THE SPHINX OF GIZA

After the pyramids we went down to the Sphinx. There is an ongoing debate as to the purpose of and who built the Sphinx.  There were other buildings around and near it.  In order to get to it you have to go through  a causeway.  You follow the path through the causeway and arrive at,  for a lack of a better word, an observation platform.  This causeway and observation platform were at one time buildings.  As I'm standing there I wondered what was the function of these buildings:  Funeral preparation, slave quarters or what?
  To say that it is a magnificent structure is an understatement.  You can get much closer to it than you can to the pyramids.  It was just something else to realize that you are standing next to something that is almost 5,000 year old.  It truly was breathtaking.  On the platform were Egyptian children ages 10 to 14 working the tourists by taking their picture in front of the Sphinx.  Still slightly pissed from my camel ride, I ignored them.

The kids worked this guy.  In this pose his extended fist is punching the Sphinx in the nose.

I took this picture myself.

KARL'S CAMEL RIDE AND THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA

 Cross it off the bucket list.  I have arrived at the Pyramids of Giza.  I remember this day as if it was yesterday.  I had my Yasser Arafat headdress on and was the last off the bus.  The guy in the turban said to me"Let me fix your headdress."  So he did and then he said give me your camera and we'll take your picture.  I had left my camera on the bus so I went back to get it and someone snapped the picture of us.  Then he said "Sit on the camel" and the next thing I knew the camel was standing and I was on a camel ride.  We walked from the bus parking lot past the large pyramid over to the small pyramid.  My new found Egyptian friend took all these pictures. When I got off the camel, the ride ended up costing me $50.00.  At first I was upset, not at the Egyptians, but at my self.  I thought that I was a savvy traveler and I literally had been taken for a ride.  After awhile I calmed down and took a look at what I got for my $50.00.  A camel ride in front of the pyramids and assorted other souvenirs, a set of the pyramids, postcards, an Egyptian headdress and some papyrus book markers.  Now four months later as I look back on the experience I certainly got my money's worth.  All these pictures were taken by my Egyptian friend and I got to ride a camel, in the Sahara Desert next to the Pyramids of Giza.  What an experience!!!  And with these pictures, I can relive this experience any time I wish.

Getting off the camel.  They don't call camels the ship of the desert for no reason.

The Pyramids of Giza with Cairo in the background.

A different view.

I think part of what made me mad in the beginning was that our tour guide Dina had told us not to ride a camel at this location and I didn't pay any attention to her advice.  However I had a once in a life time experience.

CARPET SCHOOL

After visiting the Pyramid of Sakkara we stopped at a rug making school.  We were given a demonstration of how the rugs were made.  Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures  but I found a web site of a traveler who did.  I like Oriental rugs.  I bought two when I was in Turkey in 2010.  These two pictures are of the one I bought at the school.  Here is the web site of a rug school  http://www.galenfrysinger.com/cairo_carpets.htm

 Obviously different lighting conditiond.  Very happy with the rug.

THE PYRAMID OF SAKKARA

This pyramid was built in the 28th century BC by the architect Imhotep for his Pharaoh Zoser.  It's the oldest of Egypt's pyramids.  For more informationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_Djoser.  I remember the name Imhotep from the Mummy movies.  Here's more info on him.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imhotep

View of the pyramid

 Entrance into the grounds

 Up close and personal with ancient history.  I touched something that was almost 5,000 years old.

 Entrance and exit to the pyramid.

Another view without people.

ON OUR WAY TO SAKKARA

After breakfast we boarded our bus and traveled through the city and the suburbs of Cairo going 17 miles south to The Step Pyramid of Sakkara.  The following photos are of everyday life in Egypt. 

Bringing goods to market.  Remember I said traffic was something else?  This horse and cart compete for road space with our bus and other cars and trucks.

Corner market

 Young boys either delivering or picking up goods.

 Just a street scene.  Notice  the open air taxis and the donkey cart in the middle of the picture.

 A school

 The oasis ending.

The desert.  It was amazing.  The bus is driving through all these palm trees and greenery and then BAM!!! Sand.  It wasn't gradual at all.

The Step Pyramid of Sakkara.

NILE BREAKFAST CRUISE

Today started with a breakfast cruise on the Nile.  It was a breakfast buffet with all kinds of food.  The scrambled eggs were some of the best eggs I have ever eaten.  I think there was some goat cheese mixed in and the consistency was perfect.  Not runny Nor hard.  I think the cruise was about 90 minutes.

The entrance to the pier where our ship awaited.

The ship.

 A view of Cairo as we floated down the Nile.

Ceiling of the ship.

I have no idea who this couple are.  Our table was right by the second gold pillar.

HOTEL NEAR THE PYRAMIDS

After the light show at the pyramids we went to our hotel for dinner and a well earned rest.  It was a busy day.  The name of the hotel is Mena House Oberoi.  For more information on the Mena House go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mena_House_Oberoi  For more pictures here is another link to usehttp://www.ladeetravels.blogspot.com/2012/07/cairo-mena-house.html#more Ladee takes more pictures than I do.  Thank you Ladee.

View of the grounds and the pyramid on the way to the bus in the morning.

More pyramid less trees.