As long as I can remember, I have wanted to see the pyramids and Egypt in general has always been on my top three wish list. After months of anticipation, I finally got to cross it off my list on a private tour of the Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, and Sakkara.
Our guide for the day, Akhmet (though he prefers to go by the name David Beckham), is an Egyptologist and archaeologist, spending his days showing tourists the sites of Cairo or on his knees sweeping vast quantities of sand from ancient sites with a tiny little brush. Working for the Egyptian government ten days a month, he searches for lost treasures and was a man who clearly loves his job.
Leaving our hotel behind, the thirty-minute drive to Giza was predictably terrifying, as every experience in Cairo roads tends to be. Along the way Becks, as he will be forever known, told us a little about Cairo, a brief of the history of the city and casually pointed out a few of the famous landmarks. Chatting away oblivious to our surroundings, we crossed over the river and Becks nonchalantly mentioned “Oh, there’s the Pyramids … ”
Just like that, there they were. Only a few kilometers away, and literally a few meters from the edge of Cairo city limits, the Pyramids loom on the horizon for all to see.
When you see photos of them, they always seem to be in the middle of the desert with no sign of civilization around. Surely they are miles and miles from the city on some lonely plateau in the middle of the desert, only accessible after days of traveling on the back of a camel through harsh terrain. Okay so that’s a slightly exaggerated impression, but you get my point. The only remaining member of the original Seven Wonders of the World seems slightly out of place sitting next door to the joint KFC/Pizza Hut franchise! Where exactly do those romantic desert photographs come from?
The answer became apparent as we arrived at the edge of the city. Just as abruptly as the sides of the pyramids rise from the sand, the city stops and there’s nothing but desert. It’s like there is an invisible wall holding back the city; you can physically turn your back on modern civilization and step into ancient Egypt.
Arriving on the plateau and standing between the two largest pyramids (Cheops and Khafre), Becks told us just a small bit of the vast amount there is to know about the magnificent structures that are even more impressive up close than I ever imagined. Guides are not allowed to go inside the pyramids (there is always at least one open to visitors), however Becks encouraged us to go inside for a bit of fun. It only cost us the equivalent of about five dollars so why not? When do you ever get to stand inside a building that is 4,000 years old?
There was not much to see inside. First, you walk down a steep ramp which consists of pieces of wood nailed to the slippery granite floor, then up the other side to arrive in the burial chamber. The sarcophagus is still there but nothing else, however it is kind of cool to stand there knowing it was once full of treasures and a mummy! It’s pretty mind-blowing. It’s also pretty hot, so we did not linger too long. If you decide to do this, be warned the passage way is low and narrow, not good if you are claustrophobic or have bad knees. I am not a tall person, but I had a headache by the time I came out from hitting my head on the roof at least a dozen times.
Coming back outside and you are faced with the only negative part of the pyramids—touts. I was surprised that they were less aggressive than expected (Thailand is ten times worse) and generally took “la shu-kran”—no thank you, for an answer and moved on. Having run the gauntlet on camel owners, postcard sellers, and “have your picture taken with a silly Pharoah’s headress” guys, it was back to the lovely air-conditioning of the minibus for a short trip to the other side of the Pyramids for that “classic” shot of the three of them lined up together.
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