Cairo and the Last Remaining Ancient Wonder of the World

Most people told us we were crazy when we decided to add Egypt to our itinerary. We were a bit skeptical ourselves, but both of us were intrigued by the vast history over all of Egypt. The first pyramid in Saqqara was built in 7000 B.C! We booked a hostel in downtown Cairo, a five minute walk to Tahrir Square where the demonstrations took place next to the U.S. Embassy just two weeks ago. The gentlemen at the hostel welcomed us with open arms and took care of us everyday while we were there. We can now say that we have friends in Egypt and would definitely stay at the same place if we decide to return one day.




Our first destination in Egypt was the Indian Consulate. We had to secure our visa so that we could fly to New Delhi on October 3rd. While there, we met an Egyptian, American who took us to his favorite restaurant in downtown Cairo. He ordered enough food to feed a village which included falafel, chicken shawarmas, omelets, salads, fries, etc. He was wanting us to try every authentic type of food in Egypt. It was a great beginning to our stay. We later went to restaurants in Cairo and ate koshary, Egyptian pizza, and a tasty rice pudding dessert. We finished one night with a glass of sugar cane juice which was delicious. Thank you to Nour for taking us to all of these places.

After we took care of business, we booked a trip to visit three pyramid sites in Egypt; Giza, Saqqara, and Dahshur. Each pyramid represents one tomb and all three sites are tombs for the same family; grandfather, father, and son. The trip to Giza was a bit overwhelming. There is a lot of poverty throughout the entire country and the lack of tourism after the revolution is taking a toll on people who work in these areas. Because of the poverty level in Egypt, and the lack of visitors, it is very challenging to visit the sites alone. The second you arrive at temples, pyramids, etc., the sales people come out in droves. When a guide is present, it eases up just a notch, but it's still a pretty intense experience. We are hoping that the situation will improve soon so that the Egyptian people can have an easier life and tourists can have the opportunity to enjoy this amazing country comfortably.

We knew it was a bit of a cliche, but decided to book a camel/ horse ride around the pyramids. It is something that we will remember forever. There is nothing more spectacular than seeing all nine pyramids at one time on the back of a camel. Please enjoy the following pictures from our trip to the pyramids.

Giza










Our guide




Our other guide- I couldn't get him to give the thumbs up... Next time




Our camel enjoying the view










Climbing the largest pyramid in Giza- It's too bad you can't go the the top without ending up in prison!




Us hugging the pyramid for good luck




The sphinx













Touristy photos are the worst (or best)
















Saqqara step pyramid (Egypt's first pyramid)- It's undergoing rehab right now




The tombs in Saqqara







Hieroglyphics




Dahshur- Our final stop of the day

Red pyramid







Bent pyramid




We hope you enjoyed the pictures. Our next post will cover our cruise from Luxor to Aswan and Abu Simbel. Stay tuned for more adventures!

-Mila and Scott


- Posted around the world from our iPad

Location:Abd El-Khalik Tharwat,,Egypt