The Tarnished Pyramids of Giza

As my taxi sped through the streets of Giza, my anticiapation rose and I forced myself to keep my eyes open (most taxi rides in Cairo pass far more smoothly if you have your eyes closed!). Without warning, we rounded a corner and the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) seemed to materialise before my eyes. It stands nearly 150m high and has been around for about 4600 years. As the sole survivor of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the pyramids stand tall and proud and unquestionably live up to, if not surpass, all of the inevitable hype.

Unfortunately, I made a couple of rookie traveller mistakes that have tarnished my time at the pyramids. With a day to digest the events, and several hundred kilometres now separating me from Cairo, I feel I was seduced by the Syrians. Like the Syrians, the Egyptians are friendly and keen to engage in conversation. The Syrians however, never wanted anything from me and this could not be further from the psyche of most Egyptians. There are exceptions of course, but they feel like exactly that, exceptions.

In the shadow of the Great Pyramid, and for the first time on this trip, I completely lost my cool. I should have known better and, with the benfit of hindsight, I was probably more pissed off at me for allowing myself to be suckered by people whose intentions are crystal clear. In the grand scheme of things it was a relatively cheap lesson, well learned. What it amounts to is that for about $60, I have some tourist tat I didnt need and dont want and some expensive photos of me aboard a camel. It has however, left me more cycnical than I like to be and the continuing constant barrage is proving more erosive (?) than I care to admit.

I spent some time trying to calm down by gazing at the face of the sphinx (known in Arabic as Abu al Hol or the Father of Terror) and I pity the next couple of touts who asked if I wanted a camel ride! When I had relaxed a little, I negotiated a fair price for a camel ride out to a place where the panoramic view of all 9 pyramids (3 kings and 9 queens) is simply stunning. It allowed me to enjoy the time I had left at Giza, including a more than slightly eerie experience of climbing through the pyramid of Khafre (Chepren).

As for Cairo, I feel that one day I will return to the pyramids at Giza. It was fascinating to experience such ancient structures on the doorstep of sprawling Cairo and I long to be able to write about them in the glowing and awe inspiring superlatives that they so richly deserve. Maybe by the time I return thay will have lost their tarnish and regained their lustre.