Pyramids of Giza

My dream of visiting the Pyramids came true when I got an opportunity to visit Cairo for business and organized a clandestine trip for myself to Pyramids of Giza. It was clandestine trip because I was in Cairo just for two days to attend some very urgent work; still I sneaked out from my colleagues to visit pyramids.

I had pre-fixed meetings and completely tight schedule for both the working days in Cairo. Evenings were also planned out in advance for discussing business over dinner. So visiting the Pyramids was appearing next to impossible during day time. However, the unpleasant fear of returning back from Egypt without being able to visit the Pyramids was insurmountable and it was inspiring me to invent ways to be there with the Sphinx.

First, day passed by very quickly and so did the evening. The only possible time I could visit next day was early morning before the meeting starts at 10:30 am. I decided to go to visit the Pyramids of Giza at 7 am and to be back to Hotel before 10:30 am.

I took the help of travel desk of the hotel to book a taxi which will take me to pyramids and will wait there until I finish my visit to Pyramids, to bring me back to the hotel.

I started at 7 am for Giza. On the way to Giza I was enjoying the beauty of Cairo with mixed feelings - thrilled with the thought of being close to Pyramids and disturbed by the thought of not being able to make it for the meeting at 10:30 am.

When I reached at the gate my taxi driver introduced me to a guide he knew and arranged for a trip to Pyramids. Out of the two options – horse ride or camel ride to Pyramids, I chose horse ride. Being first time rider I was scared but my guide assured me safety by offering to hold the reign of my horse while riding next to me on a different horse. Though it was not a very convincing idea but seeing the time crunch I had, I said yes. It was a bumpy ride for me and was very terrifying in the beginning. But with some riding inputs from the guide, I was able to adjust myself with the strides of horse and I was gaining confidence that I will not fall down unexpectedly to bite the dust.

As we marched closer to pyramids my riding fears started fading away. The joy I felt there next to Pyramids & Sphinx is inexplicable. The guide detailed history & clicked some good pictures of mine at specific locations to capture all of the pyramids beautifully. The time crunch made me enjoy the beauty of pyramids just from outside and visiting them from inside got postponed for my next trip.

At Giza, the sight of following makes you speechless.

1. The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops),

2. The pyramid of Khafre (Chephren),

3. The pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus).

4. Three small subsidiary pyramids are at the extreme left.

5. Sphinx and the Temple of the Sphinx – the human-headed lion was conceived of by the ancient Egyptians as the sun god Re-Horakhty - "Horus of the horizon"

When I got down from the horse after the trip my guide took me to an art shop nearby where paintings were made on Papyrus. I did not buy anything but I surely enjoyed learning the process how they do it?

Before I took off for my meeting I also got some pictures as riding on the back of camel and paid few bugs for it. This again was quite petrifying when the camel started standing up with me on its back.

Here, are some Do’s & Don’ts when you plan to visit Cairo/ Pyramids for the first time.

Do’s

1. If you plan to go around by yourself without a local guide, make sure you leave the hotel with the addresses you need to visit in Arabic. Take help of front desk of Hotel in getting it done because many taxi drivers claim that they can’t read English and can’t understand English.

2. Be careful on selecting the Taxi for your travel. There are many taxis running around without meter. So it is advisable to haggle with them for the fare they will charge. It is always better to take a rough estimate of fares at the front desk of hotel while you get the addresses translated in Arabic.

3. If visiting during the summer season do carry sun cream and lots of water with you while stepping out of hotel.

Don’ts

1. Do not be very adventurous and venture out without taking some idea about the place you are visiting and the mode of transport you would be taking.

2. Don’t pick any guide at random. When at the pyramids talk & check the rates with few guides before you pick one of them.

3. Do not flaunt your valuables while you are out for visiting places.

4. Do not try to climb the pyramids. It is illegal and unsafe.

Enjoy your trip to mystic Pyramids!