Sphinx

The sphinx is right in front of the pyramids. It’s believed by some Egyptian historians that there were originally 2 sphinx guarding the entrance to the pyramids. As yet they’ve found no evidence for a second. Just near the sphinx is a mummification chamber. This is where the deceased body is brought in order for the 4 organs to be removed - only the heart & kidneys remain, seemingly cause they don’t go off or something. The brain is pulled out through the nose - gross! The chamber consists of a large slab, tilted slightly at one end to allow the blood & organs to drain away.
The Sphinx wasn’t as large as I had assumed it would be. But it is impressive. Tourists are kept well away from the sphinx so as not to damage it. It looked as though some restoration work had been carried out on the rear of the statue.
As we were taking some photos, there were these east European girls, probably not older than 18, who were flaunting their bodies for all to see in mini skirts, tiny shorts & skimpy tops. Our group of women was shocked at the disrespect they were showing the culture. I vowed that at one point on the tour, I would approach someone who was so inappropriately dressed & ask them why they were doing it. But I just didn't get another chance.

Pyramids of Giza

The pyramids are in the centre of Cairo & really dominate the skyline. There are 3 of them at Giza, the largest being for Cheops, a slightly smaller one called Khafre, & another even smaller one called Menkaure We actually got to go inside the 2nd largest one. Entering from the side, we climbed down these stairs, then along a corridor, then up some more steep stairs, then in to a final chamber. It felt as if the air had all but disappeared in the small space with all the tourists huffing & puffing their way along the route. When I got to the chamber I almost immediately had to turn around again cause I just couldn’t suck in the air I needed. But it was well worth the little claustrophobic adventure.
After a while, the wind started to really pick up & there were mini dust storms happening around us, even the swirling baby tornados you often see in the movies of the desert. It felt like you were unable to protect yourself from the dust - now I can see why they wear those head scarves - an absolute necessity in the desert.
Every so often we’d see the tourist police chasing off some dodgy salesman selling dodgy goods to tourists. But just as quickly, they’d be back selling their wares again. A few people on the tour opted for a camel ride, organised by the tourist police which they said was well worth the money paid for it.

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.

Pyramid Light Show

I was completely convinced that I should go see this light show, but I thought that it would be a shame if I missed it & it ended up being really good. So, I paid the 175 EP & went along with several of the other group members. I should have gone with my gut instinct - it was crap! Felt like something out of the 1970’s with Orson Welles doing the voice over & this overly-dramatic background music. These lights partially lit up the pyramids & a laser show attempted to convey some of the more factual information about how them. Luckily it only went for 50 mins cause I was itching to get out of there.