Friday, August 30, 1991
The tour started at 0900 with Mohammed, the driver who took us from the airport to the first hotel. He was punctual and we were late. We went to Memphis where the first pyramid ever built stands. It’s called the “step pyramid” because it looks like giant steps. No one can go near the pyramid, but we saw it clearly from the road. There were kids playing in the field having a great time as we stood there and gawked in amazement. Also, Fab and Anne were a little scared because they thought this guy wanted to do something to us.
Mohammed explained the history of the Nile and how the people built the pyramid. Also, Memphis was the first capital of Egypt, then LXR, and now CAI. We drove through Memphis and then to Giza. There we took a camel ride for one hour to and from the pyramids and Sphinx. It was incredible to be in the middle of the desert on a camel. It was straight out of a movie. The ride came to about 10LE per person which is like $3 USD. This was really cheap. The guy had originally wanted 25 LE per person, but we complained that it was too high.
We visited a perfume shop and bought three bottles. The guy selling them to us should have worn some. I bought a Lotus Flower perfume bottle which was the first flower ever found in Egypt. It has a lot of historical and cultural value. After that, Mohammed took us to some shops to see how they make Papyrus paintings. We didn’t buy them because we got some on the street for half the price. In another store, we bought Key of Life charms, boxes, turbans, and wooden objects. It was real cheap. After that, Mohammed took us back to the hotel. We showered, ate at the Italian restaurant at the hotel, and took the bus to the Sound and Light show back in Giza!
The show was silly and touristy like a laser light show at the Planetarium with music and all, but it was cool to be in the middle of the desert at night. The breeze was awesome and the Pyramids and Sphinx looked great at night. We also saw the sunset behind them and we snuck into the Sphinx at night with the help of a guard to see it up close. The guy gave us little tombs and of course he wanted a tip. I gave him 5LE and he bitched, but I just left. After the show which lasted about 45 minutes, we went back to the hotel, ate shit for hours, and fell asleep.
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