A day in Cairo

A day in Cairo

First stop: The pyramids!

After a 30 minute taxi ride thru the hugest city I have ever been in, suddenly the driver yells out, “Pyramid!  Giza!” and all I could think and say was… “whoa”….  They are HUGE!  Then came the hassling….sir!  This way!  No entrance that way!  Camel ride?  Donkey ride?  Taxi ride?  Which continued the entire visit….”sir!  You can’t walk!  I give you good deal!  What you want to pay?  Come on!  It’s slow day!  What you pay?  30!  30?  Ok.  15!  FIFTEEEEEEEEEN!  Sir?  SIR!!!!!!” Every stereotype you hear about of Egyptians…they are all true at the pyramids!!  

We walked.  It was a long walk.  A hot walk.  We were waaaaaay thirsty, but!  It was awesome!  There is nothing like burning sand on your feet and scorching heat on your head to make you really appreciate the pyramids and respect the desert.  How people must have suffered to move those giant boulders into place…I can’t even imagine! 

The sphinx?  A lot smaller than I anticipated in comparison to the giant goliaths behind it!  They really are mind blowing, and even with the giant tourist buses, annoying camel riders and the hoards of pictures being snapped all around you, there is a reason why so many people come.  It’s amazing!!!

Second stop: The Egyptian museum!

After a quick Fanta drink on the street, we were off to find the Egyptian museum! 

Although photos are not allowed, the wonders that are stored in wooden/glass boxes with typed index cards that are 30 years old in 3 different languages taped to a corner are incredible!!!!  Although, when you are looking at an ancient Egyptian mummy that is way old and all it says in typewriter print on the 3 x 5 card is: mummy

Well……I could do with a few more descriptives!

We did get to see mummified: crocodile, dog, baboon and goose!  (in case the mummies get hungry in their after life!)

Next to the mummified mammals?  Why, King Tut’s (Tutankhamen’s) spare closet!!!  Complete with the King Tut tomb, the tomb inside the tomb and all his special hats and candy cane cane’s, jewels, gems etc!  (I didn’t know who Tutankhamen was…in the States, I only heard of King Tut!)

The museum is filled with two floors of unending priceless incredible artifacts…it’s almost too much to take in in one day.  I had no idea that the Greeks had taken over Egypt!  To see an ancient looking Egyptian statue with a Greek looking face and curly hair was quite a trip!  I'd never imagined!  We also got to see a painting of the king of midgets!!!!  How cool is that?!?

There were plenty of groups of tourists walking thru with their earpieces and their mini skirts each with their own special guide walking them thru the top ten must sees of the museum…it just gets tough when they block off the entire hallway and there is no way around...
... but seriously, one of the coolest museums I’ve even seen!