Day 3 – One Less Item on the Bucket List: Pyramids … Check!

Now that I was actually in Cairo, I could start doing, you know, the things you do when you’re in Cairo. And if you ask anyone who’s ever been here, that means one thing in particular: seeing the Pyramids of Giza. So that was the first thing Sean, Jamie, and I were going to check off our list. The manager at our hotel set up a taxi driver to take us around for the day, so we set out around 8am to try to beat the crowds.

Everybody knows about the Great Pyramids, the last remaining of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, but not as many people visit the “other” pyramids just south of there. So that’s exactly what we did. First we went to Saqqara to see the Step Pyramid of Zoser, which is believed to be the oldest pyramid in the world. It has five different levels, each going up a step at a time – hence the name. It was cool to see this, because of how old it was, but it certainly wasn’t overwhelming in stature or looks. There were some cool temples and ruins around the area, too, and an informative little museum about the origins of pyramid-building.

We then went to Dahshur, the site of the first true pyramid. (The Step Pyramid is older, but it doesn’t have the same features – mostly the smooth outer layer – that we have come to recognize on pyramids.) This thing was huge – 105 meters tall! And it was built at a 43 degree angle, which may not sound like much, but when you’re standing at the bottom – or climbing up its steps – it’s pretty steep. Not to mention the fact of being one of the laborers actually building it. We were able to go inside this pyramid, which was super-cool. We followed a small passage down to the bottom of the middle of the pyramid, where it opened up into three different huge rooms. The ceilings were probably 40 or 50 feet high, which I definitely was not expecting. The passage down was certainly not one for people that are claustrophobic, but I loved it! It was just fun to crawl down into a pyramid and know that there used to be tons of old relics and yes, mummies, down there.

Having received our first dose of pyramids, we headed to Giza to see the big ones. On our way, we stopped at a small local place to grab a quick lunch. We had heard about the amazing Egyptian street food, so we were excited to try some. The dish we had is called ‘kushari,’ and essentially it’s just like leftovers put together. It consists of rice, noodles, and lentils, with some sauce. It sounds basic – which it is – but it’s so good! And so cheap! Before we left, we bought some freshly made pita bread – again, amazing! After our carbo-load lunch, we were off to Giza.

We didn’t have a guide for either of the first pyramid sites, which was nice to have the freedom to just walk around and take pictures at our own leisure, though there was undoubtedly an educational piece missing (which was an acceptable sacrifice). But at Giza, we decided it’d be better to use a guide, because there was so much more to see. So our taxi driver took us to a man he knew, who offered us a pretty good package deal that included all the entrance fees, a guide, and a camel ride. So yes, I’ve done the stereotypical “ride a camel in Egypt in front of the Pyramids” thing. And it was sweet!

There were two camels and one horse, so we rotated between the three of us throughout the next couple hours. And as cool as might be to experience riding a camel, I will gladly say that I prefer horses. Much more comfortable to ride, if you know what I mean.

We first rode up to a “mountain” – which was really just a bigger sand dune than most of the others in the area – which gave us a great view for pictures of the Pyramids. It’s kind of a bizarre spot, because looking one way, you just see barren desert with a few other pyramids in the background, and the other way you see the outskirts of Cairo. We could see the Giza Pyramids from a bridge in the middle of Cairo, but now in Giza, we could see endless amounts of sand. It’s just kind of interesting.

After getting some good pictures, we rode down much closer to the pyramids, which really gives you that feeling of awe when you’re standing right in front of them. Again, these things are massive structures, and it’s incredible when you think about the logistics of building them. Especially with the kind of “technology” they used back then (i.e. manpower).

After getting our fill of the pyramids, we moved on to the Sphinx. This was cool to see, but I was a bit underwhelmed by it. I think it almost looks better in pictures than it actually does in person, which is pretty rare. It’s not nearly as big as I thought it would be, and definitely has not stood the test of time as well as the pyramids. But still, cool to see it.

After the Sphinx, we had a long ride back to the horse/camel stables, by which point we were hot, tired, sweaty, and ready to be out of the sun. Luckily, there was a papyrus museum just around the corner, and that’s where our little guided tour ended. It was air-conditioned, they brought us cold drinks, and showed us how the original papyrus sheets were made. It was a really cool process to watch, and much simpler than I assumed. There were some awesome paintings on papyrus on display in the shop, but to no one’s surprise, they were the opposite of cheap. So, we left the store, got in our taxi, and rode back to the hotel.

For a nightcap, after showering, resting, and drinking lots of water, we walked through Cairo in search of dinner. We had heard that there was Oktoberfest going on at the Marriott hotel (Oktoberfest in Cairo? I know, right), so we made our way there to check it out. And although it might not have been as authentic as actually being in Germany, there was plenty of delicious German food – not to mention the “authentic” German music – to make you feel like you weren’t in Cairo anymore. So after a long day out in the sun, we ate to our heart’s content, and enjoyed the evening atmosphere. It’s not exactly the type of night you’d expect after a day of visiting the Pyramids, but it worked for us. After another pleasant stroll back to our hotel, we were ready for a good night’s sleep.