Back in Time to the Pryamids

So, I've promised myself that I would keep putting up some blog posts with pictures while I have the free time (and no job...anyone have a job for me?). I just went and saw Despicable Me this weekend and had to laugh to myself at the opening scene set at the Great Pyramids of Giza cause I was just there! Can you believe that? I know I can't. It was oddly correct in the representation...which was even funnier.

Kyle and I essentially went to Cairo as a means of seeing the pyramids. I mean, who gets to see the pyramids, right? We had the luck of having a great hotel who set us up with a driver and a guide to take us around Cairo and to Giza to see the sites. We also went to Sakkarah and Memphis to see some of the lesser known artifacts, pyramids and the alabaster sphinx.

We started off cutting through Cairo center and getting to snap some good pictures of the skyline there. Who knew that you could see the pyramids right from the city center?







We pulled up in our car and our driver introduced us to another man. I was kinda confused at this point but quickly ascertained that he was the owner of a pyramid tour company and that we were in for more than just seeing the pyramids. We asked us if we wanted a long or short trip and we quickly decided that the long trip was the answer...I mean, come on, how often are you chilling in the Egyptian desert to see the pyramids. So we go on a camel and horse, respectively. You can see our friendly camel with Kyle on his back below. We had yet another guide, who seemed too young to know his way around the mall let alone the pyramids, and off we went through Giza towards the pyramids, which loomed in the background in front of us.

We came through a security checkpoint where our guide clearly paid off the guard. He went through our bags and inspected us. Someone also put those head-thingies on us (which we didn't realize - of course - that we had to pay for). The guide who looked fifteen chastised us for taking the things and instructed us not to take anything from anyone on our journey...which was good advice to take not just for Cairo but the rest of our trip in Africa. The security guard was enamored with my three pens and gestured if he could have one. I said no, because I was suddenly afraid of getting taken advantage of. Looking back perhaps it wasn't the best decision I made on the trip given that this guard with machine gun wanted my fifty cent pen.






Our guide made us do ridiculous things that I am sure the tourists just eat up. Again, totally represented in Despicable Me (good movie, check it out). So we held the pryamids in our hands, pushed it from the side and jumped off the group like the fools we are:





Here's some final pictures of the sphinx and the pyramids up close: