A camel ride through the Great Pyramids

We knew the camel riding would be one of the highlights for the kids on this vacation – and it was. The fact that I stepped in a heaping mound of camel poop just before mounting the beast added an additional element of humor. None of the “camel-men” seemed to think it was a big deal. We really had a ton of fun on the camel ride and the fact that we were riding through the desert and viewing the Pyramids of Giza made it particularly special – an iconic feeling.

We had started the day with breakfast at the hotel – an extensive buffet consisting of nothing particularly tasty. Unfortunately, the worst part was the brown water or cold nasty espresso for coffee – your choice. After breakfast, I made my way to the reception desk to discuss the memo we received under our door over night: they were going to increase our room rate because Charlotte was twelve and therefore not a child. When I was finally able to speak to the manager, he knew immediately what had happened. The rules in Egypt are that twelve year olds are considered adults but that is not the case elsewhere in the Starwood system. Since the reservation was made through Starwood Hotels, he would honor the originally quoted rate.

Then we met our guide for the next four days, Mahmoud, in the lobby and we were off on our tour. We had noticed out our hotel room window this morning, and now again as we drove in the van, that the entire city was enveloped in a thick layer of smog. Mahmoud said it’s like this in Cairo every day due to the large pollution. There are 20million people living in this city and a lot of cars on the road.

First, we drove to Sakkara (about 45 minutes) to see the first and oldest pyramid in Egypt, the “step pyramid” of Zozzer. The most impressive part was the outer wall of this ancient necropolis. It was made of a highly polished limestone and was remarkably well-preserved for a wall built in 2700 BC! The pyramid was built by Imhotep, working for the king, who basically invented the concept of burying the dead in Pyramids. Prior, to Imhotep, only perishable materials were used and people were buried underground. This did not allow the mummies to hold up well to the elements, and it was feared to obstruct their path to the afterlife. We toured the necropolis for as long as it took for Avery to amass a large enough rock collection to build his own pyramid.

We stopped for lunch on our way back to the Pyramids of Giza. There are a total of 96 pyramids in all of Egypt but the three near our hotel are the most famous and include THE Great Pyramid -- one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. But first, falafel. Actually, we had a variety of foods, but not as good as the dinner the night before. The cleanliness quotient, while high for Cairo, was not too high. The place was popular for take away, however we sat down upstairs for the restaurant service. Upstairs, there was also an enormous colorful bin filled with small balls – just like at Gymboree or Little Gym – but certainly with a thousand times the germs. Avery needed only a mere suggestion before he took his shoes off, and in he went. Olivia was not too far behind. I was fearful they would catch something, but what could I do? I also weighed the few minutes of peace we’d get while waiting for our meal and decided: what could I do?

The Pyramids of Giza refer to three: The Great Pyramid for Cheops, the Middle Pyramid for Chephren the son of Cheops, and Mykerions the smaller one. The “Great One” has actually lost 11 meters in height as the stones have toppled and so the middle one is actually higher now than the Great Pyramid of Cheops. After walking a bit around the Great Pyramid, we drove to the top of the desert plateau where we had a phenomenal view of all three pyramids from above. The plateau is also where you can pick up a camel for a ride back down. The most difficult part of the ride is getting on and off the camel’s hump. The camel lurches forward as it stands (from a kneeling position) and when it kneels (from a standing position) so you really need to hold on. Good thing we figured that out! Josh rode with Olivia, I rode with Avery and Charlotte had her own camel. It was great.

When we disembarked from the camels, Charlotte and I went inside the Pyramid of Chephren. Going inside the pyramids requires the purchase of an additional ticket. You walk in a crouching position up through a narrow passageway to get to the King’s burial chamber where you see – an empty granite coffin. There is very little air inside, making it very hot and difficult to breathe. And, we were lucky that there were not many people; I can’t imagine what it’s like inside when there is a crowd. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be inside the Pyramid, but not really worth repeating.

We finished our visit to the Pyramids of Giza by paying a visit to the Sphinx. To get the best view, we walked through a Temple associated with the Great Pyramid. Each Pyramid has two corresponding temples, one of which was used for the mummification process. This one belonging to Cheops was the best preserved. Despite losing a bit of its luster – including its nose, its beard and the cobra on its forehead -- the Sphinx remains an impressive structure and is symbolic of Egypt. The Sphinx is built in the limestone quarry that was used for building the Pyramids. The idea was to make something beautiful there so there wouldn’t just be this heap of stones blocking the view of the majestic pyramids.

We returned to our hotel and Josh and the kids had a quick swim before the pool closed at 5pm. On the one hand, it’s amazing to see a view of the Great Pyramid from the swimming pool. On the other hand, the pool is a bit disappointing because the hotel is undergoing some construction -- actually what looks like an enormous expansion – next to the pool. I’m surprised it wouldn’t be disclosed on the website. Still the hotel pool felt like an oasis compared to the congestion of Cairo.

We returned to Felfela for dinner. Quick, easy and delicious.