Around the World

I climbed out of bed and into a taxi. It was cold and dark. We made it to the airport without getting lost. We shard a taxi with Victoria, the girl that got stabbed. We flew to Cairo on Egypt Air without a problem. I could see some pyramids as we came into land. We met Daniel and Chris (from Los Gatos, CA) on the plane and agreed to share a taxi. I left my big duffle bag in an airport locker stuffed with all my cold weather clothing (which I will later regret).

We went to the Sun Hotel, a backpacker hostel, then walked to the Nile Hilton to got some money from an ATM, and then ate lunch at a nearby cafe. I got a book on Cairo and checked email at an internet cafe for $4/hour. I had a good milkshake at McDonalds and we looked for people to go see the sound and light show but everyone was just going to stay at the hotel and talk. The weather was Hot butbut the air was clear. We at Koshari for dinner. It is one of the most popular, inexpensive, and common dishes in Egypt, and many restaurants specialize in this one dish. It consists of a base of rice, brown lentils, chickpeas, macaroni, and a topping of Egyptian garlic and vinegar and spicy tomato sauce (salsa). Fried onions are commonly added as a garnish.

I went back to the cyber cafe from 10-11:30pm. There were still many people out and about at that hour. I walked back through the underground walkway and slept well that evening.

We went on a bus tour to Giza Pyramids and Saqarra (Step Pyramid and 3 tombs). We had to walk through some horse stables where they tried to get us to hire a camel. Everyone asked for Bakhish (begging for money) even if they weren't doing something or selling us anything.

My first impression was of amazement. The Sphinx was beautiful and the pyramids enormous. We walked up to Chephren's Pyramid and went inside. I had to bend over to go down and up the passage way. There was a large burial chamber with a sarcophagus in the center. I laid down in it. I felt like a dead pharaoh. I really liked exploring the pyramids.

Our bus took us to Saqqara next. We saw the Mastaba of Meruda. Mereruka was the vizier to king Teti, who was the first pharaoh of the 6th dynasty Old Kingdom period of Egypt. Our last stop was the step pyramid of Djoser.

Saqqara itself was the first necropolis for the early pharaohs. With many tombs still believed to be awaiting discovery, it is Egypt's largest historical site. Djoser's funerary complex, including the imposing though now crumbling Step Pyramid, dates right back to 2667-2648 BC. To walk here is to feel geology reclaiming its own - the winds gradually wearing down the weathered pyramid stones, their grains returning to the surrounding sea of sand from which the pyramids seem to have arisen.

A local in his robe told us of a hidden tomb that he could show us for baksheesh. We took a narrow spiral staircase deep into the ground and saw three recently discovered tombs. There was barely enough room to crawl into the different chambers. When we were at the deepest point our self appointed guide demanded more baksheesh to take us back up. I said once we get to out we will pay him. But after we exited we just walked away.

In the evening we headed for the train station for our overnight trip to Luxor. Ramses Railway Station is the main railway station of Cairo, Egypt. The name is derived from the Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II whose statue was erected by Nasser on the square in 1955. We had our stock of drinks and snacks ready for the overnight trip.