Cairo, Egypt

Thursday, November 19th
Route of the Ancient Traders
Day 9
Overland
Cairo, Egypt
Partly Cloudy – 72 Degrees

The ancient Egyptians believed that this life was but a conveyance to the next. That is why they say that no palaces survive from that era, only temples and tombs devoted to the afterlife.

We began the day with the drive to Sakkara, the vast necropolis of ancient Memphis. Memphis was the capital of the Old Kingdom, and no, Elvis was not the King.

The drive to Memphis was disheartening. This is a major route linking significant sites of antiquity, but the filth and poverty is overwhelming. We followed a canal that seemed to be at once a drainage ditch, sewer, garbage dump, irrigation and water source. It was filthy. There was garbage everywhere. A water buffalo, long since dead, floated amid the trash. The villages we passed were poor, but full of life. All essential services could be found in each one. Produce, fresh meat hanging in the open air, even an auto repair shop which was little more than a dirt floor covered with oil under a thatched roof. Wealthier homes and business were constructed the same way we have seen in many other countries. Buildings were framed in reinforced concrete with walls finished in brick. When a family had enough money to expand, they would add another floor for the next generation. These upper floors may remain partially constructed for years, or forever, only to be finished when more money was available. The standard of living shocked our sensibilities, but the people seemed happy, smiling and waving as we passed. The litter and grime was harder to accept.

Memphis is home to the oldest pyramid in Egypt. It is different from the pyramids in Cairo in that the sides are not smooth, but stepped. The Zoser Step Pyramid built in 2686 B.C. is believed to be the oldest stone structure in the world. The pyramid was once part of a much larger temple, which has been partially reconstructed. We came through a grand entrance, into a colonnade, and out into a huge square framing the pyramid. Amazing!!!




We were not able to see the inside of the pyramid, but we visited another tomb close by, the tomb of Mere-Ruka completed in 2340 B.C. They don't allow cameras inside the tombs and the outside is nondescript.

We also visited an open-air museum that houses a statue of Ramses II. This museum, and all other historical sites, is run by the Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Police.

We retraced the route back to Giza and the Great Pyramids. These 4,000 year old monuments are the only surviving Wonder of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The three major pyramids are dedicated to three successive Pharaohs, Cheops, his son Chephren, and Chephren’s son Mykerinus. Along with the Sphinx, they form an ancient theme park in Giza. The pyramids were built as giant tombs to preserve the pharaoh's mummified body for eternity. Cheops' pyramid is the oldest in Giza and the largest in the world. When it was completed in 2600 B.C., it stood 146.5 meters high. His son's pyramid sits on higher ground and still has the limestone veneer at the top that once covered all three, but it is actually shorter than Cheops'. The third pyramid is the shortest of the three at just 66.5 meters when it was completed. There are several other much smaller pyramids in the area that were dedicated to Queens and lesser officials. Signs remind the tourists that these treasures of history are not jungle gyms.

The Great Sphinx is thought to be the largest stone sculpture in the round that was ever made by man. This towering figure carved out of limestone around 2650 B.C. is believed to be either a monument to the sun god Ra or to the pharaoh Chephren. With the head of a man and the body of lion, it faces East, greeting the rising sun, the return of life each day.

The pyramid experience is a surreal one. It is awesome and humbling, tacky and aggravating all at once. The buses park in a giant parking lot between the two largest pyramids. There is open desert to one side and the suburbs on the other. There are thousands of tourists wandering around. Hundreds of salesmen are pushing postcards, books, DVDs, and camel rides. The camels are sooooooooooooo cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute. But you can't take their pictures. Everything here is a scam. If you take the camel's picture, the handler wants money. He says you can get on the camel for free, then he charges $50.00 to let you off. He says you can look at the postcards for free, but he won't take them back unless you pay. He won't take no for an answer. He speaks English, but doesn't understand "No, thank you." So you say it in Arabic, "La, shukran." He doesn't understand that either. More come and they surround you and push you until you feel like you can't breathe. Finally you turn on them and yell and they go away, but only for a minute. You want to empathize with their poverty. You want understand that they are only trying to make a living, that no one wants to spend their lives selling crap to the hordes. You want to understand that we have had a hand in creating this problem with our unjust wealth and our arrogance. You want to love, but it is hard not to hate.

After another buffet lunch at yet another hotel, we drove into the heart of Cairo, crossing the Nile from West to East. We had a guided tour of the famous treasures of Tutankhamen, the Boy-King who ruled for just nine years before his death at age 18. His was the only tomb of the Pharaohs to be discovered before it had been looted.

Overnight, the ship had sailed from Alex to Port Said, at the Northern end of the Suez Canal on the coast of the Mediterranean.

Tourists are not allowed to travel the highways alone and unescorted. The Tourist and Antiquities Police form convoys with flashing light escorts. We joined the last convoy of the day for the ride to Port Said and the M/S Nautica.

We are glad we came, but we won't be back. The antiquities are incredible, and they must be seen to be believed, but the poverty, the filth, and the hard-sell ruin the experience. The postcards don't do the history justice, but they make the present a lot more palatable.

Tomorrow: Transiting the Suez Canal