.:: The Daily Cowbell ::.: Blogging the Nile | Pyramids and Camels, Sphinxes and Pizza Huts, and kushari

CAIRO, EGYPT – So the pyramids are kickin’. That’s the best way to put it: kickin’.

Three Observations

Seeing the Big 3. Today was the big day, the entire reason (almost) for visiting Egypt, the single most recognizable image associated with this country, and the only remaining member of the 7 Wonders of the (ancient) World: the Pyramids of Giza. From the moment I woke up, I bustled around, hurrying so we could get to our goal of the day as quick as possible.

After a walk to Saray el Kobba, a crowded 8:30am “rush hour” subway trip to Giza, and a 15 LE taxi trip to Pyramid Road, there we were, in front of the giants. You know, when I was in Europe this summer, there were so many incredible things I saw, but the greatest were the “freaking spots”: places that were so magnificent, I prefixed them with the word “freaking.” I saw the “freaking Eiffel Tower”, the “freaking Coliseum,” the “freaking Leaning Tower of Pisa”, and one of my favorites, “freaking Venice.” However, the “freaking Pyramids” are an image that’s forever burned in my mind, a step above “freaking.” In pictures, they’re simply large three-dimensional triangles in the middle of the desert, but in person, they take your breath away.

I stepped out of the taxi and just marveled in solitude at the big guys for a few seconds. Now I’m in Egypt. Wow. That solitude was short, though, as immediately, Lauran and I were harassed by a man in a shop to take a 160 LE camel-ride around the site. I wasn’t too certain at first, but the thought worked inside my head. Wait, ride a camel around the Great Pyramids? What could be more quintessential Egyptian? Within 10 minutes, I had the price worked down to 80 LE, including the 40 LE site entrance fee.

I hopped on my dromedary (incredibly uncomfortable – waaaaay wider than a horse. Little do I know that in a few hours, I’ll be begging for an icepack to soothe my aching groin) and began the trip. We rode around the side of the Pyramids, eventually climbing a steep sand dune (The camel had no problem – I almost fell off, face planted, and ate sand.)

Then, we were there; I was standing face to face with them. The tallest man-made object in the world for a few thousand years (until that Eiffel Tower came around – damn French, screwin’ up everything…), they simply tower above you in a way the mind can’t even comprehend. You can drop all the numbers you want – 480 feet tall, almost 500 feet per side, over two million blocks with an average weight of 2.5 tons (although some are 15 tons), 6 million ton total weight – but it won’t make a difference. They’re just big.

We got off the camel to explore the inside of Khafre (more on this later), hopped back on to look at Menkaure (the smallest of the big 3) and ride past the miniature Queen’s Pyramids, and went into camel 1st-gear up the incline of a hill a few hundred yards away. There we got off and took the priceless pictures we’ll show off first when we get home. *sigh* Amazing. You look one way, and you see the pyramids, just staring right back at you. Turn slightly to the right, and you’ll clearly see the smog, brick, and steel that is Cairo. Turn around, and there’s nothing but miles and miles of Lawrence of Arabia sand. The scene was simply stunning, and one day, I hope to be a good enough writer to adequately describe the panorama to you.

After the quick stop, we came back towards the entrance, stopping to grab some sand for the “fans” back at Maxwell. We got haggled by the man giving us the tour for another 20 or 30 LE, and while I was irritated he was pulling this little stunt, My satisfaction of what I’d just seen won, and I gave in. We got back to the camel place, thanked our guides, and breathed a sigh of relief. Riding around the Great Pyramids of Giza on a camel… check.

Exploring. One of the coolest things I wanted to try out was actually going inside one of the mammoths, and while Khufu, the largest, seemed like the logical choice, I was conviced by our camel-leaders that it was a waste of money. “For 1/4th the price, you can go to Khafre and see the exact same thing.” Hey, don’t have to tell me twice!

We paid, got into a stuffy, slow moving line, waited in the Egyptian sun Ra for far too long, and finally stepped up to the entrance of the pyramid. It was an incredibly long ramp, maybe 100 yards, and down, at a 30 degree angle. The height of the tunnel couldn’t have been more than 5 feet, and it was just wide enough for one person to pass (even though it was a two-way street). After squat-walking for a while, I made it to the halfway point – a small, flat chamber with an up-ramp on the other end. I wiped my brow, squatted down, and went another 100 yards up this time, finally ending up in the tomb chamber. All that’s left is a polished black marble sarcophogous that used to hold Mr. Khafre himself, but now lies empty. The room was dimly lit, realatively cool (compared to the paths I’d just walked), and spacious. While there wasn’t a lot to look at, I took the breather and considered I’m in a pyramid! Looking at tombs!

Squat-walking the entire way down and up again, I felt my stomach starting to grumble. I wanted to grab a little something to much on, but there was more to do. We found our guide and camel again, finished our tour, and headed next for the Great Sphinx, a pretty big disappointment. Yes, it’s probably the 2nd more recognizable icon in Egypt, but you couldn’t get closer than 500 feet to it, couldn’t tour or touch it, and really could only stand and get your picture with it. Weeeeeeeeak.

For that reason, lunch was my #2 coolest moment of the day; finally, after months of not touching American food or an American brand, I got to eat Pizza Hut (some little BBQ Chicken Rolls – do we have those at home? Yummy…) and KFC brand fries at the restaurant across from complex. Just right outside my window, the way you’d look at the highway or an office building, I was looking at a Wonder of the World. Awesome.

Maxwell’s music program is wonderful. After we returned to Cairo, we took some time to walk around the Ataba market before returning home (with a quick detour for some much-needed internet). On the way back, we stopped at a little side-store that sold kushari, my new favorite food in the world. Basically, it’s just noodles, rice, lentils, tomato sauce, and some fried onions on top. Then they toss it into a baggie or plastic container, and away you go! It’s pretty much the most incredible food ever. Plus for 2 or 3 LE (like 50 cents) for a bowl that I can barely finish in one sitting, it’s the perfect combination ever: cheap and delicious!

From there, we swung by the guesthouse to chow on the kushari, and then came back outside, next door, to the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Cairo to watch Nile Union Academy’s Christmas program. In a nutshell, it sucked pretty bad, and I was appreciative that Enterprise and Maxwell were both schools with relatively strong music programs, unlike NVA. Whew, can someone, anyone, hit a C? No little girl, that was a B flat. No little boy, that was a… what was that? Like an R?