Tuesday 20 January-The Sphinx & the Pyramids

Tuesday 20 January This is a big entry. Better get comfortable.
Today we got up really early. 6 am. We even beat the sun in getting up. Why you may ask?(If you read the title of this entry, you may already know this answer) Because today we went to the pyramids & the Sphinx at Giza. They say there is a limit of 150 people in the morning and 150 people in the afternoon who can buy tickets to enter the big pyramid, so we went early to make sure we got tickets. Fortunately we got a taxi right near our hotel that took us there. We were dropped off at the southern entrance. However, tickets to get into the pyramids are sold at the other entrance (naturally). We arrived at about 7.30 am only to be told they open at 8 am (no one told the “Lonely Planet” guidebook… or us). Bluey and I thought “Bugger it, we’ll walk around to the other entrance!” So off we set, following the fence and up small alleys. A local told us that way was shut, but it had to come out somewhere, so after walking down streets & alleys and through piles of rubbish we asked someone “How far to the entrance?” He had to get help to understand what we asked him. “One kilometer.” was the answer. We went a bit further before turning back. Bluey said “One kilometer is never one kilometer!” So back we went, with a dog barking at us. He wasn’t happy and seemed to mean business…. We got inside the compound, walked past the Sphinx before yet another camel owner asked “You want camel ride? Very cheap! You take my picture so you look at it and come back when you want camel ride, ok !!! Very cheap!!”
This is a common saying and along with “Where you from? AUSTRALIA. Good country… you are welcome. Melbourne or Sydney…!” “Hello my friend…” all followed with “… you want a camel ride…” “you want papyrus book mark?” “you want plastic pyramids?” “ you want SHITTY-looking things to stick on your head?” I also almost forgot when people give you what they want to sell “This is a gift…” just before they take a photo for you and ask for money, I really loved a shirt I saw saying “Go away I already have enough FRIENDS”.
We secured our ticket for entrance into the great pyramid the Pyramid of Cheops before walking to the entrance of the crawl-space. That was fascinating to go through the crawl-space. We had to bend over to get most of the way. Bluey even though she’s got a bit of a fear of close spaces was fine with it. (I think I am not afraid of small spaces… it’s probably just lifts.-Bluey) To see how the stones were fitted together in the pyramids was amazing. We came back out and filmed a little before being barraged by camel handlers again. I really have no idea how many are called Sammy who own camels called “Mickey Mouse” or Mohammed owning “Charlie Brown”. We met a number of both! Then a bloke asked to see tickets before showing us around a bit before we told him we don’t pay much and then he found other victims.
We roamed a little and were up on a pile of stones where I thought we were safe from camel drivers circling beneath us (not quite, but they were close to it). A camel owner came up to us !!! He took a photo for us before luring us down to his camel. We said “We will not pay you!” He told me to get on the camel for photo. “ We won’t pay for it !!!” “You not pay, you not pay!” He took our photo, I got down and SURPRISE “You pay me £ 50!” Tension, aggression, argument on both sides. I said “WE TOLD YOU WE WILL NOT PAY, you said “YOU NOT PAY”. We will go to the tourist police, Here is £ 1 GOODBYE” I was PISSED!
We went into the Queens pyramids and walked to some tomb and then we went to the second pyramid (the Chephren pyramid) but didn’t go in. We just rested, sitting on stony section, laying in the pebbles and dust near the base of the pyramid. We ate our mandarins & bananas after our relaxation was interrupted by a … f@c*&% camel owner. He said £20 an hour for a ride & he graciously told us as we ate “No rush, eat and take your time Mr. Harry.” As we lay there attempting to relax, the (place expressive swearword of your choosing here) called out “When you are finished with your rest we can go for a ride. If anyone comes up, I tell them let Mr Harry rest.” I swear he was doing it to piss “Mr Harry” the tourist off. Camel owners… I hate em! Next time I will call myself Indiana Jones. We ended up going on a ride with him. The ride was good and we saw all the pyramids from a different viewpoint with the luxury of a camel ride. However, when we went to pay £65 (a fair price) he started wanting £300. Yeah right. We argued for a bit before I asked “Are you a man of your word?” sensing he had some honour about him. He said “yes”. “You told us when we asked a price that you charge £20 an hour. We agreed on it and that was YOUR word!” He didn’t seem to like that, but he realised we were right. As Bluey said “ If you want to charge so much, say it and do not say £20 an hour and go back on your word!!” Freaking camel owners !!!!!!!!!!!! I hate em!
From there we walked to the Sphinx. We got some good photos of it before eating a biscuit each. There were kids there selling papyrus book marks & postcards. One young fella told Bluey “Give me one!”. Bluey said “Two bookmarks for one cookie!” Deal. Then a bloke aged about his twenties came up wanting one. We said “No” when he asked why not, that the others got some we told him because they were just very young kids and that he was an adult. He went away. The kids came back. The first one asked for another one and Bluey swapped him one for two bookmarks & another kid for a postcard. Then we put them back while the kids wanted more. We told them we still need them ourselves for later and the first said “All these for all the biscuits!” offering about 40 papyrus bookmarks. Maybe we should have swapped with him. There were all so cute.
Then we went off to the Chephren pyramid to see about going into that crawlspace but had to go right back to the entrance to get the ticket, but we figured the Cheops pyramid would have been the main one and it was an additional cost. So we walked around and took a few more photos. We also saw in some ruins out the back near a pyramid a mother dog with three pups. They were adorable. The mum was black with three different coloured puppies, one tan, a brown & the other dark grey. The darkest was a bit fluffy. Bluey went down to them, but the pups ran & hid. The mum came to Bluey when she called it like she calls Scrubbs. Nice dog. Then it was 4 pm. Shuting time, so we got a taxi to down town and discovered where Pizza hut is. We came home, rested and then back to Pizza Hut where I ordered a Meat lovers (large) & Bluey a Margherita (large). It was a big day, it is 12.07 am, so I’m going to sleep now. Good night!

Wow. Well done! You made it through to the end. I told you it was a long entry, didn't I!

Monday, 19th January - Coptic Cairo

Today we slept in a bit before heading off to Coptic Cairo. We took a taxi via Khan Al-Khalili (the complete opposite direction to where we were heading) but still paid the agreed amount. We went into the first Saint George Convent Church where the residential nun can put you in chains supposedly used in the torture of Saint George himself…ooooooooooookkkkkkkkkkk then!!! 8-o
Then we went into the Church of Saint Sergius, where they reccon Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus hid from Herod when they were told to go to Egypt.
Next was the Ben Ezra Synagogue where I set off a metal detector, but the security person didn’t care and let me through anyway (go figure)! We then walked past the Church of Saint Barbara and found a rubbish pile where there were cats and a heap of tombs. We were almost locked into a side area that we ventured into. Thirty seconds later and the bloke would have had it locked and been away.
The second church dedicated to Saint George was a Greek Orthodox Monastery and Church of Saint George. We checked out the church before checking out the graves around there as well.
From there we went and got something to eat. When we first arrived in the Coptic area and looked around the eating areas, we were given a business card from the owner of a place we were going to check out later telling him we would be back. He seemed a bit surprised when we did return. Bluey ate a chicken burger and I had a kofta (long meatballs with a garlicy sauce, pita bread and fries).
On our way to see the oldest mosque in Egypt (Mosque of Amr Ibn Al-As) we bought a book a bit like mine, but I reccon mine’s better. We didn’t go into the Mosque as there was a divided section for men and women and we didn’t want to be seperated.
From there we went and looked at the Roman Towers and noticed there are bats living in the Church of Saint George. Then we tried the Hanging Church, only to find the bugger was shut! There was also a fire truck near the church that the people were trying to get started. I hope they were not in a hurry.
We then crossed the Nile to check out the Nile-o-meter only to find that IT was shut TOO! So then we crossed back over the Nile and walked and walked…and walked to the Cairo Tower before heading to KFC for dinner.
On the way back to the hotel we met someone else who wanted to give us their business card. “No need to buy, no need to buy!!” Yeah, right!!! We agreed anyway and were lead back TO THE SAME FRICKIN’ PLACE AS LAST NIGHT!!!!! This time we were not lead upstairs, but to the ground level. One of the guys from last night asked us AGAIN “Do you have any coins?” ... “No!” “Do you have coins, do you have chocolate?”....”...sigh, (thinking "give me strenght, give me patience")...No, we gave them to you LAST NIGHT!!” They were also trying to sell us stuff. AAAARRRRGGGHHH: We also waited about five minutes in awkward silence for our friggin tea. It is Egyptian hospitality that when you invite someone in to offer them tea. However, making someone wait in an uncomfortable situation for over five minutes is not hospitality in my books. We ended up saying that we needed to meet up with a friend and left them. I do not know why, but at the moment I have a hard time seeing “essential oils” sellers in a good light.
The bloke around the corner seemed like a good bloke. We may get some souvienirs from him.

Sunday 18 January.

11.03pm Today we went to the Egyptian museum. HUGE, interesting and tiring. Of course you can’t go there without checking out the mummies. Fascinating to be there looking at the remains of men (women) who ruled Egypt thousands of years ago. And of course to stand staring at the golden mask of King Tutankhamun after seeing it in photos, tv and hearing about it in school is just awesome. The chambers he was buried in, his jewellery, the tables in the tomb, his chariots… we saw them. As good as the museum is, it was heavenly to get back to our room and REST !!! After we felt our bodies had recovered enough we were off in search of food. We tried to find a restaurant (I hate the word… can NEVER spell it) last night, but didn’t find it, so looked tonight. Someone gave us directions, but not before showing hospitality and giving us both a cup of tea in his perfume shop in a back street and us trying a number of oils. We ended up buying oil for me and him giving some oil to Bluey. He also asked about Bluey “How old is he? 15?” WHAT THE!!! He also asked “How many camels for her?” Poor Bluey is NOT a tea fan. We found the restaurant. I ate stuffed pigeon and Bluey ate beef. Dunno for sure if it was Beef… tasted different.