Day 1 - Egypt - The pyramids
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Day 1 : The pyramids
We rented a car and start the tour with our friend Amr in Hurghada. The pyramids will be the first highlight of our great Egypt tour.
It goes from Hurghada via Cairo, across the Western Desert and back to Hurghada.
On the approx. 1700 km from Cairo to Hurghada we will not meet any "tourists".
Along the Red Sea and the coast at Sinai it takes about 5 hours to the city of Cairo.
The total traffic chaos dominates the whole city and we are very happy when we reached the Amarante Pyramids Hotel. We can leave the car at the entrance. It is chauffeured into the hotel's garage by an employee. What a service! We are also warmly welcomed in the hotel. The hotel absolutely meets our expectations and is an oasis of calm in the hustle and bustle of the city.
Today is all about the pyramids!
After a good, extensive breakfast, we set off and reach the pyramids of Giza in half an hour.
The Giza pyramids
Wow, they've been there for 4500 years! Not as fresh as new and marked by the millennia of weather, but as fascinating as ever. In the Egyptian civilization, about 2600 - 2500 BC. the three great pyramids Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos were created.
The Cheops Pyramid was the tallest building in the world until the Middle Ages. Who is surprised, that it was included as one of the wonders of the ancient world.
At the top of the Chephren pyramid you can still see the remains of the earlier pyramid cladding with limestone slabs.
Today most of the huge stone blocks are exposed.
There are currently about 80 known pyramids! And there will be more - when the desert releases them again.
We were in the big pyramid years ago, but believe me, you don't have to do that. Through long, low corridors, you stop in a bent position, with the air getting worse and worse, and ends: in nothing! A small empty stone chamber, almost like in a dungeon! To see the legendary treasures, you have to go to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Very interesting!
In addition to these pyramid complexes, the queens and royal mothers, sometimes members of the royal family and high-ranking officials, were also buried. We descend into one of the tombs, but it is only a small one, and not so spellacular. But the "descent in it" is very funny.
After careful consideration and after the good condition of the camels convinced us, we decide to expand our tour on one of the desert ships.
You should not "book" the next animal carelessly, because far too often the "tourist animals" are tortured and exploited. But camels are pack animals that crossed the desert with their owners long before the pyramids existed. The camel caravans are almost extinct and the use of the camels has changed. They are often the most valuable thing for their owners and the only source of income for them and their family. We should not forget that either. So take a look at the animals, see how their owner deals with them and only then decide whether the use of the animals is more harmful or beneficial.
The next 2 hours we rock on the desert ships through the sand until we arrive at the back of the pyramid complex. From here we see several pyramids at once and have a great view of the wonder of the ancient world. We "rock" on to the Sphynx. And indeed: Obelix cut off her nose! But their size did not suffer. With an impressive 74 m length and 20 m height, it cannot be overlooked.
As I said: Day of the pyramids!
We drive about 1.5 hours along the Nile Canal. It could be so beautiful if it weren't for the human hostage: plastic and garbage!
But that also has an end and we reach Dahschur with its unique kink pyramid. Pharaoh Snofru had them build around 2650 BC, but unexpected building problems caused the abnormal shape to emerge. The construction started with an incline that was too strong, so corrections had to be made during the construction. Pharaoh Snofru is disappointed with this result and has a pyramid built next to it. This time the foundation is too wide and the pyramid appears to be depressed, despite its height of 105 m.
Only half an hour away we visit the Saqqara Egyptian necropolis. There is the first step pyramid in the world, the Djoser pyramid (2650 BC). The outer walls of this pyramid consist of six steps that are over 62.5 m high. Impressive! Repairs can still be found there today. The tomb of Pharaoh is not in, but 28m below the pyramid. Right next to it we discover a small temple. This is a scaled-down model of his earthly palace and intended for the afterlife.
Enough of the pyramids.
We are going back to Cairo and want to free our friend Amr from the stress of driving a car. In the short term, we decide to go on a nile dinner cruise. We book at 4:00 p.m. on our mobile phone with Get Your Guide and are picked up from our hotel on time at 6:00 p.m.
It worked great! We will surely be taken to the Nile ship "Andrea" and enjoy the evening in the sea of lights on the Nile with a delicious dinner buffet with belly dance and dervish performance.
Prices 02/2019:
Admission to Giza Plateau ~ 60 EGP
Admission price Dashur kink pyramid ~ 30 EGP
Entry fee Sakkara step pyramid ~ 60 EGP