Cairo
Trip Start
Dec 16, 2005
1
6
12
Trip End
Jan 08, 2006
Cairo,
Egypt
Sunday, December 25, 2005
... went to Giza Christmas morning ... I have to say my first view of the pyramids was something of a breath taker ... we were driving down a city street and then someone said there's a Pyramid ... and guess what ... this monstor (Cheops) loomed large over us towering over the crumbling buildings of Giza ... for once I was speechless ...
Sadly the visit experience was a little spoiled by hawkers who can't take no for an answer, corrupt tourist police looking for money in exchange of ideas for photos ... what can you say to a guy with an AK47 machine gun ? ... I was not going to decline his request for money even if he was not waving it in my face!!!
... Don't get me wrong, Egypt is a place everyone should visit. The people are friendly and warm (even if they are always looking for money for every little thing they do for you) ... the culture rich ... and the places amazing ... these guys were building sky scrapers and creating anatomically correct sculptures while the rest of us were living in caves scrawling child like pictures on the walls with stones... It is just that the Egyptian tourist board is not quite getting the simple things right ... I mean they are making huge efforts to make tourists welcome, be it is a little heavy handed, as evidenced by the armed escort that followed us at a polite distance throughout the Western Desert or the tourist convoys of Luxor. But they can't seem to ensure the pyramids are free from litter which swirls around in the wind ... or empty the place of aggressive hawkers.
Sad really ... but the pyramids are incredible ... and not even the litter can spoil this most amazing of experiences.
![[11] Camel and Pyramids](http://images.travelpod.com/users/el_condor/thumbnail.asia_2005.1143747660.picture_032.jpg)