Exploring Cairo! - Cairo, Egypt

Obligatory jump picture

Camels and Pyramids! AHHH!!!

Given the recent political turmoil in Egypt and the reluctance of Muslim Egyptians (who make up the bulk of the population) to being filmed, we decided against filming in Egypt for Each and Every. It was a bit of a hard decision to not get started right away on the project, but we figured there would be plenty of things to do to fill our time anyway.

Our first whole day in Egypt we spent exploring THE PYRAMIDS! Moussa put together a tour of Dahshur, Saqqara, and Giza for us for $12/person, which seemed reasonable given the amount of driving and waiting. It turns out that he was our driver as well, which was great because we got to find out a little more about life from a local Egyptian. We first drove to Dahshur, where there were pyramids older than the famous ones in Giza and less crowded since they were lesser known. Actually, there was no crowd at all. Aside from a Japanese dude who was leaving as we got there, we were the only ones there. Which meant we got to enter the Red Pyramid all by ourselves. Photography was supposedly forbidden, but the guards at the entrance said it was ok if we tipped them. At 10 Egyptian Pounds (~$1.50), it seemed like a good deal. After crawling through a 100m tunnel about 3 feet high, we arrived at the burial chambers. It was both awe-inspiring and creepy to think this room was carved out more than 4,000 years ago, all for one dead person. After taking in the moment and calling for Imhotep with no response, we decided to crawl back out to the world. I would like to warn my friends and loved ones that if you decide to enter any pyramids, please be sure to work out your quadriceps beforehand. They will be tested and tried.

After skimming through the temples and closed pyramids at Saqqara, we moved onto Giza to see the pyramids everyone knows. We bargained a camel/horse tour of the pyramids from $140 to $70, which might have still been overpriced, and saddled up on our respective animals. I'm not going to lie. I was pretty freakin excited to ride a camel and had been since we first thought of going to Africa. So this was definitely a dream come true. Contrary to what we were being told, I found riding a camel more comfortable than riding a horse, except Jessi's camel (named Oscar) kept trying to eat my shorts. One of the perks of paying a little more for a camel/horse tour instead of just taking a bus tour is that the guide takes you around security and around the swarms of locals trying to sell you stuff. Our guide, Ahmed, also used to be a show rider of horses, so he showed us some cool tricks, including standing on top of two running horses. He was also a pro at taking cliche pyramid pictures, which I guess we were obligated to take since we were there. Anyway, we got to climb the Pyramid of Khafre, see/take pictures of the Sphinx, and after absorbing as much as we could of the sand, the sights, and the history, we bid Giza adieu.

The inside of the Red Pyramid!

Oscar the Camel

The Pyramids of Giza

The Sphinx

Day 2 of Cairo was spent exploring Old Cairo as well as the Egyptian Museum. We first went to Coptic Cairo, where there were thousand years old churches within the walls of the Babylon/Roman fortress. It was inspiring to see these churches co-exist with mosques just as old as them less than a mile away. We visited the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, which according to tradition, sheltered the Holy Family (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus) when they went into exile in Egypt.

We then went to the Citadel, built by Saladin of the Crusades era. Aside from being a magnificent fortress, the Citadel is also home to the National Military Museum and the mosque of Muhammad Ali (not the boxer). The Military Museum, housed in a palace, was extensive and displayed artifacts from Egypt's military history, including King Tut's chariot. Captured Israeli vehicles were a harsh reminder of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In contrast, the mosque built by King Muhammad Ali in the 19th century inspired peace, community, and beauty.

We saved the Egyptian Museum for Day 3. In a way, the museum was very much a mausoleum as it contained rows after rows of sarcophagi, coffins, and mummies. While the displays were amazing, especially the exhibit on King Tut's treasures, it was also very sad to see significant figures of Egypt's glorious past on display for all to see. The Pharaohs of old had spent so much effort to make certain that no one would disturb their rest, but yet, here they lay in a wing of a museum. I can't imagine what it would be like if the bodies of US presidents were exhumed and put on display back home. It was also a little depressing to see so many precious artifacts shelved in pretty old looking cabinets, especially when any one of these artifacts would warrant a special exhibit back home.

At the end of three rather touristy days, we felt extremely fortunate to have had the chance to travel and see so many historical wonders, especially ones that we had read or heard about as children. I mean in just 72 hours, we got to cross off several boxes on our respective bucket lists. How much cooler does it get?

Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church

The Mosque of Muhammad Ali

Artifacts outside the Egyptian Museum