Thursday 13 v.13 - Egypt!

Thirteen of Carmen's Favorite Egypt Photos (If you want to read the full details of my trip, check out my travel journals on IgoUgo for Cairo and Luxor)

1. 
   This is me, with my "excavating hat" as travel buddy Monica called it, standing in front of the PYRAMIDS! It was about 90 degrees and hazy most days in Cairo.
   
   
2. 
   I took my life into my own hands (Cairo drivers are nuts, there are no stoplights, no lane lines, and LOTS of honking - even at sniffing dogs and traffic cops!) and hired a car from the hotel to drive me to the base of the Pyramids (the complex itself closes at 4 p.m., I don't know why) so I could see a sunset at the PYRAMIDS!
   
   
3. 
   We saw the Sound & Light show at the Pyramids, en Francais, because we didn't want to wait for the English show the next day. We didn't pay much attention to what was being said anyway. Blah blah blah take photo of Pyramids. There was, however, very dramatic music - Dum Dum Dum!
   
   
4. 
   More of the Sound and Light Show. It was kinda cheesy to see 3000-year-old pyramids shown off like a side show, but it was also kind of cool. I think the Pharoah's would've dug it. :)
   
   
5. 
   Everyone told me I'd get in trouble if I took photos of security personel. This security guy asked if I wanted to take his picture, and then rubbed his fingers together to signal a tip was needed. No prob. He wanted me to be sneaky about it. I'm like - Dude, you're on a camel, how can I be sneaky about handing you money way up there? But it's one of my favorite, most Egyptian pictures from the trip.
   
   
6. 
   I know, you're surprised to see me on the spitty camel. I took a horse ride, and because I tipped the owner well, he wanted to "give me a gift". So I got up on the stupid thing to avoid the high-pressure tactics. But, the pictures turned out cute, so ok. Monica said the camel farted when I got on. I hate camels. Ha.
   
   
7. 
   This is the best picture of the Khefre Pyramid that I got. I didn't go inside, because it would've been very short and narrow and hot and claustrophobic-y.
   
   
8. 
   Our hotel - the Grand Hyatt Cairo (very highly recommended) was situated right on the Nile. This was one of the sunsets we watched. We saw one every night. I could get used to that life.
   
   
9. 
   About a half hour from the Pyramids is Saqqara, the first step pyramid and the first stone building, built by Imhotep for King Djoser (Zoser). IM-HO-TEP!
   
   
10. 
    This is another view of Saqqara. It wasn't crowded at all. It's located just outside of Memphis, Egypt.



11. 
    This is me at King Tut's tomb. It's 70 Egyptian pounds extra to see this tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. Inside, the bedouin (who "shows" you things for tips) says to me "come look over here." What he failed to say was "be careful, there's no floor over here." I fell and got my King Tut bruise. I'm fine, btw, it was more funny than anything. It was really hot in Luxor, probably 110 degrees, so I look all sweaty.
    
    
12. 
    Monica and me in Luxor at Hatshepsut's temple. Hatshepsut (pronounced Hat-cheap-suit) was supposed to watch over the kingdom for Tuthmose II who was too young to rule at the time, but she ended up surrounding herself with absolute power to become queen. Tuthmose II would later grow up and get the throne back, but he was so mad at her, he tried to scratch her name out of history on the reliefs. He couldn't touch the religious monuments, however, because then he'd be disrespecting the gods. So we still have reference to her and her temple.
    
    
13. 
    This is the Mohammed Ali Alabaster Mosque in Cairo on one of the highest points in the city, the Citadel. There was an announcement for call to prayer 5 times per day, the first was at 4:30 a.m. No offense, but I'm thinking that you really don't need a reminder to pray that early, because some of us just got to sleep. ;) There was a beautiful view of Cairo from the courtyard here.

A few more for good measure:

This is me and the Sphinx. Someone tell Tony Blair to give Egypt back the Sphinx's nose. They have it in the museum there. What do the Brits need it for? Let's superglue it back on. The Sphinx is so well preserved because it was buried up to its neck in the sand until someone dug it out.

This is Monica and I outside of Karnak Temple in Luxor.

This is one of the ram-headed sphinxes outside of Karnak temple, and yes, that is a flower blooming in the desert.

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