My roommate arrived at about 12.30am.
Her name is Fiona and she seems really nice - she is travelling with two male friends.

I woke up a bit tired but ready to go.

We headed down to breakfast (where I nicked some bread rolls for lunch) and then the briefing.
Lots was said about staying covered up and advising us on tipping etc.
There were mostly girls on the tour and everyone seemed quite nice.

We were told that we wouldn’t have time to go to the Egyptian Museum because it would close early due to Ramadan - we were all quite disappointed about this and if we had known we would have gone yesterday but that’s just the way it goes.

We were also told about the fact that people will try and scam us wherever we go.
Imaginative Traveller said that they don’t usually recommend shopping outlets and then go back for their commission (like the Japanese companies in Cairns) but in Egypt the two things people buy most is gold and papyrus and the company doesn’t want us ripped off so they recommend one shop of each type that are government controlled and rely on our business and word of mouth so don’t try and scam us.
Handy to know - gold in Luxor (which I knew about already and was hanging out for) and papyrus in Cairo.

We jumped on our bus and headed out through Cairo to Giza.

The contrast between the fertile land and desert was very stark and the buildings were really interesting.
None of them looked finished but apparently they are.
They just leave the roof ready for building another floor in case they have a windfall or a wedding in the family and build another floor on top of it for the new family members.
It was really strange and there were so many houses so close together.

Still not quite used to donkeys running around the streets of a capital city along with the cars and buses.

Tanya's first look at the Pyramids

I was really surprised at how close to Cairo the pyramids actually are - you can see the city in the background of some photos.
Anyway the first view of them was quite a shock - poking out from over the buildings - I was really excited.

We had the services of an Egyptologist - she was local and fantastic - and she spoke great English and was really helpful.

I can’t begin to describe what it was like wandering around the pyramids, touching them and going inside one.

(two photos)---------

The Great Pyramid of Cheops was so big it was hard to get in a photo properly.

(two photos)-- Tanya standing on Cheops!!! --(two photos)

I got photos of myself standing next to one of the blocks - they are so big and to try and comprehend how they were made hurts my head!

---------- (two photos)

Elena Tracey Tanya (two photos)------ Tanya

Tanya with the two Pyramids

I wandered around quite a bit on my own taking it all in and taking photos with my new beaut tripod - that thing was fantastic.

The smaller pyramid was a bit easier to get photos of.

All around the pyramids were men with their camels trying to get you to take a ride with them - they were a bit pesky but if you were stern with them they were eventually left you alone.

Guards on their camels (two photos)

Even the tourist police were on camels which I thought a bit funny but I guess they go fast!

--------and Tanya in front of the Pyramid

Some of the crowds waiting to go in (two photos)

We jumped back on the bus and headed off to the third pyramid.
We could go inside the baby one and of course I did.
I don’t expect to be back in Egypt anytime soon so I did all of the optional extras.
It was small and tight fitting - you wouldn’t want to be claustrophobic!
It smelt really bad - like sweat and bottoms and feet.
I am glad I went in it though.

We hadn’t realised how hot it was when we were in there until we came out and the 40 degree Egyptian day felt cool!

......and Tanya with all three and with two of them

We then drove up to a plateau where you can get photos of all three pyramids in one shot and again the tripod came out.

(two photos)-------and here is Tanya (two photos)

After taking photos and having a nice cool drink we got back on the bus and headed down to the Sphinx.
It was really cool though I did expect it to be bigger that it was.

Tanya, the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid of Cheops

Tanya, the Sphinx and the Pyramid of Chephren (two photos)

The Sphinx, the Pyramid of Chephren and the Great Pyramid of Cheops

Still with the pyramids in the background and the guys wandering around on their camels it was amazing to be there.

A souvenir for herself

After that it was to the papyrus shop.
They make their papyrus the way the ancient Egyptians did and each piece has a guarantee.
There were so many to choose from - I did purchase papyrus there and it was really cheap.
I got for myself a picture of King Tut and his wife exchanging Lotus flowers which is a symbol of love.

Anniversary present for Mum and Dad - "Tree of Life"

For Mum and Dad I got them a (not to be revealed until 4th January 2005)

......and a gift for Anne Kippin

And then I got a free one.
The shopkeeper asked my name and wrote it in a cartouche surrounded by the hieroglyphic alphabet.
I told him that my name was Anne - I thought that would be great in her school library.
Anne if you read this before Christmas, Merry Christmas!

The shop------and the view Tanya had during lunch

We then had lunch at a falafel takeaway on the side of the road with a nice view of the pyramids.
Falafel is good!! - I ate so much of the stuff when I was away - it was yummy!!

--------------

We went back to the hotel to have a shower and get ourselves ready for the overnight train ride to Aswan.

The drive back was pretty eventful.
The traffic was mad as usual and we had a minor accident - lots of yelling but our guide calmed them down.

I saw the most bizarre sight which was a little truck loaded full to overflowing with cauliflowers.
They were tied on with ropes and nets and were all facing outwards so the tray and the roof of the truck was covered with the heads of the cauliflower - it looked some kind of abstract art.

The next thing I saw was a man riding his bike with one hand a huge tray of bread rolls held above his head on with the other hand.
He was weaving in and out of the traffic in the middle of Cairo - we were all waiting for a collision but one didn’t come - I am guessing it wasn’t his first time doing that.

We went and had dinner in at another takeaway - kofta this time - which is minced lamb formed into little sausage things and in a bread roll with salad.
That was really good too.

I was pretty stuffed and had a bit of a rest and watched some telly until it was time to leave to go to the train station.
There are the same amount of people in Cairo as in the whole of Australia so the main train station is really heaving.
They built a tourist train station which was nice and quiet.

We got on the train and settled ourselves in.
The seats were huge with heaps of leg room - I pulled out my travel pillow and ear plugs, sleeping bag and eye mask and dozed off.