyramids and Egypt itself. Then we were let loose to explore the area ourselves. Of course the first thing we did was go through the underground tunnel to the main burial chamber which cost an extra EŁ60. The tunnel itself was only about 1m2 and sloped up and down which made it hard on my knees and back. Once inside the chamber, there was not much to see except for an empty sarcophagus. It was extremely hot and close and even though I am not claustrophobic, I was glad to get out. We then proceeded to walk around the two main pyramids taking photos. Just to be there was amazing but when you think of all the work and effort that went into building them, especially considering it was all done 5000 years ago, it blows your mind! The only thing that was disappointing was the apparent lack of care for the site itself. It was dirty, overcrowded by locals and tourists and lacked any real management. Despite the pyramids supposedly being off limits, people were climbing all over them! All the salesmen on camels and horseback made it even more frustrating.

In addition to the pyramids, a short walk away was the Sphinx which was equally impressive but in an even worse state of repair. It was but a shadow of its former self. We spent a short time round here before going to a panoramic picture spot for a group photo. Our full group was with us now which totalled 14 and first impressions are good. I have been quiet after a poor sleep last night so I was not very talkative. From the pyramids, we went to the papyrus museum where we were shown how papyrus is turned into paper with a quick demonstration. We were then left to look around the artwork and ended up buying a couple of pieces for a bargain price. All the items there were fantastic though. After this, we had some lunch consisting of falafel sandwiches which were very nice if a little dry.

Next came the Egyptian Museum back in Cairo. Our guide took us round the first couple of hours showing us some of the amazing artefacts recovered from Tutankhamen's tomb. It was incredible how much there was and how the quality had remained after so much time. Of course the jewel in the crown was Tutankhamen's head piece. There were items from many other tombs from various Egyptian dynasties. The museum itself although must once have been grand, was now ageing and the realisation of this has prompted the government to start building a new museum at the site of the pyramids. Hopefully this will help, not hinder the preservation. We paid an extra EŁ100 to see the mummified former pharaohs. Some of the mummies were in poor condition and not very lifelike but others were so well embalmed, it was easy to imagine what they must have looked like in real life. We had an hour left to kill looking round the other artefacts, some of which were incredibly advanced for the time. Items ranged from the tiny and bizarre to the large and impressive.

By this time, we were all knackered so we headed back to the hotel which took almost twice as long because of the rush hour traffic. After a quick wash and a brief on the rest of the tour from Mohammed, we left in taxis for some tea at Falfali's restaurant. The food was great and I even managed to get my beer labels, which is the main thing. I got talking to people as well as I began to feel more awake. Mum managed to get bitten quite badly even though I couldn't see any mozzies. It might have been flying ants! Now we are back at the hotel getting ready for our 07.30 start and counting the cost of the last 2 days extravagances. I am bushed!  
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