Cairo, Egypt
October 4th
This morning was supposed to start with the Pyramids at sunrise. The girls were going to wake me at 5am and together (plus a new guy from Tasmania) we were going to see the sun come up over the pyramids. Now neither the Tasmanian guy (his name is Lyndon, I think) nor I have an alarm clock. No problem, claim the girls, we do so we will just sneak over and get you up! Cool deal. Nate also said he didn’t need an alarm clock cuz he was a monkey and in tune with nature and stuff. Hmmmm, sure whatever.
I rolled over this morning opened my little eyes and looked out the window. “You know, it looks kinda bright outside,” I said to myself. I consulted my watch and lo and behold it was 7am. Neither the girls nor Nate got up this morning. I woke up Lyndon and we decided to still go. The girls kinda grumbled and went back to bed.
So with the sun in the sky (grrrrr, never trust girls or monkeys!) we made our way to the Pyramids at Giza. Since I was a small child I have always wanted to see the Pyramids. On the taxi ride over I was getting very giddy. I was going to complete one of those childhood dreams we all have. Not many of us can say we have done that.
The Pyramids just kinda appear out of nowhere. The city of Cairo is built right up to them so driving through the streets with all the tall buildings in sight means you have to be very close in order for them to show themselves. But what a show! For the first time in a while I was speechless. The great pyramids of Giza were looming before me. I thought I was looking at some Hollywood backdrop or something.
Our taxi dropped us at the gates and we brought out tickets to go traipsing around. I think I need a student card or something cuz they get everything for half off. Hmmm, something to think about getting. Of course the Pyramids were great and we spent a lot of the morning and early afternoon just walking around the pyramids and all the little tombs around them.
There are couple of low points about the pyramids though. Everyone is trying to sell something to you. People are selling everything from camel rides to cheap T-shirts and they plague you like locusts. The other thing was the trash. It seems all of Egypt is covered with vast amounts of trash and other unwanted gear. I guess the Pyramids are no exception.
Oh well, I guess you can’t have it all. I can tell you, however, that it is well worth going and I would have still done it knowing what it was going to be like. Maybe I should get a shirt saying I am from the land of no camel rides, postcards, and shopping of any kind! That would send them all loopy!
The rest of the day was anti-climatic compared to the the pyramids. I am now an owner of a shiny new student card. It was �45 Egyptian (about $10). Nate is a little upset at me about the whole thing. I went to college for one quarter about five years ago. But you know I am still just as poor as any silly student so I deserve some type of discount!
I met the girls later that night and we all went to smoke some Sheesha (bubble pipes full of flavored tobacco that you sit in a coffee shop-like setting and smoke away for hours on end). I really like them and plan to sit and smoke a few before leaving Egypt! Apple is the bomb, baby! The girls apologized about the whole not getting up this morning thingy. I guess they hadn’t set the time properly and they got up at like 9am or something! No worries. It’s all good.
PS: If you have any questions about places I’ve been or am going feel free to e-mail me at complexfire@hotmail.com