Hi! I am Henry Juvera, a St. Mary’s University student, and I am currently studying Arabic at the American University in Cairo. I decided to share one of my many experiences in Cairo, Egypt.
Today, I went to one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, and it was so exciting!! The day started off kind of early, at around 10:00 am, which is early for a day trip. We met around 9:45 because the tour guides wanted us to be there early. (They assumed that Americans are always late, but here it’s the opposite!! Egyptian time is never on time; it’s always 25-30 minutes late. So, if you come to Egypt you have to be patient!) We eventually got moving around 11:00, an hour later. (In Egypt, everything is disorganized. I am surprised they completed the pyramids!! Just kidding!!) We started our hour trip to the Giza region, a suburb of Cairo, which is far away, since the American University in Cairo is located in a new region called New Cairo, the so-called Beverley Hills of Cairo! (It doesn’t really look like it now, but give it time. It will look like California!)
The drive to Giza was intense, as is any other ride in Cairo; they don’t really have police to monitor the roads. Also, there are lanes on the roads, but no one uses them. People cram on to a bus on the side of the freeway, and people cross freeways when drivers are going 140 kmph. It’s crazy, but one gets use to sitting in the bus seats, listening to the Arabic music and the honking horns of people zooming by.
Eventually we got in
to Giza, and it was kind of strange to see this modern city right next to one of the surviving wonders of the world. We slowly approached the pyramids and were in awe with the size of them. We got off the bus at the ticket office, and then we realized how hot it was. It must have been 100+F. Then we went to the office and bought a ticket to actually go inside a pyramid; the ticket was only 15 Egyptian pounds, which is only $3 USD—pretty cheap!
Then we walked up to the biggest pyramid, which was Cheop’s Pyramid, and took a lot of pictures in front of it. I realized why so many people are in awe of this one pyramid; it is huge! We looked like little ants in front of it!
Then, we walked to the Cheop’s Son’s Pyramid, which looks like it’s the same size as Cheop’s, but it’s actually smaller. The tour guide told us that Chephren wanted his pyramid to be bigger or the same size of his father’s, but his priests told him that it was a dishonorable thing to do to his father. So, the architect built it on higher ground to create the illusion that it is the same size, but in fact, it is not.
We approached the medium pyramid of Chephren’s, and we walked to the entrance. (The guard asked me if I had a camera, and I said no, but I did have one!) We went into the narrow entrance, which was like an unventilated hallway. I had to be hunched over to get through. It started to get smelly and sweaty. After that, we went down and then up a hallway. We eventually reached the area of where the servants were buried and then to the main room where Chephren was buried. But, there is nothing but a name on the wall of the archeologist who found Chephren and the year he made his discovery. There is also a coffin, but it is empty. Most mummies are at the Egyptian Museum, which is not the best kept museum.
We left the pyramid and walked around to Mycernius’s Pyramid, one of the sm
allest of the main three. (There are about nine pyramids at the site. They are not as well kept as you might imagine an ancient place as this should be.) While we were walking around, a camel rider came by and asked us if we wanted to get a ride. My friends and I said yes but without bargaining with the rider. That was a big mistake! We got on the camel, and it was so different than riding a horse. Camels are high off the ground, and it was quite scary riding up there, but the views were so great. The rider gave us a small ride, and we went around and took some pictures, and then the guy went crazy when we started walking away. At first he did not want our money; then he wanted a lot of money. He started yelling at us, and we were all scared, and I was like ahhhhhhhhhh! We took off running, but the guy followed us. Then, the tourist police came and told him to calm down.
Then, we went to the Sphinx, which was crowded because people were taking pictures. We walked around the Sphinx area. It was pretty cool to see the Sphinx without its nose; it’s a mystery as to where it went or what happened to it.
Then the site started to close due to Ramadan. Places tend to close early, so people can eat when the sun goes down and can get rest. They do not eat during sunlight hours. We all got onto the bus, and we went to eat at a buffet in a bazaar.
