I went to the visit the ancient Egyptian pyramids today! I had my hotel find some guy to drive me there (about an hour away) and show me around, etc. Seemed a little more legit than finding some guy off the street, since they are so creepy over here! He was pretty nice and very knowledgable about the pyramids and Egyptian history - I feel like a walking encyclopedia on the subject now! ;)
First we stopped at some little shop - he knew the owners, of course - where they make pictures and caligraphy on papyrus paper. Yes, I bought several! I mean what a perfect souvenir from Egypt!! We stopped at a couple more shops, jewelry and clothes and stuff - but I didn't buy much besides the caligraphy.
We finally made it to the pyramids - pretty cool but not sure they're all they are cracked up to be. I mean I guess I don't know what I was expecting, but they are just these massive pyramids in the middle of the dessert! They are one of the Seven Wonders of the World - whichis really why I made the trip here to see them. I don't know, I'm not much on history. I guess it is pretty unbelievable if you think how in the world they made those things hundreds of years ago. And it took them DECADES to build them!! It was kind of weird to think of all the kings and pharaohs and mummies in there!!
So when I first got there, I was just walking around with my big camera around my neck, screaming "American Tourist." Some local-looking guy came up to me riding a camel (for real) and he saw me snap a picture of him. So he offered to take a picture for me - I mean a picture of me with my camera. At first I told him no, but he was sooo persistant! I told him I wasn't going to pay him anything, and he said fine. Yea right - I knew I was going to have to pay him, but I kinda wanted a picture on his camel. So I finally obliged - handed him my camera, let him wrap his turban looking thing aroud my head, and hopped on the cool camel! I mean come on, when you're at the pyramids in Egypt, you NEED a picture on a decorated camel with a thing wrapped around your head, right!? And he was GOOD with the camera! I'm sure he does this for a living - he took like 20 pictures in just a few miutes! TOTALLY worth the $10 I gave him... :)
Did I mention it is SUPER hot here?? I guess I am in the Sahara desert huh...
So after that little experience, I decided to walk around some more and see the other pyramids up close - there are 3 here, plus the one with the big head!
Whenever I found someone who looked like they might now how to work a big camera, I'd ask them if they would take a picture of me. Most of the people I asked didn't speak English, but like I've sad a million times, hand gestures can you get you alot! The majority of the pictures turned out crappy, but I did come across another local guy trying to take pictures for people - for money of course. I was NOT doing it again. Well, that's what I told myself anyways. But he literally pretty much ripped my camera off my neck and told me where to stand and pose, while wrapping another thing around my head - haha!
Pretty cool pictures I thought, but I really didn't want to pay him much. I mean I know how far the US Dollar goes over here. So I tried to give him a $5, and he reached in my wallet to grab more! I was SO pissed! He pulled out a $20 and I was like NO WAY BUDDY. Lesson learned: don't hold your open wallet out in front of people who want your money!! I got the $20 bill back and gave him a $10 - still fuming mad, and I let him know it. So he gave me two freaking little turquoise beads, like that was going to make up for it. I did kind of like them, they're cute and turquoise, and the beetle is the sign of good luck here I guess. Something about seeing a beetle in the desert means there must be water around I think. Oh well, I suppose I can make a cute bracelet out of them when I get home. :)
Somewhere in the process of wandering around the pyramids, I got the brilliant idea and decided I needed to actually climb ON the pyramids. No, you're not allowed to do that, they are blocked completely off in most sections, but some spots only had a big rope. Like a rope is going to stop me in Egypt!! So yes, I did it. I actually climbed on the ancient Egyptian pyramids, and have the pictures to prove it, haha! I found a European couple who spoke a little English, told them what I wanted to do, made sure they knew how to use my camera (zoom included), and made a run for it (literally). I hopped the rope and started climbing, FAST, and turned and posed for a couple pictures - all the while a security guard is heading towards me and yelling at me in Egytian to get down (I'm assuming) and waving his baton at me, haha! Sure am glad I didn't go to jail or something - he didn't seem TOO pissed when I got down - I bet it happens all the time right?? I mean who doesn't want to climb on the pyramids in Egypt?? The pictures were totally worth it, see for yourself! :)
I figured I'd probably better quit pushing my luck and just call it a day for those pyramids!
I went back, wandering through the parking lot, to try and find my guide - he didn't come in with me - hoping he hadn't left me! He was right where he said he'd be. :)
Next we stopped at a different pyramid - supposedly this on was REALLY the first one ever built. Whatever, it was much smaller and didn't look near as impressive as the other ones! (I didn't climb on this one - it looked like it might crumble at any minute!)
It did have a museum built right next to it though - so it was cool to see some of the artifacts and tombs and stuff.
I had for real had enough 'pyramids' and history after this, so we started heading back towards Cairo.
We stopped at a couple of rug weaving places, and I'm not even kidding you, the beautiful, expensive Egyptian rugs are MADE BY LITTLE KIDS. I mean little - like 6 or 7 years old - in there on the big weaver thing just slaving away. It was crazy! My guide must of thought I had a lot of money or something because those things were EXPENSIVE!! I definitely did NOT buy one, but I did give a little bit of cash to the cutest little kids, haha! :)
It was definitely a full day of history! Not my favorite, but whatever. At least I can say I've climbed on the Egyptian pyramids now!
My flight leaves at like 6am tomorrow morning - heading to Paris!
That's all for now...
-TK
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