Giza plateau

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Our first full day in Egypt was a real highlight of the trip as we visited the pyramids at the Giza plateau. Although our scheduled visit on the tour was not until the end of the holiday we had a welcome change to see them at the start (due to some protesting in Tahir square). There are three main pyramids Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus and the sight of them did not disappoint. Breathtaking in sheer size, creation and craftmanship and surprising to think that they have been there for thousands of years while the city of Cairo and Giza have built up around them.

We had the opportunity to go inside the Great Pyramid of Cheops. It was amazing inside. We climbed steeply up into a chamber near the top of the pyramid. Inside we discovered a tomb. The walls are very thick with one metre blocks and there were no gaps in the joins. A real feat of engineering and staggering to think that this was built over 4000 years ago! It was hard work climbing back down and I imagined the hundreds and thousands of builders who would have worked inside this tomb over the years.

We then drove to a great vantage point of all three pyramids where Richard decided to go on a camel ride! I declined having been on a few camel rides in my time and wanting to just enjoy the scene before me. After the pyramids we moved onto the timeless and enigmatic Sphinx another monument of outstanding beauty and hard to describe the sheer size unless you are there.

Before the sleeper train to Luxor in the evening we also visited the Al Azhar mosque and bazaar. Tomorrow would be a very long and tiring day with the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Luxor temples!

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