Adventures in Giza

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March 21st 2007

Published: March 21st 2007

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Chivalry

Underexposed Shot of Khaffre...

and the small pyramid that i forgot the name

Overall, Giza did not give me a very good impression.. in fact.. i quite dislike the place.. maybe becos of all those hassling.. Mark Twain (i think.. not big on details, remember?) once said something like Giza's hassling for baksheesh or business causes suffering that no pen can write.. (in his better literary proses of course.. not big on details.. remember? =) by the time u get to the pyramids.. you are quite tired already..

ok, remember how i entered into the mummy's display from the exit? I think i've developed quite a knack for it.. I did it again! I entered the pyramid grounds from the sphinx side.. well, that's where my driver dropped me off.. so i walked in the pyramid direction.. went past some guards, they didn't stop me.. and i was looking out for the ticket office all the way.. then i realized that.. hey, I'm at the sphinx area.. i'm already in! oops.. i did it again..

Well.. that saved me 50LE if my i-Card didn't work, and 25LE if they accepted my 'student' status...

So I did it the other way round.. started at the Sphinx.. then I skipped The pyramid

Sphinxy and Khaffre

Taken at the entrance.. erm.. the exit..

of Khaffre (the middle one is Khaffre i think).. and went straight for Khufu.. You can supposedly enter into the tomb of the pyramid of Khufu, but they limit the number of tickets sold to 300 / day.. released half at 8am, and the remainder at 1pm.. By the time I reached Khufu, it was already 330pm, and the ticket office is closed.. groan... no tomb raiding experience for me.. guess i can only tour the external of the pyramids..

Walked around Khufu.. went to Khaffre... by the time i reached Khaffre.. it's 4pm.. and the grounds close at 4pm during winter!! oh no!!! The guards started chasing people out.. and I have yet to spend enough time with these wonders of the world!! despair...

EVENING IN THE DESERT

Then I remembered that you can ride horses in the desert south of the pyramids till sunset.. so i saw a few horse ride peddlars.. and walked towards them.. true enough, one of them walked briskly towards me.. and quoted me 10LE for a horse ride.. 10LE?? wow! so cheap? I asked, 10LE go to desert? he answered yes! Maybe inside the grounds is cheaper.. so i said

Me and my horsey!

Next to mine.. the guide's horse

ok.. and we started riding off into the desert...

You know, living in Singapore.. makes you forget that when things seem too good to be true, they probably are.. soon after on the horse.. Mr Horse Guy started telling me 10LE is only for taking picture on horse with the pyramids.. Then i told him but you said 10LE goes to the desert! if it's not 10LE, i'll get off the horse now.. then he stopped me.. and we argued over price for quite some time.. then i told him 30LE/hr.. he say ok.. we rode some more.. then he pulled out the 30LE/hr/horse.. and we have 2 horses trick.. wah.. sibeh xian.. thru out the horse rides i've been doing nothing but talking prices.. in the end he said, (which many other egyptian tourist opportunists will say) "ok, my friend, don't look at the money.. look at the happy! no money now... after horse tour, if you are happy, you pay me.. if you are not, you don't pay me.." whatever.. bs talk.. anyway, i needed to escape from the guards into the desert.. so we continued riding..

but ok lah.. he did bring me to this

Riding into the desert..

The desert sand here is not fine at all.. very coarse.. strewn with rocks..

mound where you can have a good view of 9 pyramids in total.. the big on Khufu, the 2nd biggest one Khaffre, and the smaller one (forgot the name..).. there are also 6 smaller pyramids that resemble rubbles piled into a pyramid shaped.. those belonged to the queens of the pharoahs.. so total 9...

i wanted to stay until sunset.. so we rode some more.. stopping occasionally to take photos.. during one of these occasions, I took out my froggie beanbag that i use for stabling the camera on uneven surfaces for long exposure shots.. he asked to take a look at it.. i gave it to him.. and didn't realized he did not return it back to me only until the next day... Robbers! Crooks! @#%&^%$%@! !!! Bye bye froggie.. no more beanie..

We continued riding.. and then he told me 2 hours is almost up.. if you want to continue, you want to add one more hour? and all these when we haven't agreed on a /hr rate.. so i told him, why not you leave me here in the desert.. I'll stay for sunset and walk back myself later.. he say ok.. so i took

Tips of the pyramids

Peaking thru the mounds in the desert

out 60LE and gave it to him.. he say, no no no no no no no.. 60LE too little.. i told him but you said whatever i'm willing to give, you are willing to take.. so.. argue argue.. i called him a liar.. then he started wanting my watch.. i of cos said no.. in the end i emptied my pockets, and there were only 2LE left after giving him the 60LE.. i told him that's all i can give man.. i student.. i no rich man.. i cannot give more.. more argument.. in the end.. managed to get him to walk off with only 60LE.. wah.. tired.. Again, agree price already later can change one..

Anyways.. after he's gone.. (BAH! GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!!) i'm left with myself in the desert.. some other travellers on a distant mound.. so just enjoyed the view.. the feeling of being in the desert and looking at the pyramids.. sun's setting soon.. and i started walking up the tallest mound to get a good view of the sunset in the west.. I'm glad i went for the reci trip on my first day.. at least i know what time the sun sets.. and what

Pyramids and Cairo

You can see the city of Cairo againt the Pyramids from here

time it gets dark.. very useful... you'll see later..

The sunset is not too bad.. and the setting sun's light on the pyramids is just pure beauty.. watching the pyramids change from orange under the bright sun.. to gradually softer reddish orange.. then pink.. purple for a damn short amount of time.. and sun set..

After Sunset

After the sun has set.. ok, i now have the task of making out of this desert.. i am supposed to go across the desert to the east, and make my way to the sphinx exit, which is in the east.. but the lure of the pyramids is just too great.. and what's more.. there's nobody in the pyramid grouds now! so.. instead of going east.. i went north.. towards the looming pyramids...

it was a pretty exhilarating feeling.. you feel like an ancient traveller, travelling across the desert towards Giza.. and the pyramids just got bigger and bigger in front of you.. and light is slowly failing.. you dun want to be stuck in the pyramid grouds in total darkness.. ok, i have my headlight with me... but yah.. i prefer darkness.. haha..

Finally.. i arrived at

Pyramids at Sunset

From another angle...

the pyramids! the closest one was the small pyramid that i forgot its name.. with the 3 tiny pyramids of his queens.. there was still a fair amount of light then.. so i decided to poke around for a bit.. found this entrance to the tomb.. dunno whether it's open to tourists..

The moon has risen up above the pyramids by this time.. and i dunno whether it was jupiter or venus besides the crescent moon.. I have another 15mins also before it gets dark.. and then the Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids will start..

Then I heard Arabic voices!! and saw 2 uniformed figures starting towards me.. i quickly kept my camera in the bag.. and pretended to look lost.. it was a real pity.. i just found this gateway to the small pyramid.. looking down the gateway.. the gateway on the side.. pyramid in the centre.. moon and planet on top.. wah.. really nice.. i want to take picture!! But the police are quite close already.. so bo bian =( why can't they discover me 5 mins later? 5 mins.. is all i need..

Anyway.. they came.. and questioned me.. in Arabic.. i

Desert Sunset

explained myself in English.. we all dun understand each other.. so i acted out a scene of me running out to the desert at 230pm.. forgot the time.. and came back too late.. pretended to be panting and tired.. and damn happy to see them.. they half believed me.. and asked me for my tickets.. oh shit! i entered thru the exit!! so i pretended to fumble for my tickets.. fumble fumble.. fumble fumble.. until they say it's ok.. no need ticket already..

And all these under the Great Pyramids.. under the beautiful moon and dusklight.. quite an experience... to negotiate with police under the pyramids.. haha.. in the end, they pointed me the direction of the exit, and wanted me to make a beeline to it.. i pretended to be very grateful for now knowing where the exit is.. and started off..

It was pretty dark now.. and i can see only like 3m in front of me.. and then, the Sound and Light Show started.. and I'm watching it in the midst of it.. haha... took some photos of all these on my handphone cos it's more easily readied.. can't post them now.. will post when

Chart a course!

North! Straight! Towards the pyramids!

i get back.. or when i get my hands on a microSD card reader.. took some videos too.. wanted to make it look like Blair Witch Project.. only this is like more Blair Phaorah Project.. haha... but didn't succeed.. my nostrils not big enough.. ehheh!

After walking for like 10 mins.. i was like a little lost.. and it became quite dark.. i got a little worried.. haha.. what if bad people come and attack me now? so i took out my monopod.. and used it for aiding me to walk in the sand.. and for ready retailiation.. then i saw the silouette of a person riding a camel.. and headed towards it.. and like i guessed, he was one of those tourist police.. to serve and protect tourist like me! .. he was shocked to see me.. and unhappy of cos.. but in the end, he brought me to a tent, and asked one of his colleagues to see me out..

It was pretty cool.. walking out of the pyramid grounds in the dark.. and watchnig the Sound and Light show behind you at the same time.. haha.. So give it a shot if you have the

Getting nearer..

One last mound to climb!

chance to do it.. be careful not to fall into any quicksands or fall into an undiscovered tomb.. at least that's what i was imagining then.. =)

OUT OF THE PYRAMID GROUNDS

Once out, I was in front of the entrance to the Pyramid Sound and Light shows.. 3 shows per night in winter, with schedules for english, frence and other language.. Tickets are at 60LE.. not sure about student discounts.. it was english when i was still walking out.. so.. it was 30mins into the show.. which i sort of watched.. with 30mins to go.. i was debating whether to go in.. i was tired.. i needed a place to sit down.. and i didn't pay the 50LE to get into the pyramids.. so.. ok lah. .spend the 60LE to go inside..

The show is so so.. lights and sounds no spectacular.. but good for learning the history of Egypt in association with these pyramids.. I wouldn't pay the 60LE to watch it tho.. but you won't know until you did..

Stayed behind in the toilet to wash up after the show.. by the time i came out, the french show has started.. so hey,

Arrival at the Pyramids!

Can touch, taste and smell.. so close..

why not, watch again! haha.. watched the first half of the french show to redeem the full value of myticket.. it was 8pm, my train's at 10pm. .time to go back hotel..

So i got out.. this guy approached me.. Taxi? he asked.. i said yes.. Midan Talaat Harb, 20 LE! I thought i was generous.. guidebook said in 2004 cab ride should cost no more than US$1.50 for that distance.. i'm paying close to $4.. more than double.. he said ok.. we got onto the car..

Midway into the journey.. the guy started saying 20LE is too 'small'.. (they use small for little).. started complaining.. i reminded him that he agreed to 20LE, that's why i got into his car.. then has asked me why not take the metro? he send me to Giza Metro, and i can take the train back to my hotel.. i told him, no.. our agreement was Midan Talaat Harb.. he mummbled something and drove on... then we reached Midan Tahrir, about 5mins walk from Midan Talaat Harb, where my hotel is.. and he asked if i can get down here, so he doesn't have to drive into the heavy traffic.. by

The Tomb at Small Pyramid

To enter or not to enter.. Is that a question?

this time, i was pretty pissed and tired already.. so i said ok.. so i got out of the cab, and threw him the 20LE..

What's up with all these agreement things with Egyptians anyway!! They can just decide to not honour the prior agreement.. or at least talk their way out of it.. that's three in one day! First the driver, then the stupid frog-stealing horseman.. and then now the driver-nextdoor from Giza.. GGgrrrrrr!! Tired tired..

Went back to hotel.. picked up backpack.. rested at the courtyard for a bit.. and then headed to the train station.. What a day!! Made me wished I had paid for the US$60 sleeper to Luxor instead of the 1st class overnight seats.. Met some travellers at the station.. nabe.. kena suan for buying first class tickets.. they all buy second class.. haha.. but i got student price! my first class cheaper than your second class! hehe.. will say more on the train ride next entry..

COMING UP
My train ride from Cairo to Luxor
My two days in Luxor

It's 11pm now.. 23rd March.. the pyramid entries are all backdated.. dunno if I wanna blog some more tonight..

Sphinx and Pyramid 2

The cliche shot that just need to be taken.. notice the pigeons(?) that has made the great sphinx's face their home? Totally diminishes its greatness..

maybe will save the luxor entries till tomorrow.. I'm taking that 7am train to Aswan tomorrow.. first thing to do. .buy the 26th March ferry ticket to Sudan! The ferry runs once a week.. if i can't get the ticket. i'll have one week full of blogging time till the next ferry..

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