The Pyramids.....The Sphinx....and two very large cold beers each!!

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Friday 15th May
The Pyramids....The Sphinx...and two very large cold beers each
Man, are we enjoying a bathroom with a shower attached to a wall !!
The stress of being lost yesterday has diminished and we woke with a new determination not to let the layout of this confused and chaotic city beat us again.
The target today after our breakfast on the terrace is to be the Pyramids at Giza which is about 10km away from the downtown area.The hotel had offered us a driver for the day to take us there but the price at EGP250 or approxNZ$70 is not within the Benvie Budget Adventure and anyway a local A/C bus would only be EGP2 each way.
So even though the walk into the centre of town yesterday had been a challenge we did feel with a bit of planning and taking some lessons from yesterday we could actually speed up the journey time to town and the bus station.
How wrong we were to be !!
Fed and ready to step out we hit the streets which were much quieter than yesterday because this is their holy day and Government offices and Banks and some businesses are closed.
We were a bit surprised by the huge contingent of armed police and their buses in and around the mosque just a short distance from our hotel.We have deducted that mosques must be high on the target list for terrorist attacks which is sort of surprising because it would be muslim attacking muslim.Although with this country being a friend of the west perhaps it is not so surprising that terrorists might be trying to change the Governments attitude by attacking innocent citizens.
We kept to the other side of the road and walked briskly just in case!!
We also avoided the bazaar which took us ages to get through yesterday,and instead took a road that ran around the outside of the bazaar.Not that there wasn’t a large number of people using the road as well but at least you didn’t have to dodge people quite sol much.
Beggars do exist in this city but they are not so apparent amongst the large number of people walking on the pavement or sides of the road.And they are easier to pass.We haven’t seen any examples of young mothers cradling babies as we did in Athens.But perhaps we just haven’t been in the right street or we are averting our eyes at the right time.
We joined the 26th July Street,named after the date the British were kicked out of Egypt in 1956, and headed towards the Nile River which we knew we would have to hit at some stage.The street is wide,3 lanes in each direction and a small wall down the middle.
Locals were in a relaxed mood for their holy day and we had calls of “welcome” from them as we strolled by the shops.What strikes you is that it is almost exclusively men that are in the shops and puffing away on shahecca(?) pipes.Amazing looking gadgets that so complicated but probably aren’t.These are everywhere and we guess it is like NZer’s going down to the coffee shop to enjoy your favourite coffee.
Everyone we encountered were so friendly and none more so than the kids,principally boys,although we did get a group of 3 girls to giggle a bit when we told them we were from NZ.They didn’t have a clue where that is we are sure!!
The walk was now taking too long and we still hadn’t reached the square downtown where we needed to be to catch the bus to Giza and the Pyramids.So it was time to ask a local for directions.Initially we encoiuntered a your man who understood partial English but he was rescued by an older business looking person who spoke very clear and concise English and set us on the way with a new set of instructions.By now we were well clear of the bazaar type area and actually not too far off track to the square.
Very soon the dilapidated Coke sign with the big McD’s sign behind came into view and we again knew where we were.We did not feel as though we had been lost this time just slightly off track....taking the long way to our destination.
The Nile Hotel stands tall amongst the other building downtown and Gretchen thought uding their pristine facilities again before embarking out to Giza would be a good idea.So we acted like guests of this fine looking hotel again and strolled on in through the metal detector and into the giant lobby.It really is an oasis in the chaos outside and if the Benvie Budget Adventure stretched to US$200 per night this would have to be our pick.Not that there is anything wrong with our€9 per night in Arabian Nights either as the room is clean,serviced and there is plenty of hot water...oh and of course the 300 plus TV channels to choose from !!
The central bus station was just across the way from the Nile hotel.All we had to do was negotiate across 3 lanes of traffic which even for a holiday was still very busy.
Safely across we walked up to what looked like a ticket office.Amid the din of dozens of buses both large and mini size plus white vans that seemed to be acting like a minibus we tried to make ourselves understood that we wanted an A/C bus to the Pyramids.
What we got sent to was a green non A/C mini bus that looked like it was on its last legs.The previous day we had noticed these buses everywhere and had sworn there was no way we were going to ride one of those!! However with no A/C buses insight and 3 Japanese tourists who looked like they were looking for the Pyramids too we set off after paying our EGP1 each.
The bus crossed the Nile and thereafter stopped regularly at seemingly no set stop to let people on and off.As the bus became more crowded and we were sitting down the front near the driver I became the “official money collector and ticket giverouter” for the driver.People didn’t pay as they got on only after they were seated and the driver just kept on driving while doing the money collection.All great fun and we felt like one of the locals!!
We eventually arrived at the gate to the Pyramids after having to change to another minibus because our first driver had overshot where we wanted to be.A young local girl stopped the driver and the Japanese and us were whisked across to the other bus that happened to be passing going back from where we had come.
We had only gone a few metres up the road towards the entrance and the first barrage of”buy your tickets here and take a horse ride,too far to walk”.They must have thought we had “stupid”written on our foreheads and had clearly not read the Lonely Planet and other guide books that tell you this is what you get hit with before you reach the entry gate.The Japanese though we think succumbed as they suddenly were not behind us.
On the way up we called into the Tourist Office,all legitimate,and got a Cairo street map for future reference.This was going to make things so much easier!!We topped up with a can of pop after we bartered down the price to something like we had paid downtown.We were beginning to think that the locals hadn’t been told about the Benvie Budget Adventure and not to try us on thanks!!
The first two pyramids stand right there at the entrance and we must say one is a bit overawed by the sight.So much so that you don’t see the next wave of people trying to fleece you.These are the women who suddenly appear at your side wrapping your head in a piece of cotton with a knotted piece of wool to hold it on.One looks a real Charlie when one puts on a cap over the top!!All the while they are thrusting a small pyramid into your hand.AQccording to her it was all free until the time came for a photo with her to be taken.That was when money came into it.
So here we were trying to hand the hat thing and the pyramid back while she kept thrusting it at us.In the end I dragged a EGP20 out and she snatched it and was about to make off until we both told her in loud voices that we wanted EGP10 in change.She gave us the note but took back Gretchens hat thing and her pyramid and that was that!!
The pyramids are amazing works and it was easy to just stand and gape at them admiring how such large pieces of stone were hauled into place and built with such precision.Of course while you are doing this the next local wants to give you a camel ride or a horse and buggy ride,all because “it is too far to walk”.They all start with the same lines of welcome and worm their way to get your business.The tourists that come in by A/C tourist bus escape all of this,at least at the start as they are driven into the area.Gretchen got talking to a camel driver while I walked on slowly ahead.I looked back and she was having photos next to the camel.When he asked for money she said I had all the loot and I was off 100 metres up the road.We WON this one!!
We walked on past the first and second pyramid taking photos and video from different angles getting sometimes just one in the picture and other times both.The third pyramid is somewhat smaller and a little further away.
In the distance we could see where traffic was stopping on a rise and deducted that this was a viewpoint back over the pyramids.We hit out on the road beyond the third pyramid and by this time the Benvies Budget Adventure was not bothered by locals.By now we guessed that they thought we were totally mad to be walking in the very hot conditions.
It didn’t take long though and we reached the viewpoint having passed two other people on foot who were clearly also on a budget tour too!!The scene looking back to the pyramids was fantastic and gave the widest view of the three pyramids.Even here locals wanted to take your photo for you standing with the pyramids in the background and of course there was always the question of how much.
It was at this point I was on the verge of using a four letter word to ward them off as there is nothing worse than having set up for a scan on the video to have some turkey start talking over the commentary I am trying to put on the video.
It was then back down the hill to the main event.But not before buying cans of drink and standing in the shadow of pyramid #2 only to be hassled again by some camel driver and his boy.Thankfully the tourist police came along and chased them off when they could see we were getting annoyed.
At the bottom of the hill is the Sphinx with the pyramids framed in the background.The sight we had come to see!!! What more can I say,it really is a fabulous place,despite the locals hassling,and we were again having to pinch ourselves to remind ourselves we were actually here.
The Sphinx is perhaps not quite as big as we had thought it would be but it was still very,very impressive!!!
Another one of the things to see before we leave this planet ticked off our list !!
We caught the A/C bus back to the city at EGP2 each and rode back with cool air pumping out making the trip very comfortable.
On the way out to the pyramids we had seen a sign advertising the Hard Rock Cafe.And so after getting back to town we ventured up the side of the Nile to the Grand Hyatt hotel and the HRC.By now we were both spitting feathers and we ordered double size Heineken draft beers to start with.These were gone within minutes and a further order for another two of the same size went out.I am not sure what actual size they were but they were BLOODY BIG and we were ready for them.We think they must have been a litre in size and they were so welcomed!!
Of course alcohol is very had to buy in this country and it seems that one needs to frequent the American named hotels to be able to buy it.
We both had nice safe burgers and fries for the meal and we left feeling very satisfied.Not very adventurous as far as eating local is concerned but we remain mindful of staying ahead of Cairo belly.
We bartered down the taxi home to a very respectable EGP20 and felt very satisfied with what we had achieved and the very special afternoon at the Sphinx and Pyramids.

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Photos

"Where you from,then??"
The camel seems to be asking Gretchen where she is from.This was the freebie on the Benvie Budget Adventure because I was 100 mtrs up the road when the camel man wanted money for the photo.Ha Ha we won this one!!

#1 and #2 pyramids
Sorry cannot remember their actual names

Comments

[Rin]

I *LOVE* the photos! And you got one of a camel! Dad, is that a t-shirt on your head???