Pictures!!

I Guess Egypt isn't so bad ;)

Dirty Disgusting animals, I nearly got flung off every time the thing would stand up or sit down. They are crazy tall.


As I expected most of the pictures of the show didn't turn out well. This one looks pretty good.

TIme Fears the Pyramids

Day 24 June 14 – Time Fears the Pyramids
Today is the big day, I’m going to see the pyramids.

I left at 1:30 to take the bus ride to the pyramids. Now unlike buses in the US you don’t have to be at a bus stop to be picked up or let off. Now because of this little fact the trip took ten times as long as it should have. Lazy people would make the bus driver stop 50 feet after the previous person so they wouldn’t have to walk so far. I guess you get what you pay for, the hour bus trip cost 50 cents in USD. Before long I could see the pyramids rising above the buildings…
The pyramids were amazing, I was not disappointed. After the 5$ entry fee, I had access to the 6 pyramids and the sphinx. There are the three major pyramids and three tiny ones. The stones are amazingly large and it boggles the mind to imagine people moving them under people and animal power only. It was an amazing sight to see and I will never forget it, a high point in my life.
But this amazing place was also marred by people looking for a quick, unearned buck. The first was quickly after the front gate, “ticket” said a poorly dressed man, I ignored him until he said “hey I’m with the government.” Of course I didn’t believe him but I also didn’t want to press my luck. So I showed him my ticket but refused to relinquish it when he tried to take it from me. I walked past him to look at some of the tombs when he followed me and started guiding me. Now this guy is already on my bad side for claiming to be with the government, so I attempted to wave him off and said no thanks. When he ignores these, really getting on my nerves at this point, I stopped looked him right in the eyes and say “STOP, Go Away, Leave me alone.” That did the trick.
As I passed between the first and second pyramid a police officer waves me over. He tells me to go part way up the pyramid and he will take my picture. Now I know he is going to ask for money and I can live with it if he takes a picture. But when his friend comes over and also asks for Baksheesh, I unhappily say “you didn’t do anything.” Well that didn’t make him very happy, and he starts angrily taking in Arabic, but he had a big gun and I didn’t so I gave him a pound to leave me alone. After waving off many camel rides I decide to head out into the desert to take some pictures. I also craved a moment with out people bugging me.
This is where I really enjoyed myself, nobody bothering me; just me and the pyramids. It was just like in the movies, sand dunes as far as the eye can see, nobody in front of me. I made a big circle all the way around the pyramids, about three miles, taking lots of great pictures. The best part was on the top of a hill, I could see all six pyramids, the Sphnix, and the city of Cairo. I put the camera down on a big rock and did a bunch of timer shots, put the camera down then jump in front of it and smile. I sat and looked around for almost two hours on top of that hill.
On the way out I feared, for the first time, I was going to either be robbed or get in a fight. Ironically, by the police. I am starting to get the typical rapper’s outlook on the local police. As I’m leaving the pyramid area, at or near closing time, an officer orders me over. He points at his friend and demands that I give him Baksheesh. First I pretend like I don’t know what he is talking about. Then claim not to have any money, growing more and more angry all the time. When ever I would try to walk away he would yell and tell me to stop. I have no intention of being forced to give anybody money. First, I’m not getting robbed; Second, all I have is a 50 pound note and hundreds, neither of which he is getting. Well eventually the officer starts saying “Give him money,” well I just flat out said No. He was furious and started yelling at me, I thought that would be a good time to leave. So after flatly refusing him I just walked away, I ignored his order to stop. He followed me for a while but didn’t speak to me again. That was the only time I’ve really been worried about my safety here in Egypt.
Next I pulled the classic tourist trick, take your money out of your wallet and put it in another pocket. Then when someone asks for money you can show them your empty wallet. Knowing that I would have to pass many other police checkpoints I thought this was wise. But the rest of the day was free of armed men demanding money, but plenty of unarmed people did. I planned on going to the Sound and Light Show so I made my way toward the Sphinx.
The Sound and Light Show started at 8:30 so I had two hours to kill, so I took the long way to the Sphinx. I went down a small market street in the right direction. This time it was kids on bikes that wanted my money. They would ride next to me ask where I’m from, my name, then say “you give me money.” I think if I gave everyone money that asked for it today I wouldn’t have the two pounds for the bus ride home. Well eventually the streets got narrower and I became less sure of where I was going. Well as I was looking at a funny camel with designs cut into its hair a man asked me if I wanted a ride. Since I thought I was lost I thought this would be a great way to get unlost (probably not a word). Two birds with one stone, get to ride a camel and figure out how to get to the sphinx. Foolishly, I expected this man to own the camel; instead he says “follow me I take you better place” which I’m sure means his friend. Well he takes me down a few houses to a different camel. After asking the man about 5 times to actually tell me the price for a ride to the sphinx we settled on 20 pounds.(5$) I expected the camel guy, a kid my age, to walk in front of the camel and guide it while I sat on the saddle, like everyone else I saw. No… he told me to move back then hopped up there with me… I laughed when 20 feet later we see the Sphinx, I guess I was going the right direction.
Well I still had and hour and a half to blow so I told the kid to take me on a longer trip. I was glad I did this because 30 minutes later we were riding in the dunes up to a vista where we could see everything. There I saw the sunset over the pyramids and Cairo, something I will never forget.
At 8PM we returned right outside of the sphinx to the father and camel owner. First he was saying 130 pounds (26$) and I laughed and said no way. I talked him down to 70 (14$), a good price considering he was going to charge me 20 pounds for a 5 minute ride at first. Well I hurried over to the line for the Sound and Light Show.
As I have been in Egypt I have found that people here are not big on waiting in line. They don’t stay in their lines in cars, in line at the subway, and definitely not in line to buy tickets to the show. But this was different, they had velvet ropes and everything, everyone was waiting in line except the guy who cut right in front of me at the front of the line. As nicely as can be done I pushed him out of the way and told him to wait his damn turn.
The Sound and Light Show begins after dark, it is a light and laser show that showcases the sphinx and pyramids. There is also some history but mostly it’s a light show. The commentary was way overdone but it was entertaining, not sure it was worth 75 pounds (15$) but still cool.
I couldn’t find the bus I was supposed to take home so I took a quick taxi ride to the closest subway station. The Egyptian people redeemed themselves in my eyes when I was lost. I couldn’t find an English subway map and asked the subway guy for help. He didn’t understand but the person behind me told me to just follow him. He took me half way home and took me all the way to my next connection and made sure I got on the right train.
It was an amazing day here in Egypt, I got the see the best and worst Egypt has to offer.

Camels are disgusting animals.
Sound and Light Show is expensive.
Egyptian cops suck
Baksheesh is Bull$hit