MY Pyramids!

Sept. 30, 2010

Daylight! As we drove through Cairo on our way to the pyramids in Giza, we saw cars, donkeys, camels, lots of trash, and buildings that look like they've been bombed. We learned that the buildings were purposely left "unfinished" with lots of rebar sticking out of almost every building--because they can avoid paying taxes on properties that are not completed! Egypt's new president has just made a new law giving everyone time limits on which to complete construction projects before they MUST start paying taxes. Cairo is very dirty with lots of trash everywhere. There are 22 million people living in Cairo alone, and 85 million in the whole country.

Ahmed, our Egyptologist, gave us all one of the middle eastern sheik hat things as a fun gift. David wore his when we out to see the pyramids and had it grabbed right off his head from a vendor who thought that David stole it from him without paying! The two of them played tug-of-war with the dang sheik hat for about 30 seconds while the vendor was screaming at David.

We got to go inside the biggest of the three pyramids. We climbed up steep ramps while we we were bent over--the ceilings were only about 4 feet high in the tunnels.

The Sphinx is HUGE! There are tunnels running through, and between the legs os the half man (for wisdom) and half lion (for bravery)
We also saw Egypt's 2nd most important discovery--a solar boat--all 141 feet of it! They found it buried outside Cheop's pyramid. It ia made of cedar and it is still in remarkable condition. It was one of the items that was buried with the pharaoh for everlasting life.

WE went on a camel ride! The camel stands up with it's back legs first, so you practically go head first off the camel, but you just have to lean back as far as you can.

Next, we had lunch at the Mena House Oberoi--a hotel with the pyramids on it's doorstep. The hotel was built in the 1800's as a palace for Princess Eugenie (whoever she is).