Christmas in Cairo - The Great Pyramid at Giza

At 12:00 noon on Christmas Day 2009 Seth and I were picked up by a driver I had arranged to take us out to Giza for a tour of the pyramids. This was our first sight seeing adventure in Egypt and made for a memorable first Christmas in Cairo.

Friday was a good day to take this trip as the traffic was light and the drive was easy due to much of the population being in Mosque for Friday prayers. The trip to Giza took about 25 minutes from our apartment. As I looked out the window driving through the town of Giza the pyramids would peek out through the spaces in the buildings and the anticipation of what we were about to see was building.

We picked up our guide, Nabil, just outside the entrance. He led us up to the ticket window and took care of buying the tickets. As we passed through the gates he warned us that many people would try to approach us to sell things and we should just say, "No," and keep moving.



We made our first stop directly across from the Great Pyramid, the last remaining of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. Built as a tomb for King Cheops around 2570 BC it is the largest pyramid in Egypt originally standing 146m tall. It is comprised of 2.3 million limestone blocks each weighing about 2.5 tons. The blocks were carved in Aswan and carried down river on boats to Giza. Before the constructions of the Eiffel Tower as the entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair, the Great Pyramid was the tallest building on the planet and had held that title for almost 4,500 years! Can you imagine what tourists in the 1800s must have thought standing at its base?

How did they do it? First of all, we learned that it is a misconception that the pyramids were built by a slave labor force. In fact, its construction is more accurately thought of as one of the first economic stimulus packages! During the annual flood season the Nile covered farmer's fields and they were unable to work. The available labor force was employed to work on building the King's tomb, which took 23 years to complete. These same flood waters made it easier to transport building stone to the site.

About that stone...remember those 2.5 ton blocks? Take a look at how perfectly each block fits together remembering that no mortar was used to cement them.



The blocks were carved by burrowing holes into the limestone and stuffing those holes with cedar logs. The logs were then soaked with water and as the wood expanded it would cause a crack to form in the limestone enabling blocks to be removed. Evidence of these holes can still be seen today in small depressions that are literally all over the ground around the pyramids.



Once the blocks were removed they were transported to Giza and workers there began to smooth and grind the surface using sand and pieced of rock until a perfect edge was formed. Now, look back up at the photo of the crack and you can appreciate the precise work was done with these methods!

Below is a photo of Seth & I as we prepare to enter the Great Pyramid. You can see the large blocks that look like huge steps on the exterior. The surface of the pyramid was originally covered in limestone (this is back in 2570 BC) for a smooth, flat finish. It wasn't until the 1500s that the Ottoman Empire invaded and looted the limestone off the pyramid to use in constructing buildings. The fact that the limestone exterior survived until only 500 years ago and was only then removed by people speaks to the consistent, dry climate of the region. Perfect for preservation.



Unfortunately no cameras are allowed inside the pyramid so I will do my best to describe it to you. You enter through a modern entrance carved out in the side a few steps up off the ground and begin walking through a tunnel with lighting along the wall. It is similar to any cave you may have taken a tour through. After about 50 ft. you come to a fork in the tunnel leading to another passage off to the left that descends. This is blocked off. It leads to the first attempt at constructing the King's burial chamber. Originally planned to be underground below the pyramid until water from the Nile began to seep in during construction and the decision was made to seal it off and construct the chamber above ground in order to avoid rotting the mummy.

Now you begin to climb up a passage way with a low ceiling. You have to walk crouched over and hold on to the hand rail as you walk up the smooth ramp because it is a narrow two-way passage with people coming back down at you as you hug the side. After 40 meters of walking like this you come out into what is called the Great Gallery. This is a deceiving name. The size you imagine when you hear "Great Gallery" is all vertical. you are still in a narrow room with a slanted pathway leading up but you no longer have to walk crouched over. Far from it! The ceiling of this chamber is 8.5 meters (about 28 ft.) tall. At the end of this passage you crouch down one more time to duck under a slab of granite and enter the King's burial chamber.

Inside it is dark and hot. At first glance the chamber is a bit anticlimactic. As Seth commented upon entering, "All this work to build this pyramid all for a room smaller than our master bedroom." But then you sit down and lean against one of the 400 ton red granite slabs and think about where you are. How amazing that you are touching the same stone that builders and royal attendants touched during the funeral of King Cheops. Look to your right and there is the sarcophagus, a 4-sided granite box with no top that once held the King's coffin and mummy. You think about the 9 huge granite slabs suspended above you, holding the enormous weight of the rest of the pyramid away. I'll admit, I felt the mild panic of claustrophobia at first.

We learned that the ancient Egyptians used the pyramid shape for the tombs of their most important people because they believed that, by placing the bodies closer to the sky, their passage to the afterlife would be made easier. Egyptians also believed that we lived 3 lives, the first here on earth was relatively short, the second life could last thousands of years and was spent preparing for paradise, the third and final life was spent in heaven. Knowing this it makes sense that tombs would be made of granite and that people would be buried with preserved food and offerings to sustain them for the second life.



Speaking of passage to the afterlife, the above photo is of an excavation sight where a boat was uncovered in 1954. The boat, made out of cedar, is called "Solar Boat" as carvings along its surface indicate that it was to be used by the King as transportation toward the sun for the afterlife. Similar boats were subsequently found near his queen's tomb and the other pyramids as well.



The tomb of the head architect of the pyramid is located a small distance to the west. His tomb is below ground and the below photo shows the hieroglyphic inscription above the door. Our guide explained that it reads like an ancient resume explaining his accomplishments in life. Inside we saw wall carvings that were colored in oranges, reds and blues. These colors were made by grinding stones like agate and turquoise and mixing the powdered rock with egg whites to make a paint that is still here over 4,000 years later!



In the architect's tomb there is a statue of him shown in the photo below. Notice his hands on his thighs. Our guide explained that the position of his hands is important. His right hand is open with the palm facing down while his left hand is clenched in a fist. As the right hand is dominant for most people, this position indicates that the architect's dominant trait was fairness and kindness while his left hand shows that he can use force when necessary.





The three main pyramids at Giza can be thought of as father, son and grandson. The Great pyramid was the tomb for King Cheops, the second pyramid was the tomb for his son, King Chephren and the third was the tomb for his grandson Mycerinus. You can see that the limestone exterior that covered the blocks is still intact at the top of the second pyramid:



At first glance the second pyramid seems taller than the Great Pyramid. This optical illusion is no mistake. King Chephren wanted his pyramid to be bigger than his father's but couldn't very well get away with this as it would be a great disrespect. Instead he built a pyramid 10 meters shorter and place it on a hill! Clever little bugger.



The Sphinx is located to the west of the second pyramid and faces directly east. The face of the Sphinx is thought to be a copy of the face of King Chephren. We learned that this is the largest of the over 100 sphinxes in Egypt (and you though this was the only one!) The Sphinx is a symbolic protector of Egypt and faces east because, historically, most of the invaders came from the east.





In the above photo you can make out the Sphinx's tail wrapping around his right rear leg.

We also got suckered into a 5 minute camel ride and took the obligatory tourist photo in front of the pyramids on a camel. We learned a novice lesson the hard way and next time we'll speak up and say, "No thanks." before we get steam rolled in to paying a large tip for this silly stuff. All the same...Merry Christmas from Egypt!

The Underground Sterno Trade

A friend called me up today and offered to take me along with her as she ran some errands and I could do some of my own. She has been a great help since I arrived last week and I took her up on her offer. One of the items on her list was finding a can of Sterno for her family's annual Christmas tradition of fondue. After having looked high and low for the past week she was still unsuccessful. As we sat thinking of other possible stores we could try she commented,

"They must have it in this country. I'm sure hotels use it for their buffets."

"Well, then lets go to a hotel and ask them where they get it. We may even be able to buy some from them.", I said.

We walked to the nearest hotel, A Sofitel along the Nile river in Cairo. After attempting to describe Sterno to the front desk clerk, a waiter and then a chef we were getting no where. They were going to send us to another block of shops behind the hotel when the bellhop, who had been over hearing the entire thing, came up to us and said,

"Please, madame, may I draw and you tell me if I am correct?"

He then proceeded to draw and chaffing dish with feet and a round can below it and asked,

"You remove the lid and start the fire?"

"YES!", I said with a smile, "This guy knows what we're talking about."

He explained to the clerk and chef in Arabic and the recognition spread across their faces. Yes, they know what this is. How many do we need? Two. Two? Yes, two. It is only possible to buy in a case of 72 in town. Would we wait a moment? We may be able to arrange to purchase 2 cans from the hotel. Sure, we'll wait.

A few moments later the bellhop called us back over to explain that the hotel manager said it was not possible to sell this to us but that he has a friend who works in the kitchen and he has asked his friend to try to bring him 2 cans only and we will wait and see.

We have a seat in the lobby feelingly slightly uncomfortable because now we are waiting to see if we can make an unauthorized Sterno purchase from the bellhop of this swanky hotel on the down-low.

A few moments later he motions for us to come over and hands my friend a white plastic bag with 2 cans inside.

"Thank you so much," she says, "How much do I owe you?"

"I leave this up to you madame. It is big secret."

And with that she handed him the money and we walked casually out the front doors of the hotel, past the security guards and the metal detectors with none the wiser that we were carrying 2 hotly traded cans of Sterno.

Wadi Degla Trail Run

On Saturday morning we went for our first trail run in Cairo, and by "trail" I mean dry river bed through a shallow canyon. We were introduced to a man named Sonny through one of Seth's co-workers. Sonny is an avid runner and he's fast. Rumor has it he has a tough time finding people who can keep up with him. This is just the type of challenge Seth was looking for and boy did he get a "run for his money."

Sonny picked us up at 7:00 am and we drove the 15 minutes out to the Wadi Degla Protected Area. Wadi Degla lies in the northern part of the Eastern Desert and runs east to west for 30K to drain into the Nile Valley. This protected area, which encompasses 60km2, was created in 1999. 50-60 million years ago Egypt was covered by the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time tectonic movement raised the seabed and created the Moqattam Hills. When the sea receded northwards it exposed this area and its marine sediments. Extended periods of rain eroded and exposed limestone and formed Wadi Degla. Waterfalls cut into the wadi at different levels and cut deep rock pools below them. Today winter rains refill these pools. It is a popular place for hiking, mountain biking, bird watching and dog walking.

We set out from the cars as the sun was rising through the valley and headed east for an out and back run. Sonny and Seth quickly pulled away as we wound along the river bed. The path is marked by kilometer markings like this one,

although they did not appear to be evenly spaced. Although we began the run near 7:30 am it was warm in the sun and the breeze coming through the valley was welcome. As we turned back to head west toward Cairo and the cars the brown haze of pollution was noticable hanging low on the horizon.

As we approached the gate and finished our run we met up with a woman who was out walking two dogs. Sonny introduced us and we talked about mountain biking in the area. The path we ran along the valley floor is only the beginning of a network of trails through this protected area. Once our gear arrives we can explore on bikes and get a better sense of the trail options available. It was great to get connected with another runner so early on who can show us the best places to go. We've learned of several marathons and half marathons in the area as well as a 100K run that takes place in November. There are multi-day cycling trips between different regions of Egypt as well. It is exciting to know there are so many opportunities for getting outside and exploring this area.

Together Again

We woke up to our first morning together in Cairo after a pretty darn good nights sleep. Seth had warned me that the sound of traffic continues late into the night so I had my ear plugs on hand but didn't need them after all, it wasn't too bad. We slept in a bit as Seth had let work know that he would be coming in a little late today. After breakfast together I walked with him to the subway so I could begin to get a feel for the neighborhood. The subway station is about 1.5 blocks away from the apartment, not bad at all. Already at 7:45 am the streets were busy with people and traffic (very different from Tbilisi). This is a view from our small balcony:



Dust. Lots of it. There is a film on almost every surface in our apartment and Seth has dusted already since being here. This morning I opened the glass door leading to the small balcony and saw a puff of dust blow inside when I did. That said the air is noticeably easier to breathe out here in Ma'adi (our suburb) than it is downtown. It was actually a little tough to breathe on the drive home from the airport last night until we got out this way. I noticed sand on the side of the highway during the drive. Speaking of the "side of the highway" there were guys hitchhiking and just plain walking along the side of the ring road (imagine the Beltway in DC with 8 lanes of traffic in each direction and a small shoulder).



The apartment building we are in reminds me of Melrose Place with all the hallways opening out to a courtyard in the center and palm trees all around. There is a basketball hoop set up in the center and a bunch of little kids bikes (covered in dust...not from lack of use) in a bike rack downstairs. The guards at the gate called me "Miss Meg" when I came back from the subway walk this morning. These are some photos of our temporary apartment. We are currently living in the building that has only Americans in it. Our moving day is December 28th into our permanent building which is about a 15 minute walk from here. Seth & I will take a walk on Friday to check it out from the outside and scope out the neighborhood.





I commented to Seth this morning that I am having some of the same feelings that I had when we first moved to Georgia...unsettled and a little uneasy. Not in a negative way, more in the "my antennae are up and are taking in everything because it is all new" kind of way. I like feeling this way, it is exciting, kind of like I'm on my "first date" with Cairo. I told Seth that what makes this different from the way I felt on my first days in Georgia is that, having that experience under my belt, I know that I'm going to love it here and that 6 months from now all this that feels so strange and new, will be completely normal. We are so lucky that we get to have these experiences!

I am going to spend the morning doing laundry, putting clothes away, cleaning (dusting) a bit and wrapping some Christmas gifts. Later this afternoon I will call a woman (spouse of one of Seth's co-workers) who will take me around a bit to see what's what.

One week in the city.

As of right now, (as I'm typing) I am hitting exactly one week of being in Cairo. In some ways it has met my expectations and in other ways it has exceeded them. Let's see if I can summarize this:

• Met: Pollution is high. Though to be fair, my lungs haven't complained yet. On a clear day, you can see the pyramids on the drive to work. So far, that's happened once.
• Exceeded: I thought this place was going to be very dead and not much green. Not true. There is plenty of vegetation around and the parks are fairly nice. (Will get a photo up later.) That's not to say there isn't a lot of brown and sand, but the palm trees and other vegetation does help quite a bit.
• Exceeded: Convienence of living in Ma'adi. Right now, though I'm living in temporary housing, the Golds Gym is in the building next door. I've been able to go to the gym nearly every day since I got here. PLUS, the gym is just like any other Gold's in the U.S. It's a very nice facility and was cheaper than a U.S. membership.
• Met: Traffic. It's bad. 7 miles to work takes about 30 minutes in the morning and anywhere from 40-70 minutes on the way home. I've taken the shuttle and gotten a ride home from a co-worker and it seems to be consistent. It's also a little haphazard to say the least. The tactics are the same as in Georgia, but the volume is much higher. Parking near work is pretty pricey though, so I'm not sure how much I'll drive myself. Cabs are available, many have meters but apparently you need to tell the cabbie how to get to where you want to go. (How? I don't know where I'm going!)
• Met / Exceeded: The commissary. It's huge, and apparently a little subsidized. Looking around the local grocery stores, most things are about the same price on the economy as they are in the commissary. Considering everything in the commissary is imported that really surprised me. It's like walking into a Giant in the U.S. (Or any other large grocery store.) It's a 15 minute drive from home, so who knows what we'll do for shopping wise.
• The metro is only 1 Egyptian Pound ( < $0.20) per ride, takes 40 minutes consistently, and doesn't have a predefined departure time like the shuttle. No AC though, so we'll see about the summer time. I haven't done this yet, but probably will tomorrow.
• Last Friday (first day of the weekend), I was walking around the neighborhood and saw a girl running by herself in running tights and a t-shirt. It sounds like she may get plenty of attention by doing that, but 2 things came from it:

1) She's comfortable enough to do it anyway, so it must be worth it.
2) If you're going to do it, Ma'adi is the place to do it. Downtown, women will get a lot more harassment.

Overall, this tour should allow for many creature comforts while having it's own unique set of stresses. Moving into our permanent housing (December 28) will help and getting our household effects will really help. There are allegedly cycling clubs and other groups that I would love to get into. But with only 2 bags of clothes I flew in with, I'm a little cornered.

So far so good. Life is good.