See the Pyramids Along the Nile.......

What a whirlwind couple of weeks it has been.  Just a little over a week ago we were on the last of our visa trips, this time visiting Egypt.  Although only having 3 days, we hit the ground running and with some planning and a good guide, managed to visit many of the memorable sites in Cairo and Giza.

Cairo is the busy bustling capital of Egypt, the largest city in Africa and one of the most densely populated cities in the world.  The Nile, the longest river in the world, flows through this city to a delta on the Mediterranean Sea in northeast Egypt.

At the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, cameras are strictly forbidden.  Large crowds were in attendance the day we visited.  Although true museum lovers, we were overwhelmed by the large display of antiquities spread over two floors.  One of the most well known artifacts is the famous Gold Mask from King Tutankhamun's tomb, which rested over the bandages that wrapped around the King’s face. The mask, weighing over 24 pounds of solid gold, is believed to represent what the King’s face really looked like. Set in a glass display, many features of the mask: the eyes, nose, lips and chin, are easily seen.

 The Ancient City of Memphis, founded around 3,100 BC, is the legendary city of Menes, the King who united Upper and Lower Egypt.  Today there is little left of the city, although still a big tourist stop to visit the gardens and the Colossus of Ramses.  The Colossus of Ramesses is an enormous statue carved in limestone.  A museum has been built to house this magnificent, fallen piece.

 Nearby, and believed to be a part of the necropolis of Memphis is the Ancient City of Saqqara, where its most prominent monument, Djoser's Step Pyramid, can be seen.  Now for a fun fact and one our grandchildren will find amusing, our driver/guide informed us the word Saqqara is translated to mean "shit".   The Step Pyramid is the  world's oldest major stone structure.  It was built in the 3rd Dynasty (around 2630 BC) for King Djoser.   I convinced our tour guide and driver Akram El Sahhar and his son Ibrahim to pose for a photo at this stop.  Both are available for private tours (eslam_435@hotmail.com).

A braver soul than I, Chuck climbed up and then down into the vault of this The Red Pyramid.  Built by Khufu's father, Snefru, what really makes this pyramid special today is the lack of crowds  that seems to plague the Giza Plateau.  The pyramid gets its rather common name from the reddish limestone that was used to build its core.  

The whole trip was amazing, but nothing prepares one for the first glimpse of the Giza Plateau.  To stand in front of the only remaining Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is truly an incredible experience.  Although the crowds and buses by the dozens kicking up the dusty sand, the camels drivers and tourist police alike asking for baksheesh, can all be a bit overwhelming and circus like, we walked and climbed and soaked in as much as our time there would allow.  We will always remember this trip and are thankful for the opportunity to see such an sensational place.