Yes, I went to the famous pyramids at Giza. I had a private guide take me around the site on horseback. We rode around the tombs of the workers, up to the pyramid of Khafre, and the sphinx. It's great to be somewhere that isn't so worried about safety and preservation because I got to climb on the second pyramid for some photos. I'm sure the lawyers in the U.S. would never allow such a thing to happen. The size of the pyramids is, of course, staggering but so is the steep angle at which they were built. I had trouble seeing the top point while standing at the base. All around the bottom are small rocks and dust from the stones that we see now, but also from the limestone casing. Large blocks are partially buried in the sand from falling so long ago. The sphinx is also impressive, but relatively small by comparison. There were dozens of people riding horses or camels around the complex, but many hundreds of people from the tour buses were walking around. It is a very busy place. I told my guide that it was nice of the pharoahs to build the pyramids to help bring in the tourist dollars.
The other stop of the day was Saqqara to see the first step pyramid which was for King Zoser. I walked into a couple of tombs with hieroglyphs all over the walls. Stooping over to walk through the passageways made me wish I was shorter.
One driver took me to the sights for the day. He drove like everybody else in Cairo: aggressively. Horns are used to pass, the speed limit is: as fast as you dare, pedestrians cross at their own risk, and there are no stoplights or lane dividers. On what would be a four lane road in the U.S., they can fit seven cars across in a traffic jam. As I saw more of the area around Cairo, it looked just as dirty and depressed as the city. People live in brick apartment building that are half-finished, with support pillars and rebar coming out of the top floor. Garbage is everywhere, especially on the banks of canals, and most of the roads are in poor shape.
So, I will be happy to leave Cairo because the only interesting things are the historical monuments. Tomorrow, I leave for Aswan on a 13-hour train ride south. The hotel is hosting a New Year's Eve party tonight with dinner. It shouldn't be too difficult to take it easy since alcohol is so hard to find here.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Cairo
The mosque one block away woke me up with the 5am call to prayer, but the cold shower shook off any jet lag I might have felt. The breakfast the hotel provided was a lot of bread, fresh cut cucmber and tomato, tea, a banana, a pastry, and a hard-boiled egg.
In the morning, I walked around a touristy market called Khan al-Khalili. There were shops selling spices, produce, clothes, souvenirs, and anything else a tourist might buy. The first thing I noticed when walking the streets was that they are very dirty. Hazy pollution sits over the city, trash is everywhere, and it smells. The shopkeepers would clean their floors by sweeping them onto the sidewalk or alley. The buildings are very run down with the exception of mosques, government buildings and some fancy stores. It is kind of fun being the one who sticks out in a crowd, but it makes it easier for people to hassle me. Although two people have said I look more Egyptian than American. I find that hard to believe, but some of the tourists are extremely noticeable. Every single adult Egyptian I've seen has worn clothes that at least cover everything but there hands and head, which makes the white people in shorts and/or t-shirts stand out a lot. Even when I had breakfast in the hotel, the owner kindly suggested I put on long sleeves (because it might rain).
That afternoon I overpaid a taxi (US$6 for 15 minutes) to take me to the National Museum. There were a lot of artifacts scattered around, but most of them didn't have descriptions. I guess that's how the tour guides make their money. The highlight was definitely the royal mummy room, which inculded Ramses II and Hatchepsut. I've seen pictures, but it was still hard to believe how well preserved they look. Ramses still had his hair! Well, he was bald, but he had some around the sides.
For food, I picked a take-out restaurant from my guide book. I had a delicious chicken schwarema (sandwich) and a pepsi for US$2.70.
In the morning, I walked around a touristy market called Khan al-Khalili. There were shops selling spices, produce, clothes, souvenirs, and anything else a tourist might buy. The first thing I noticed when walking the streets was that they are very dirty. Hazy pollution sits over the city, trash is everywhere, and it smells. The shopkeepers would clean their floors by sweeping them onto the sidewalk or alley. The buildings are very run down with the exception of mosques, government buildings and some fancy stores. It is kind of fun being the one who sticks out in a crowd, but it makes it easier for people to hassle me. Although two people have said I look more Egyptian than American. I find that hard to believe, but some of the tourists are extremely noticeable. Every single adult Egyptian I've seen has worn clothes that at least cover everything but there hands and head, which makes the white people in shorts and/or t-shirts stand out a lot. Even when I had breakfast in the hotel, the owner kindly suggested I put on long sleeves (because it might rain).
That afternoon I overpaid a taxi (US$6 for 15 minutes) to take me to the National Museum. There were a lot of artifacts scattered around, but most of them didn't have descriptions. I guess that's how the tour guides make their money. The highlight was definitely the royal mummy room, which inculded Ramses II and Hatchepsut. I've seen pictures, but it was still hard to believe how well preserved they look. Ramses still had his hair! Well, he was bald, but he had some around the sides.
For food, I picked a take-out restaurant from my guide book. I had a delicious chicken schwarema (sandwich) and a pepsi for US$2.70.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Made it to Cairo!
My flight out of SFO went smoothly except for the British food and lack of legroom, but that's to be expected. The beef with soggy vegetables looked ridiculous, then there was an unappetizing salad, a hard roll, and a strange-looking ginger lemon curd dessert. London was dreary. I'd probably hate my life if I lived there. It was dark, drizzling, and 40 degrees.
On the flight out of London, British Airways upgraded me to World Traveller Class, which meant more legroom, comfortable seat, and better service. I made the most of it. The window seat was great because I saw the lights of Europe. England and northern France were cloudy, but I could see towns in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, and along the Adriatic Coast. The highlights were Venice and Athens.
Cairo was a warm 60 degrees when I arrived at midnight, but hazy. The cab driver didn't speak very much and his car wouldn't start the first two times he tried it. I read that driving in Cairo is insanity, and now I believe it. Speed limits and lane dividers are ignored, signalling is rare, and he never shifted out of fourth gear. Although to be fair, he didn't know how fast he was going because the speedometer didn't work. But I still made it to the hotel to sleep in my own room for less money than a dormitory in the US or Australia.
On the flight out of London, British Airways upgraded me to World Traveller Class, which meant more legroom, comfortable seat, and better service. I made the most of it. The window seat was great because I saw the lights of Europe. England and northern France were cloudy, but I could see towns in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, and along the Adriatic Coast. The highlights were Venice and Athens.
Cairo was a warm 60 degrees when I arrived at midnight, but hazy. The cab driver didn't speak very much and his car wouldn't start the first two times he tried it. I read that driving in Cairo is insanity, and now I believe it. Speed limits and lane dividers are ignored, signalling is rare, and he never shifted out of fourth gear. Although to be fair, he didn't know how fast he was going because the speedometer didn't work. But I still made it to the hotel to sleep in my own room for less money than a dormitory in the US or Australia.
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