I'm sitting on my balcony, overlooking one of the many ornamental pools, listening to the sound of rush hour traffic in Cairo
I've just had a lovely breakfast, they really do everything so well at the Mena House. The only way to describe it is; understated elegance. I was so lucky to be able to get a room here for three nights, thanks to a great deal on Travel Republic. I really wouldn't stay anywhere else now, provided I could get a similar deal. It's not somewhere I ever thought I would be able to stay!
I know some people say it's changed since it ceased being under the Oberoi umbrella, but it's still wonderful. If you look hard there are things that could be changed for the better, but I'm certainly not complaining!!!
Although it's still cold I can see that the sun will be shining soon. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to cut short yesterday's trip after all. My pictures should have blue sky today! (Wrong!)
Today is going to be a long day, Giza, Saqqara and Dashur, but I spoke too soon. The weather is like yesterday, foggy/dusty.
We entered the Giza plateau at 8.30am, it helps being in a hotel that's next door! I wasn't interested in visiting any of the well known pyramids, as I've done them before. I took a photo of the price list for those who are interested.
Instead I went to the pyramid of Menkaure, which has just been opened for the first time in fifteen years. It was originally coated in red Aswan granite, in contrast to those of Khufu and Khafre, which were dressed in white Tura limestone. They all must have made a dramatic and wonderful site when they were all intact.
Menkaure is quite different from others that I've been in. There's a long flight of steps down and you need to be bent, so as not to hit your head on the rock. The steps open out into a small chamber that has long rectangular carvings, making it look like a temple. Then there is a shorter flight of steps down to the barrelled ceiling burial chamber.
The granite walls here are incredible. The stones are cut so accurately that they look like a solid wall with lines drawn upon them, the joints are that clean cut.
I had been virtually alone on the Giza plateau but after coming out of the pyramid I was met by hoards of Chinese visitors descending from coaches. I made my way to the Sphinx and noticed how much things have changed here since last year. Previously, the entrance was infront of the Sphinx and that area was also full of souvenir sellers, it looked really tacky. However, the Ministry of Tourism has made a marked difference and had the area cleaned up. The new entrance is over by the car park and looks much better.
Im just driving to Dashur and Saqqara and following the main route alongside the canal. This is not very pleasant due to the mountains of rubbish both on the road, in the water and on the sides of the canal.
The countryside then starts to appear en route, as do the beautiful villas and houses.
I'm soaking wet and it's not because I fell in the Nile! I was walking back from the Bent Pyramid and it started to rain! The driver has even had to use his window wipers!
I really like the Bent Pyramid, it's fascinating and intriguing.
You can se the wooden posts that have been added to stop the rock from collapsing.
I particularly like standing right underneathn the now overhanging outer casing stones. I'm stood where originally the main stones where before they collapsed, looking up at the sheer wall able.
I decided to forgo a visit to the Red Pyramid, as there was a coach full of tourists already there. I couldn't be bothered to climb all the way up, then all the way down inside, only to be extremely hot and crowded with all those other people. I already have photos, so here they are.
After this I made my way to Saqqara. This time I wanted to see the Unas Causeway and study it in detail. I saw it last year but didn't appreciate it properly. I made my way to the Valley Temple which is now a 20 metre square shaft in the ground. It's surrounded by stone slabs and there is part of what looks like a pre dynastic mud brick wall. I will have to reasearch this properly when I get home.
Moving further along the restored causeway brought me to another hole in the ground. This time a cleared complex, the Mastaba of the Two Brothers, Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep. After a lengthy play with the rusted padlock, the guardin finally allowed us entry.
What a surprise! I hadn't expected it to be so beautiful and I didn't know quite where to start! The tomb is supposedly for two brothers and looking at the hieroglyphs I think one must have been much older. The sign for an elderly man is used a great deal. Everything is duplicated. There are two false doors instead of one and many carvings and reliefs of the two men holding hands or with an arm on each other's shoulder.
They had lots of reliefs of daily life, which were so interesting
After this I continued on my route along the causeway. I arrived in the covered area, expecting to see a large amount of hieroglyphs. I had read that there had been some translations done last year, but they certainly weren't of what was in this area. I made my way to the boat pit, which is alongside the causeway. Now, this is really interesting because of the way the blocks of stone are used to make a curved wall.
After the boat pit is a gate way with some good hieroglyphs.
This then leads on the to ruined pyramid itself. This was as fascinating as the Bent Pyramid as the blocks are exposed and it is clear how the various layers of rock made the pyramid.
This is the entrance, but unfortunately the key is in Cairo, so no chance of seeing the famous Pyramid Texts!
From here I walked back to the car via the Step Pyramid compound. All of the scaffolding has been removed from that front and is now around the other sides. This time I could get closer and see the vast amount of restoration that has taken place. The stones have really just been consolidated to prevent them crumbling further. I hadn't realised the some of the flat, outer casing stones remained.
I left Saqqara for this year and began the journey back to Cairo.
En route, the traffic was incredible! It's basically just a free for all. There's undertaking and overtaking, usually both at the same time! Junctions can be terrifying and the other cars get so close!
Having said that, there are some very interesting sights to be seen along the road. The little shops, donkeys and camels sharing the roads with cars and large trucks - amazing really.
They seem to like pottery mushrooms!
When I arrived back at the Mena House Hotel all I wanted was a drink of lemon juice in the bar. As I waited to be served, I noticed two ladies sitting near me, clearly discussing business. One of them looked familiar and in the end I just had to ask. As I approached them she recognised me too. It was the lady that I had thought was a journalist in the tomb of Nefertari on Sunday!
I was wrong. She's here to advice the Egyptian government on tourism. Well, I had to have a chat with her about that.
I asked her if she could speak to someone about giving us Brits a chance to return to Egypt, explaining about the cost and difficulty in getting here. She was amazed that I had to get three flights to travel to Luxor. I told her that those of us in the north of England and Scotland have real problems. There are masses of people waiting to return but many find it just too expensive and difficult. Only the diehards will make such an effort.
We ended up chatting too and the other lady, an Austrailian even made a note of my blog. I was really taken aback, but flattered that she would be interested.
After this I was shattered after such a long and interesting day, so it was a case of dinner and bed. Tomorrow is a slow day, with just an afternoon trip to the Khan El Khalili souk.
