After our first meeting at the hotel, my new tour group went to check out one of the marketplaces in Cairo, and had dinner together. The next morning, our very first activity was to go visit the Pyramids of Giza. They are huge, the area is vast, and the unregulated tourism seemed unfortunate. Having been raped of their casings (exterior) and treasures (interior), I’d think they would be better protected now? Further, because of their immensity, they are better experienced from a distance – up close they seem just piles of rocks and their shapes hard to discern. In addition to regulating both the tourists and the sellers of souvenirs and camel rides, they should seek to restore the surroundings, to rebuild what the area might have been like before this venerable culture was swept away by the winds of time…
In addition to the Pyramids, we visited the Sphinx…
Around lunch time, we also visited a papyrus art shop…
Next we went to the Egyptian Museum, a vast archive of the antiquities saved from the tomb raiders and looters of the pyramids. More than the pyramids themselves, the artifacts in this century+ old museum demonstrate the artistry and philosophy of the Ancient Egyptians. And, this is where the King Tut exhibit, which has famously traveled the world, is permanently displayed (but it’s one exhibit that you cannot photograph):. Our tour guide, Hassaam, was clearly in his element, having studied here for years, and excited about telling us some interesting details and backstories, including about the Rosetta Stone, which the British Museum is unwilling to return to Egypt…!
More of the Egyptian Museum…
Even more of the Egyptian Museum…
After a full day of exploring, we went back to the hotel to freshen up before our night train to Aswan. My roommate Bram from Toronto had his 39th birthday. The train station was impressive, and brand new. The dining car (“club car”) was great, but the rest of the train had a lot of miles on it…
Was that only one day…?!