The Last of the Ancient Wonders of the World

One of the star attractions on this cruise was going to be the excursion to see the pyramids and the Sphinx.  While it was a very long day - it takes over 2 hours to drive from Alexandria to Cairo - it was not to be missed.  I have already blogged about the road trip to Cairo so I will now pick up where that blog ended.

Our first stop in Cairo was the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.  It is massive and very, very crowded.  Our guide was supposed to pick up "whisperers" for us so we could hear what she was saying.  I am not sure why but that didn't work out at all.  We were a group of about 34 and it was impossible to hear what she was saying.  After a few minutes, the group was depleted to maybe 7 people and we could hear her a bit better.  However, the visit was very short, especially if you want to view "the mummies" which are downstairs in the museum.  No pictures allowed there.  So, with no further ado, here are some of the photos I took on the main floor of the museum.  I do have to say, however, that I found viewing the mummies rather creepy.  To look at those well preserved bodies and think they were real people with lives, emotions, hopes and dreams is a bit disconcerting.

After our visit there, we were herded to the river where we boarded a boat that would take us on a Nile River cruise with lunch and some entertainment.  The lunch, a buffet, was underwhelming; the food was cold for the most part and somewhat tasteless.  However, cruising along the river to see more of Cairo was interesting and the entertainment was quite good.

The lunch folkloric event was entertaining.

Next up was the main attraction.  We were driven to Giza Plateau, first to a viewpoint which provided wonderful views of the three pyramids - and, for some, also the chance for a camel ride.  Not me, a camel spit at me once years ago at the Honolulu Zoo and that was the end for any relationship I might ever have with a camel!  Now, about the pyramids, the following is from a National Geographic website:

The Giza Pyramids, built to endure an eternity, have done just that.  These monumental tombs were constructed some 4,500 years ago.  Egypt's pharaohs expected to become gods in the afterlife.  To prepare for the next world they erected temples to the gods and massive pyramid tombs for themselves - filled with all the things each ruler would need to guide and sustain himself in the next world.  Pharaoh Khufu (Greek:  Cheops) began the first Giza pyramid project, circa 2550 B.C.  His Great Pyramid is the largest in Giza and towers some 481 feet (147 meters) above the plateau.  Its estimated 2.3 million stone blocks each weigh an average of 2.5 to 15 tons.  Khufu's son, Pharaoh Khafre, built the second pyramid at Giza, circa 2520 B.C.  His necropolis also included the Sphinx, a mysterious limestone monument with the body of a lion and a pharaoh's head. The Sphinx may stand sentinel for the pharaoh's entire tomb complex.  The third of the Giza Pyramids is considerably smaller than the first two.  Built by Pharaoh Menkaure circa 2490 B.C., it featured a much more complex mortuary temple.  Each massive pyramid is but one part of a larger complex, including a palace, temples, solar boat pits, and other features.  The ancient engineering feats at Giza were so impressive that even today scientists can't be sure how the pyramids were built.  Yet they have learned much about the people who built them and the political power necessary to make it happen.  The builders were skilled, well-fed Egyptian workers who lived in a nearby temporary city.  Archaeological digs on the fascinating site have revealed a highly organized community, rich with resources, that must have been backed by strong central authority.  It's likely that communities across Egypt contributed workers, as well as food and other essentials, for what became in some ways a national project to display the wealth and control of the ancient pharaohs.  Tomb art includes depictions of ancient farmers working their fields and tending livestock, fishing and fowling, carpentry, costumes, religious rituals, and burial practices.  Inscriptions and texts also allow research into Egyptian grammar and language.

It was a very impressive photo opportunity!

Following the visit to the viewpoint, we were driven closer to the pyramids where additional camel rides were offered plus a myriad of souvenirs by fairly aggressive Arabs. In addition, we could have had horse rides and carriage rides. Some people on the tour had purchased tickets to go into one of the pyramids but the guide had repeatedly warned us that it involved being in a small dark space and required stooping very low to get in. With my back problems, it was an easy decision to skip spending $5 USD for that experience!  The woman sitting across the aisle on the bus from me said she started but backed out of it as it made her uncomfortable so that convinced me I'd made the right call.

Then, from there, we were driven further down the valley to where the Sphinx is located.  It was very crowded there and walking was a bit tricky; however, I still managed to get some reasonable photos, I think.

 

It had been a very long day.  I don't think any of us were looking forward to the long 2+ hour drive back to Alexandria.  However, we did make good time and were back at the ship just after 7:30 pm.  There was no arguing that it had been a worthwhile and very memorable day!  My one thought was that it must have really been spectacular to see these "wonders" before the large city of Cairo expanded so much that they are now practically in the suburbs of that 42 million+ city!