First Day-Giza

I had a great first day in Cairo. I booked a tour and went to the see Saqqara —the first pyramid ever built. Very cool for that reason alone. The pyramid is smaller but impressive. And the majority of the site is quite large and complex. Next time, I’d take taxi though having a tour escort is a little limiting as far as time goes. I like to hang out and peopele watch while guides have schedules. Bummer!

What I learned in Saqqara:
Locals will try to escort you through a tomb and then expect to be paid. When you finally give them few pounds they will ask for more.
Lesson: Don’t let them escort you

Lesson Two: If you fail lesson one, don’t give them any more money than what you initially give them

After Saqqara, we went to Giza—the three famous pyramids that one always sees in movies, television, etc. When you first see them...WOW. There are no words. The pyramids are GINORMOUS. Just the fact all that stone was moved and shaped is to be awed. Anyhoo, I paid to go into the first pyramid and wow, what a helluva hike. Cramped. Hot. Steep. Once you reach the tomb, there isn’t much there. Thieves raided the tomb and by the time it was discovered, there was nothing left besides the mummy. Still, if one can imagine it filled with gold and artifacts, it’s impressive.

I had my guide take my picture at the “panoramic” site where you can see all three pyramids. One would think, that after being guide for YEARS…she could get all three pyramids in the background. Apparently not.

What I learned in Giza:
When you enter a random tomb, a local will ask for a ticket even if one is needed. Trust me, you will know when you need ticket . When that happens, just keep walking.