Decided I would go to the Pyramids today, I am in a new hostel called Dahab, 3 min walk from Sara Inn but it is only 25/35EGP single/double, and has a better backpacker atmosphere.. Meaning there are people around. I was craving to speak to a non local who wanted nothing but conversation from me. hmm, and after spending hours and hours of wandering around the city for the past few days I am beginning to think my time in Cairo should come to an end soon. I need to move on.
So I ask the best way to get to the pyramids, meaning the cheapest, Mini bus, local bus or metro and bus. Hmm, direct bus maybe 50piastries (1/2 EGP) another backpacker Akhin hear's that I'm going to Pyramids and asks if we want to go together. 'Why not'. He's german and has spent the last 1 1/2 years cycling around Asia and now is doing the middle east. Really cool guy, and he told me he was gay, so yay no romantic intentions.
We walked to the bus pick up place and searched for our bus, an Egyptian man helped us find the bus to Giza (the city where the pyramids are) and he even paid for our bus tickets. His name was Abdul, a really sweet Muslim man who invited us to his house for chai. We went up to his roof and had a direct view of the pyramids, 'wow'. He invited us to come back at sunset to watch the Pyramid light show. We had our chai, took some pick and then he walked us to a man who does horse and camel tours.
I really wanted to experience the pyramids on a camel, so with both of us being keen we bartered a price. I had my youth card, which is such a good idea to get from STA travel or a student card. So i payed 125EGP for 3 around 3 hours on a m\camel, a tour guide and our entrance fee into the Pyramids area and inside an actual Pyramid. I loved riding on a camel, I made my tour guide go fast - who most of the time was sharing Akhin's camel. I just imagined all the stories of the time when these massive stone pyramids were made, the slaves, kings, Queens. I seen groups of Egyptians running up and down the sand dunes racing their horses and yelling out in Arabic, this was something I would never experience in Australia, and I just soaked it up.
We walked into the middle large alabaster pyramid. Man if you get claustrophobic then I seriously think you should reconsider. To get in it's a narrow downwards walk way with wood steps, it's barely lit and you have to be at a 90degree angle pretty much until you finally get into the tomb. But after the first set of stairs, the airs hot and it's so crowded and you think to yourself 'Ok, i can do this' (I get claustrophobic, the whole time I was amping myself up to keep going, 'I have to go inside and do this' so I told my self I was inside an aeroplane) But then another set of stairs appear 'oh my god'. Finally i get into this area that feels like a sauna, there's absolutely no air in that place and the walls are moist from the heat. But I did it. I went inside a pyramid, I was so proud of myself. There is absolutely nothing inside there, even if I had a camera I wouldn't have taken any pics. I expected something, you know, like even some heirogliphics, nope.
Well after visiting the Sphinx our day came to an end. It was now 4:30pm and the sun would be setting in a little over 1 hour. We went back to the tour company and then had to give our guide a tip. We thought 10 percent was fair, noo that's not enough he tells us. Well deal with it, we already paid for the tour and we are not rich.
We decided to take the Abdul up on his offer and went searching for his house. I could feel we were so close but couldn't remember exactly. We talked to a couple of girls, but we forgot his name and how were we to describe this little Egyptian man. Then suddenly he walks around the corner and apologized to us. He wantd to meet us at the tour company but a relative had just died and he had to help arrange the Janaza (Muslim funeral that needs to be done within 24 hours.) I tell him we can go, but he insists that we stay for dinner and see the light show. He was so kind, he had no one at home to cook so he got his nephew to buy us some Koshery (macaroni, spagetti, chickpeas, lentils and a tomato sauce) and gave us a coke each. We watched the light show, took some more picks and then made our way by bus to Giza and then Metro (1EGP) to Tahrir, the metro station closest to us.
Half an hour later I got picked up by Spring and Mohamed and we went to Garden Cuty (I think that's the name) It's a big shopping complex. We had a hot chocolate and chatted about Islam, future travel plans and music.
