Day 99, 2011/08/08 Cairo

Day 99, 2011/08/08  Cairo

Day 99, 2011/08/08

What would a visit to Cairo be without a visit to the pyramids. This is my first visit to Cairo and thus, have to make the traditional pilgrimage to Giza as part of my stay. The hotel managed to arrange my own private taxi for the entire day, at a reasonable cost. Wadia was there at 8:30 sharp to pick me up. First stop was Giza and the pyramids and sphinx. It was truly amazing to see the pure size and scale of those things. Amazing what egos people must have had to want to build such structures to put themselves in. Then off to Sakkara, and this time some small tombs and, an example of a stepped pyramid. Also got to see the inside of one  of the smaller pyramids. Amazing how they managed to construct those things with access tunnels and all. 
Then off to Dahshur, and the Bent and Red pyramids. These are also some of the biggest in Egypt but, perhaps lesser known. The nice thing about this sights that, at no additional cost, you get the opportunity to see the inside of the Red pyramid at no extra cost. Just that, no one tells you what physical exercise it is going to be, until you do it. The access tunnel starts halfway up the one side of the pyramid, and drops deep down inside the pyramid. Needless to say, i was out of breath by the time I had finished. The pyramid contains three separate chambers at the core of the structure, truely amazing feet of engineering. Then finally off to Memphis, no not Teensy, and to see some artifacts, the most impressive is one of Ramesis II. It is a colossal statue of himself, well half of it, and it is flat as it no longer has any legs. 
Finally, in the heat and chaos of Cairo traffic, we make our way back to my hotel and an afternoon of R&R. Life in Africa is hectic!