How'd they do that? A report from Cairo.

So, here is the question of the day -- when stuck in the Queen Alia airport for 6 hours, what do you do exactly? Frappucino at Starbucks? Cinnabon? Personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut? Or perhaps chicken strips from Popeye's? Ahhh, globalization. But my answer may surprise you -- bring your own food! Even with the smells of America in the air, the airport itself makes even the familiar unappealing. That's not to say that I didn't partake in a banana java chip frap at Starbuck's -- but I was using the coffee to get to the comfy chairs!

Observation: Lots of burkas at the airport. Like, tons of women all covered up in black. I don't know if I have ever seen that kind of thing in person before...and it's totally weird...especially in a post 9/11, "Reading Lolita in Tehran", "Kite Runner" sort of way. Do you think that women in burkas blog?

Okay, so I am in Cairo...joined a tour with Imaginative Traveler. You can see my full itinerary here. I am on Day 2. The Pyramids, the Sphinxes, the Egyptian Museum. All cliches aside, and considering that I don't have very long to sit at this internet storefront (so clean!) and compose the best blog ever, I will tell you this -- they're pretty freakin' amazing. They're exactly what you think they are, but bigger.

We had a great tour guide today, and the thought that most often came up was "how'd they do it?" I mean, really, HOW DID THEY DO IT? How did they do all of these things...the beautiful sculptures carved by diamonds, the perfect mummification and preservation of humans and animals...the SIZE of the pyramids themselves....I mean, really.

I am being a huge dork and taking notes as I am touring around the city. I wish I had the time to write all of the crazy things I have found out and the amazing stories I have heard. But here's a few:

Did you know that...

Gravity in the center of the Giza pyramids is .4 m/s less than all other parts of the earth?

Part of the Giza Pyramids are made of limestone, which is found in a quarry over 42 miles away from the site? 6 million blocks were carried 42 miles...by who? How?

The suburbs here are named after important dates in history? For example, there is an Oct 6 City, which is named after the day of the last war with Israel...it is a legacy of peace.

There are 97 pyramids...and each pyramid has its own sphinx?

The difference between a Pharaoh and a King? A Pharaoh is a King AND a God. A King is only a King.

They have found Chinese silk in some tombs?

One thousand armed guards watch over the Egyptian Museum every night?

The cheapest artifact in the Egyptian Museum is 7.5 million US Dollars?

"Sara" means "daughter of Ra, the Sun God" in Arabic?

***Funny story...the guy at Passport Control looked at my name on the passport and asked me if I was Arabic. I said no. He asked me again, and said my name out loud: "Sah-rah Fateh. That is Arabic." Um, no. I am American. "Your father, he is Arabic?" Um, no. He is American. He said again, "Sah-rah Fait-yeh. Arabic. You sure you not from Arabic?" To which I reply, "Um, maybe like 5,000 years ago." Luckily, he didn't hear me...he just looked at my passport again, said, "Sah-rah Fay-tiyeh," and gave it the official stamp. Hilarious.***

OK, before I go...a note about my travel companions, along with a pledge to be done with solo travel...There are 8 women altogether, including me. Plus a guide (more of a coordinator than guide, really). There is a mom and her two daughters from Ireland. Two chicks from Australia, and two women (in their 50s?) from England. None of which, I am sorry to say, are very nice at all! I mean, sometimes I come across as too friendly (yeah, believe it or not) and scare people away...but these people don't even have common decency and manners...like clearly they know I am by myself...have they offered to take a pic of me? I have no proof of my camel ride at the pyramids b/c they wouldn't take my picture! I am not joking! The good news is that we will join more people on the M/S Melodie, our Nile "cruise" boat, and hopefully I will be able to "play nice" with someone on the boat...otherwise it will be a long week!

Don't worry about me, though...I am actually having a pretty amazing time -- I mean, I saw the freakin' Pyramids at Giza today! How cool is that?

Tonight, overnight train to Aswan, and some other stuff I am sure will be totally captivating. Glad I got a chance to blog about it before it's too distant a memory!

Love,
Sara

P.S. Bread and cheese for breakfast today! Feels just like last summer! :)

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