8th Nov - Day Two - The Oldest Pyramid

The next day we had put our bags in the lobby by 7:30, grab a quick breakfast, & be in the bus by 10:00. We were. Our first stop was the oldest pyramid in all of Egypt called the Step Pyramid based at Saqqara. I bought some ‘professional’ postcards for 5EP as recommended by our guide, Big Mo (Mohammed), which were anything but professional. Think the shots may have been taken back in the 1970s too. We were warned by Mo that there would be scams in operation there. A typical one being someone wrapping a scarf around your head, getting a photo & then asking money from you. And they were there, trapping unsuspecting travellers who fell for it time & again.
The actual pyramid itself was on its last legs, as would be expected for a pyramid that’s been around since the 27th century BC. And, strangely, they were doing some kind of renovation work on the exterior, which looked completely fake & out of place. The king built this pyramid as he didn’t believe royals should be buried alongside ordinary folk, which had been happening to this point in time. So he had this step pyramid built, adding steps on until he was finally satisfied with having 6 of them in place. Aside from the pyramid, there were several other bits & pieces floating around - broken statues, like house temples, etc. Good place for a first stop on Egyptian history.