Egypt-day 2

Here we are, Spring break '09... It's been over three months since I returned from "dream land," and yet I still think about my semester abroad every day. My time gone truly permeated my life and changed who I am. I am ever thankful for my gift of a life time. I know very few people ever look at this blog anymore, but for my own sake (and Kelsey's!) I am determined to continue documenting my journey until the end. Can't make any promises for when this will actually be finished, but it will be done before any more cross-cultural adventures!

I was so excited to start out first full day in Egypt. Today was "pyramid day" and we would be staying around the Cairo area to see all the famous pyramids. Our view of the Giza pyramids as we bussed through the city to get to Darshur, the first pyramid compound of the day. We would be going back to visit the Giza pyramids at sunset. Isn't it crazy how they are right there at the edge of the city!? The mix of ancient and modern never ceases to amaze me.

My very first pyramid- the "Red Pyramid," named because of it's red tint when observed from a distance. See where my group is climbing up to the little hole in the side of the pyramid? That's where we entered...

Dan, John, me, Kayt, and Jesse standing on the side of the pyramid

Kayt climbing back out. The passageway was very steep and very narrow. The further we went down the worse the air got (it was so thick and stale!) that as people got to the bottom they were making mad rushes to get back to the top. John, Seth, Kayt and I sang a Christmas carol in one of the big open rooms. The acoustics were great, even though the air wasn't.

On the same complex in Doshur there is also the "Bent pyramid," named because of its sloping top. There are many different theories as to why this pyramid was "messed up." Snero built both of these pyramids and it is assumed that he is actually buried in the smaller, bent pyramid.

Next stop, Mit Rahina Museum located in the old city of Memphis:

Inside there was a giant statue of Ramses II. The statue is a perfect piece except that the legs and feet are broken off.

Look at me! I'm a scary Sphinx!

Courty and me posing by a real sphinx outside. The sphinx represented the Pharaoh as having the physical power of a lion and the mental power of, well, himself.

Kayt and I by a huge cool statue

We then went to the Imhotep Museum which was on the sight of Pharaoh Teti's pyramid.

We saw a number of interesting artifacts such as this stone that shows a number of malnourished people, assumed by scholars to be Bedouin during the fall of the Old Kingdom.

We then went into Mereruka's mestaba. Merukah was Pharaoh Teti's son-in-law and high priest and so he had a very nice mestaba (flat roofed, rectangular burial building) built for him.

The walls were covered in beautiful etchings that still had a great deal of color. (we really weren't supposed to take pictures inside...but I snuck this one :-)

This is Teti's pyramid...looks pretty lame doesn't it? It's so small and "un-pyramid-like" because it was built during that time when Pharaohs were trying to hide their burial places because the big pyramids were being/had been broken into, desecrated, and stolen from. We went inside this pyramid too, and, despite the outward appearance, it was amazing inside! The walls and ceilings had hieroglyphics covering every surface. I didn't get very good pictures because you aren't "technically" supposed to take any unless you pay/bribe the guard (it's a way they make extra money) and so we can't use flash when we do "sneak" pictures.

On the same complex is located the Dojer step pyramid. It was built by Imhotep. We didn't go inside but took a number of pics of the outside.

We continued with our day by racing to Cheops boat museum where we were let in just minutes before closing time. We then ran to our bus and zoomed over to Giza where we made it to the most important pyramids just in time for sunset.

Kayt, me, and camel man in front of Kufu's pyramid, the tallest pyramid in the world standing at 146 meters!

The three pyramids at Giza. Beside Pharaoh Kufu's pyramid there is also Khafre's pyramid (in the forefront in this pic) which is the second tallest at 143 meters and still has some of its casing at the top. I was so thrilled to be here taking pictures of a place I had only ever seen in my dreams!

In front of the biggest sphinx in Egypt!

Just when you though we couldn't fit anything more into our day...evening came...and so will another post!