Kirsten is an artist and a friend of our coordinator, Lucy Blue. She is a totally confused, lovable character. Kirsten was with us for a week. I overheard her saying that she intended to have a quick look around Cairo, mainly to shop, before taking her flight back home form the airport there. I thought I heard the word “pyramids” in between and up I was on my heels. Soon the plan was formed. I and three undergraduate students from Southampton would accompany Kirsten to Cairo; have a quick look at the pyramids and go on for the shopping bit…
(Footnote err…..middle note: My co-travellers: James has Scottish origins and an accent that I still cannot follow. He loves coffee .Kat (Katriona) comes straight out of the teenage movies. She s aloof and confident. She was evidently happy when she ceased to share my room and got her own space. And yes, Kat met her mathematician boyfriend at a juggling club!! Ben is frail and shy. More warm and informal than the other too. None of the three seem to have any particular liking for me. There is the huge generation gap of three years between us . And Kirsten, I told u about. Our driver, a burly, rotund man who speaks perfect Arabic. What luck!! But, he was amazing. He showed a great deal of patience and skill in deciphering the sign language and was kind enough to guide us through out the trip. His name is… well, call him X)
So at six o’ clock in the morning of 15th August I sit upright on the back seat of our cab with Ben, determined to register in the entire route. And then, I sleep the tranquillest sleep. When I get up I see the sign board saying ‘CAIRO 39kms.” The Mediterranean winds that keep Alexandria cool have disappeared. The ground has turned brownish yellow with occasional shrubs and dull buildings. The whole landscape was reflecting the sun’s rays.
I thought I saw a signboard saying Giza. Five minutes later Kat shouted “there, there…” And there it was, towering in front of us at a height of about 150 meters, the Great Pyramid of Giza.It is the only remaining member of the seven wonders of the Ancient world. My eyes glued to it through the car window we drove to the pyramids. Near the entrance we were crowded by horse/ camel ride offers. A number of peddlers and camel riders meet you in and around the area. But in comparison to a place like Delhi, they are much less persistent. I was surprised at the irritation of my European co-travellers towards them. Breaking free we got to the ticket counter. For walking around the pyramids the charge is 50 Egyptian pounds per person. According to the plans we won’t have time for much more. Armed with the ticket illustrated with the sphinx we get in to the pyramid complex premises.
Yawn…..Facts and figures…:The pyramid complex of Giza has three pyramids. The celebrated Great Pyramid of Giza (the pyramid of Khufu), was constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BCE. A few hundred meters south-west of the Great Pyramid lies the slightly smaller Pyramid of Khafre, one of Khufu's successors who is also commonly considered the builder of the Great Sphinx, and a few hundred meters further south-west is the Pyramid of Menkaure, Khafre's successor, which is about half as tall. What one sees today are the massive stone blocks that was once surfaced by white 'casing stones' – slant-faced, but flat-topped, blocks of highly polished white limestone. These are still visible on the apex of the pyramid of Khafre.
The wikipedia article will give one all the facts. What the sight gives has nothing to do with the facts. It brings back all that is romantic and fantastic in a wave. A point to the South gives a panoramic view of the three pyramids. With the desertscape sprawling behind me,my logic would not take me much beyond “The Mummy Returns”. From there we moved a 100 paces further East of the pyramids. The Great Sphinx lies on the east side of the complex. Current consensus among Egyptologists is that the head of the Great Sphinx is that of Khafre. It lies on its great paws, its nose chipped of a bit, guarding the sight… Further descriptions, alas, are beyond me
It was soon decided that it was time for us to go. It was not time fro ME to go. I felt I could spent days wandering in and around the complex. But then it could be a start, and what a start it was!! We moved towards the central part of Cairo (called Islamic Cairo).
And I, I had seen the pyramids!
(Footnote err…..middle note: My co-travellers: James has Scottish origins and an accent that I still cannot follow. He loves coffee .Kat (Katriona) comes straight out of the teenage movies. She s aloof and confident. She was evidently happy when she ceased to share my room and got her own space. And yes, Kat met her mathematician boyfriend at a juggling club!! Ben is frail and shy. More warm and informal than the other too. None of the three seem to have any particular liking for me. There is the huge generation gap of three years between us . And Kirsten, I told u about. Our driver, a burly, rotund man who speaks perfect Arabic. What luck!! But, he was amazing. He showed a great deal of patience and skill in deciphering the sign language and was kind enough to guide us through out the trip. His name is… well, call him X)
So at six o’ clock in the morning of 15th August I sit upright on the back seat of our cab with Ben, determined to register in the entire route. And then, I sleep the tranquillest sleep. When I get up I see the sign board saying ‘CAIRO 39kms.” The Mediterranean winds that keep Alexandria cool have disappeared. The ground has turned brownish yellow with occasional shrubs and dull buildings. The whole landscape was reflecting the sun’s rays.
I thought I saw a signboard saying Giza. Five minutes later Kat shouted “there, there…” And there it was, towering in front of us at a height of about 150 meters, the Great Pyramid of Giza.It is the only remaining member of the seven wonders of the Ancient world. My eyes glued to it through the car window we drove to the pyramids. Near the entrance we were crowded by horse/ camel ride offers. A number of peddlers and camel riders meet you in and around the area. But in comparison to a place like Delhi, they are much less persistent. I was surprised at the irritation of my European co-travellers towards them. Breaking free we got to the ticket counter. For walking around the pyramids the charge is 50 Egyptian pounds per person. According to the plans we won’t have time for much more. Armed with the ticket illustrated with the sphinx we get in to the pyramid complex premises.
Yawn…..Facts and figures…:The pyramid complex of Giza has three pyramids. The celebrated Great Pyramid of Giza (the pyramid of Khufu), was constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BCE. A few hundred meters south-west of the Great Pyramid lies the slightly smaller Pyramid of Khafre, one of Khufu's successors who is also commonly considered the builder of the Great Sphinx, and a few hundred meters further south-west is the Pyramid of Menkaure, Khafre's successor, which is about half as tall. What one sees today are the massive stone blocks that was once surfaced by white 'casing stones' – slant-faced, but flat-topped, blocks of highly polished white limestone. These are still visible on the apex of the pyramid of Khafre.
The wikipedia article will give one all the facts. What the sight gives has nothing to do with the facts. It brings back all that is romantic and fantastic in a wave. A point to the South gives a panoramic view of the three pyramids. With the desertscape sprawling behind me,my logic would not take me much beyond “The Mummy Returns”. From there we moved a 100 paces further East of the pyramids. The Great Sphinx lies on the east side of the complex. Current consensus among Egyptologists is that the head of the Great Sphinx is that of Khafre. It lies on its great paws, its nose chipped of a bit, guarding the sight… Further descriptions, alas, are beyond me
It was soon decided that it was time for us to go. It was not time fro ME to go. I felt I could spent days wandering in and around the complex. But then it could be a start, and what a start it was!! We moved towards the central part of Cairo (called Islamic Cairo).
And I, I had seen the pyramids!
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