Egypt - Cairo

Here I am, at my final destination. I am sooo looking forward to coming home. I am sick of the heat, sick of the men, sick of the food, sick of living out of a bag, sick of the constant harrassment, sick of cheap tacky hotels and sick of constantly being on my guard for inappropriate groping and 'passing by too closely'. However! I AM IN EGYPT! It seems like so long ago that I had planned to come here, and in between broken plans, broken hearts, changes in direction and perhaps just growing up a bit, I have landed in one of the most ancient lands in the world to see one of the 7 wonders of the world.

After a long 14 hour bus ride from Dahab on the coast to Cairo, with around 12 military/security check points en route, we arrived in the ever chaotic Cairo. My first impressions are that it is very 'India' looking, perhaps similar to Delhi. After being fucked around at a hotel we'd made a reservation at, we ended up at Sara Inn Hostel, right near the HUGE Cairo Museum. Spent a whole day in the huge museum which has required a full day to walk around. The thing that struck me the most was the Mummies. They really were mind blowing - the detail in their embalmed skin and hair, their finger nails and the detail in the shape and colour of their skin was incredible - some of these Mummies are over 4000 years old! Seriously mind blowing.... still with hair on their heads and eyelashes in tact too! Absolutely incredible if not a little spooky. Spent some time trying to do some shopping in this city of chaos and many a wandering hand ... on the first shopping expedition I was crotch groped, but I assure you the bloke got more of a fright than I did when I caught him as he tried to slip past and gave him a good shove around. Asshole! So ... the highlight of course was the Pyramids of Giza.

You cant really explain to someone the sheer size of the Pyramids, the precision and the awe that they envoke. The largest Pyramid is 146 metres high ... which I know sounds huge, but when you see this, it is even more impressive because its a Pyramid that is more than 4000 years old ... FOUR THOUSAND YEARS OLD. How amazing is that. I just stood there in awe, of the size, the construction and a little of that feeling of 'shit Im in Egypt looking at the PYRAMIDS!'. I bet no body who hasnt seen them realised that they were smack in the middle of the chaotic city of Cairo! Youd think by all the photos and postcards and stuff that they were in the middle of the desert, which I guess Cairo is, but its really amazing that just 8 ks out of the actual city centre are the Pyramids!

Pics - Top 2 are of the streets of Cairo, yes that is a huge goat on that man's shoulders!

The rest are of the Pyramids obviously, and the Sphinx. A few of me looking the ever-tourist, or a little Bangle-like in my walk like an egyptian photo shoot. What I want to draw your attention to is 8 down from the top - if you look to the bottom right youll see a little white dot - which is actually a napping security guard! The next shot is of him zoomed in. It shows you just how HUGE the Pyramids actually are. The next shot down is great, its completely banned to climb the pyramids, but becaue the security guard is in a very deep sleep this Muslim family got the chance to have a photo shoot on top of the Pyramid bricks, classic. Look carefully in the shots for people, Ive tried to take photos of the Pyramids with people standing at the bottom, or in the entrance way to go inside of them (see shot 13 down from the top, theres a security guy in white standing quater way on a step on the biggest of the Pyramids). Youll notice in the last 3 shots, this Pyramid has a white cap on it - all of the pyramids actually used to be covered in lime stone, but over the years all the lime stone has been taken off and used to build churches, mosques, palaces etc. This is all the limestone left on any of the Pyramids.

The last shot is one for Dad, thought youd like to see how they use computer monitors here in Egypt ... as street cones for parking !!!! Funny.

Oh and check out the twi-tower esque aeroplane shot!!!!

Ill be writing one last blog I think before I leave, but this is my last stop before flying home on Tuesday afternoon from here.... Mixed emotions of excitment, nerves, relief and Im sure more than a bit of me will definitly miss this region.