Day 11 - Friday, March 2nd

Our last day...we are so sorry to see the end of this tour.

The first destination today is to the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara (which is very close to Cairo). This is the oldest pyramid in existence and it is said to be a prototype for the pyramids of Giza and all other pyramids that followed. It was built in the 27 century BC - that is almost 5000 years ago - not easy to comprehend. The small temple that we went through first is also the same age and made of sandstone. Some parts of the wall and pillars have been rubbed to a shine with the passing of years and hands rubbing on them, the other parts are the dull sheen of sandstone. I was able to take a picture of Les and his reflection in part of the wall in this temple. The sand in this area is so very fine and clean. Habibi mentioned that a lot of people take sand from here because it is so nice.

The area that we drove through on the way to Saqqara was very dirty, poor and medieval. Because it is Friday, it's a busy market day, day off from school and work. Lots of people, donkey carts, activity. This is all really interesting and the travel books don't tell you how the people live and what is acceptable to them. The small river or channel we drove beside on the way to Saqqara is full of garbage, the occasional dead animal, rats and STILL people were fishing in it (we saw them). Few or no motor vehicles, just donkey carts, horses and the occasional camel. No roofs on the mud brick houses, just dried rushes in some places. But the people all seem to be very hard working.

From Saqqara we went to Memphis (no, not Tennessee!!) to see the huge, but fallen, limestone statue of Ramses II and the alabaster sphinx. Memphis was the capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom and most of the Paranoiac period and was thought to be founded about 3100 BC. What is left of the statue of Ramses II - from top of head to knees - is huge and great to see up close. You can really see the detail that you wouldn't see if the statue was still standing. The sphinx is from the 18th Dynasty (from 1550 - 1290 BC), weighs 80 tons and is the largest calcite statue ever found. the village of Mit-Rahina sits above the old city of Memphis - I wonder what's still down there - if anything?

The area of Saqqara is famous for its carpet schools. There are many of them along the way to the Step Pyramid and we stopped at one for a visit. They make lovely silk and cotton carpets. From very traditional looking eastern carpets in all sizes to ones with designs reminding me of Navajo Indian rugs. Again we were treated to refreshments and clean bathrooms!!! I was able to go downstairs and see a couple of looms and weavers. The heavier carpets were woven on traditional floor looms and the lovely silk carpets were done on what looked like upright tapestry looms.

And now...we headed to the Pyramids of Giza, the only one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World to have survived to out day. This was, when we left home, to be one of the highlights of our tour. The 3 pyramids are truly a sight to be seen - we've seen them in the night and now in the bright light of day! We stopped at the Great Pyramid of Cheops - it is the largest and oldest in this Giza area - it stood 146 metres high when it was completed around 2570 BC (that's more than 4500 years ago!) You can;t imagine the size of it until you are standing right there beside it, or up on one of the blocks. Visitors are allowed to climb up to the original entrance which is now blocked and it was fabulous to be able to do that - the chance of a lifetime! We got some very good pictures of Cairo from the area just in front of the Great Pyramid, it really is amazing to see how close the city is to this area.

We drove up behind the 3 pyramids to an area where you can see all three at a good angle. This is also where there are so many camels and handlers all waiting for the tourist who want to ride a camel!! Our Habibi introduced us to a camel master who has a set, fair price for a ride and a picture, and wouldn't take us out of sight of Habibi. Of course I wanted to ride a camel and I was led to my little camel handler, Abraham, who is 14 years old, and his camel Charlie, a lovely 6 years old!! Charlie had on a very colourful blanket under the saddle and even though he was at his resting position, the saddle seemed so high up! But...wimpy but brave cow/camel girl that I am...I got on Charlie. Abraham led Charlie and I over some very rocky, bumpy terrain to an area where you could see the pyramids in the distance and let Les take a picture, then Charlie kneeled down so that Les could get on and Abraham could take a picture with our camera. Off got Les, up got Charlie (ooooohhhh I don't really like that getting up part), and back we went to our starting point. We had already paid the camel master for the ride and for the picture (that we took with our own camera) but Abraham's dad miraculously appeared and tried to get more money from us. Habibi saw this and yelled in Arabic to Abraham's dad who just as quickly disappeared again. Abraham, an Egyptian entrepreneur in training, did get some extra baqshish from us because he had done a very good job!

From here we went to the front of the 2nd pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre. This is the pyramid that you can go inside of. Les and I both declined this honor, both because of a bit of claustrophobia. Habibi did say that there is really nothing inside to see, it's a long, hot, narrow, low passageway and that helped us make up our already doubting minds. Instead I went for a walk up to the pyramid. And was so very sorry that I did. I was appalled. A lot of people who looked like they were living there; a whole bunch of kids, running and screaming and seemingly out of control; camels, donkeys, horses, (and their leavings) and their handlers, harassing anyone within earshot to take a ride; and garbage beyond belief. The poor animals were in very bad condition and the camels were made to kneel down on the rocks and debris and broken glass so that people could get on them. I wish I hadn't gone up there.

Now we were going to see the Sphinx up close! And wouldn't you know it - our camera battery died. Even though we re-charged it every night, we sometimes took so many pictures a day that the battery just got tired. Les did find a guy selling disposal cameras (of course - you can find anything for sale here!) Our pictures of the Sphinx are on that camera and that's why we haven't sent any out to you. The Sphinx is beautiful and now more than ever I think that our Jack does look like the sphinx when he lays on the floor watching his family! I couldn't believe we were this close to the Sphinx. You can't get close enough to touch him though but the walkway to see him is very close. Even with his shot off nose he was not to be missed!

Even with my disappointment at the Pyramid of Khafre, I am so glad to have seen this today. Les and I both always dreamed of coming to Egypt to see the Pyramids, but I don't think we really could understand just what we would feel if we did see them.

Back to the hotel with very sad faces. This is the end of our tour. We have a final good-bye to Walid and to some of our group who were leaving later in the night. We would not be together as a group again. (I think that it might have been as hard for Habibi to say good-bye to us - we were a great, fun group!!) This entire tour has been like a dream. Egypt isn't just the Pyramids and the Sphinx, we discovered Temples and treasures that we, even now are having a hard time comprehending. We will always thank our Habibi for giving us such a gift - his knowledge and love of his country were gifts to US. We will pray for Walid to receive his own life's desires, dreams and blessings.

Tidbits from today:

• Happy Birthday Leah!!!!
• while we were at Memphis we were harassed by a very pushy "sales person" - all of us on our tour are by now very discriminating bargain hunters and didn't like the mans goods or his prices so no one bought...I heard him call us "cheap shits" as he finally walked away!!
• the police who guard in the pyramid area all ride camels - they don't seem to do anything except try to get baqshish from anyone who looks like they might be taking a picture of them
• the entire area around the pyramids and sphinx is an area of many, many camels, donkeys, and horses and their owners
• as with the Sphinx, a lot of the temples and statues that we saw had been used as shooting practice targets over the centuries - by occupying military artillery
• on the way to the hotel from Giza, Habibi told us about the problems Cairo has with the garbage - the citizens won't pay for garbage pick-up so the people just throw it out, wherever - the city is thinking of starting to add the price of garbage pick-up to the electricity bill - but I really don't know how they will clean up the mess of many, many years
• the green fields within Cairo are almost all gone - selling out, building houses