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Published: March 15th 2011
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**** I have been having internet problems so I can not put many pictures in this post. **************
I have been looking forward to going to the great pyramids since I started planning this trip, and since we were unable to go to the Cairo museum due to some protests in the area we got to spend extra time exploring the pyramids, sphinx and museam of a massive 4000 year old boat.
We are incredibly lucky to be in Egypt at this time I feel very safe, the Weather but even though this is usually the busiest time of the year there are very few tourists anywhere. , The utter lack of tourists means we have no lineups, cheaper prices, and sometimes have even had an entire pyramid or tomb to ourselves.
Unfortunately just as we were heading out one of our crew had to head to the airport and claim her luggage so we were one short our adventures today but she was very relieved that her luggage arrived before we had to leave Cairo. Right after arriving at the great pyramids Tash, Stacey and I were able to enter and explore the dark cramped steep tunnels
in one of the 7 wonders of the world, it was a workout and there was not much to see when you finally reached the buries chamber but I am glad we went even if it was only to get a grasp on just how massive and impressive the pyramid was, how hard it would have been moving 20 ton squares of rock to the top of a sky scraper with nothing but a sled rope and water. The one downside to there being 1/10th the normal amount of people at a tourist site is the people selling post cards and other nick knacks are more aggressive than they usually are, but once you learn to say no and can figure out their little tricks it is not much of a problem
After the great pyramid we went to the boat museum, which was far more impressive than I thought it would be, the boat is about 3700 years old and was found buried beside the great pyramid, covered in massive rocks, it was the kings boat and was over 60m in length I had no idea they made boats that big that long ago. Once we were done
with the boat museum our group set out for a 30 minute camel ride, i have never ridden a camel and even though I have seen them before I was not prepared for just how high up they are, it only took a few minutes to get used to riding such a large animal, but I can imagine it was very difficult to master. At the end of the camel ride Amy got back from the airport with her luggage and met up with us just in time to head out to the Sphinx. The Sphinx was a short stop as everyone was already tired and as soon as we got out of our buss we were intercepted by people selling post cards, trinkets, and offering to help you take pictures, you can not blame them as it has been months since a lot of people in the tourist industry have had a chance to earn money to feed themselves or their families.
For dinner we had a traditional Egypt meal that consisted of a macaroni mixture, onions, chick peas, a type of tomato sauce and it was called___-__,the meal was quite good and incredibly cheap at 1 Canadian dollar for large bowl in a restaurant. On the table were big bottles of a type of hot sauce that Was far more potent than i anticipated and even though i only poured a little bit to mix in the large bowl i was sweating all dinner, I knew i should have been worried when the waiter smiled as he saw me pour it. All in all it was a good meal and I am quite happy with all of the local food I have been able to find here.
After dinner we did not have much time to pack up and the overnight train, in the train we only had to share our sleeper car with one other person and I was very impressed for 60USD each we got a private car 2 meals each and lodging for a night. It was a great way to travel falling asleep in Cairo and waking up in Aswan over 600k south. All in all I rather enjoyed the sleeper train although at times it smelt like Stacey plunged a stink bomb.
As I write this I am actually well into day 4 on our way back from Abu Simbel the temple of Ramses the second. Now that I’ve seen inscriptions and evidence of so many stargate references from hathor to Anubis I have to wonder why there was never any mention of Ramses he was the only major king top fully believe he was a god not just the on earth representation of a god.
I have been so busy, tired and with so much I would like to write I have been following behind on these blog entries, rest assured I will hopefully catch up at some point as I am also using this blog as a journal. There is so much more that I wish i had time to write before it all blends in and the details get forgotten, such as the smile on Egyptians faces when they talk about January 25th the begging of their revolution, or the passion with which Hoda talks about how her whole family was sleeping in liberation square. The Egyptian people can be such an inspiration, such a testament to the human spirit I feel especially lucky to be here, and so humbled to see how hard people across the world have to fight for the things we take for granted.
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French Snooper
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Hello Monsieur Rick!
Rick, Having fun are we? You think you could buy us a few camels for the lodges? They are cheaper to run on methane and water. Whatever you do, don't spit at them. Don't grab anything shiny or solid gold in the tombs. See you when you come back I'll even flip you for the 1st beer. Have a great time and a very safe journey mon ami. Come back with a head full of stories and good memories. Take plenty of pictures. Please.. .no nude pictures unless you're behind the camera and the girls are positionned out front. Gilbert