Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Giza pyramids, Sakkara, Memphis

After much waiting and much anticipation we saw the pyramids. Along with the Taj Mahal and Uluru, it was probably the most iconic wonder either of us had seen and is accompanied with a slightly unreal feeling, one that makes you look back over your shoulder over and over again to make sure you're actually there in person.

We had very low expectations, not so much of the pyramids themselves but more of the experience. We'd heard tales of massively overcrowded sights, pushing to get into the pyramids themselves, touts literally shoving their goods into your arms. We were prepared for a constant battle with touts and tourist but were very happily surprised. The area is huge - we actually got around with the car instead of by foot - and even the most cramped quarters (inside the third pyramid), people were thoughtful and non-pushy. Seeing the the burial chamber inside the pyramid was a lot of fun and it was great to poke around the few rooms down there. Our guide leaded us around, providing constant information littered with names we no longer remember and keeping some of the touts away or at least better behaved. The sphinx was excellent to see in person. Really, the whole experience was a lot of fun.

We did a quick trip to Sakkara, a burial ground prestigious before the Valley of the Kings. Not much remains, but it was nice to see the National Geographic episode about the area and have a little noodle around, seeing the 'step pyramid'.

We finished off our trip with a visit to Memphis, the old capital of the kingdom chosen because it was in the middle of upper and lower Egypt and thus a great central base for the pharohs. While there was very little there, we checked out the incredible statue of Ramses II which was apparently unearthed when they dug the parking lot.

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