Sailing on the Nile River

Am I in an Agatha Christie movie? Is somebody about to be murdered? Come on, bro, can this get any better? I have boarded this beautiful boat and will soon be making my way down the Nile. My room is beautiful, the air conditioning is ice cold, and they have all-you-can-eat buffet included. The top deck has coffee and tea, and even a pool to relax and unwind after a day of exploring. Hold on, I need to pinch myself. But before our boat leaves the dock, my group and I will be hopping on a bus at a brisk 4 am and travling south for four hours to Abu Simbel, a very famous temple. Samar assures us it will be worth the long journey. We will hold her to it. I'm hoping our ship doesn't pull anchor and take off while we’re away. 

  

Sakkara

So you know when you're watching the Discovery Channel and a series about ancient Egypt, the pyramids and all the magical temples comes on and you're immediately sucked in? When words like Luxor, Giza, Karnak, Edfu, and yes, Sakkara, are inexplicably ingrained into your conscious, although you don't fully know what they are or what they mean? Well such is the case with me, as I travel to the outskirts of Giza, to the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis (No Elvis sightings here). 

Here we find Sakkara, or Saqqara, the site of Djoser's Step Pyramid, the first all-stone complex ever built on earth at over 4700 years old. Now that's cool! Here I will explore a few failed pyramids, mastaba tombs (which have sloping sides and a flat roof), and the necropolis which is basically a city for the dead. I'll also make another descent into a pyramid, although much easier at only 10-15 meters down. 

(How cool is this guy who posed for me?)

Egypt is coming alive for me, as the dead guide me through their resting spots, their homes for the last few thousand years. They take my hand and whisk me through, pointing out their ancient writings and paintings, detailing their lives and what they valued most. Who they worshipped and what they believed. So much to take in. 

(Call me King Kev!)

(My group behind me!)

Tomorrow I fly to Aswan, where I will board a ship and sail up the Nile, stopping at various stops along the way to visit the ancient temples and structures. I'm really on an adventure now. Buckle up!

Pyramids of Giza

While most of us are familiar with the Great Pyramid of Giza, there are actually three pyramids here. Khufu (also called Cheops or the Great Pyramid) stands at 481 feet high. Next up is Khafre at 471 feet, then Menkaure at 213 feet. Each is named after the king for whom they were built. And while The Bent Pyramid feels like it's in the middle of the desert, the Great Pyramids are right next to the city of Giza. Giza is located  across the Nile River from Cairo, with a population of 30 million. Looking from these angles, you might think that these pyramids are in a remote area. They are not. Here’s a view from the city. 

So now that we have our bearings, time to explore. 1st off, these pyramids are just plain massive. You really don't get a sense of their size until you stand next to them. And when you do, your next thought is how in the hell did they build these? I mean, we need cranes just to build a three-story structure. And, it's said they were built in 20-30 years. AND, while the pyramids are largely built from sandstone, the interior chasms and chambers were built from granite shipped all the way down the Nile from Aswan more than 540 miles away! (More on Aswan later). It all just blows your mind.

So after getting a good dose of these beautiful structures, it's time for the obligatory camel ride. You just gotta do it, no matter how silly it feels. Now these are some interesting creatures (camels) for sure. My guy didn't seem all that happy to have to lift me up off the ground. I suppose all the buffets they've been feeding me didn't help. But up he finally went, rocking me forward so far I thought I would tumble right onto my head. But I held on for dear life and got my ride around the desert. The camel guide even held up a rock while taking my picture to make it look like I was Atlas or Hercules, or something like that. 

(Silly, but fun!)

Next we moved on to what I had been waiting for... the Sphinx. I'm told that there was a large chunk of granite in front of the pyramid site that the king wanted removed. But the project manager was getting so delayed dealing with the slab of granite, he finally told the king that instead of removing it, he would make a beautiful carving in his image. So, due to some quick thinking on the foreman's part, we now have this beautiful sculpture that draws you in from every angle. It truly is mesmerizing. Smaller in person than you might have imagined, but still beautiful and breathtaking with the pyramids in the background.

Other members in my tour have arrived, and I am now in a group of ten explorers, all trekking around Egypt. So much to see, and so little time. Samar, our trusty guide, is keeping us moving. So off we go. Next stop: The temples of Sakkara and the Step Pyramid.   

Journey to the Center of a Civilization.

So how does one actually get to the center of a pyramid? Now this may sound like the intro to a joke, or perhaps even a riddle. But, folks, there actually is an answer. And I'm going to give it to you. But let's just stick a pin in that for a moment and backtrack a little. 

I've flown into Cairo, a gritty and bustling city, even at ten in the evening. The city's warm air greets me, blowing gently against my skin. But the humid winds come with a warning, a declaration to all those that dare to enter: Welcome to my ancient world, friend. Here I will reveal to you my secrets. Yet tread lightly, traveler, for I keep a watchful eye on you, shielding those who protect my treasures. But for all others... those that disrespect my lands and my monuments, may the curse of the pharaohs befall thee. 

Heeding this warning, I start off my tour the following day with Samar, pronounced Summer, my guide and very knowledgeable Egyptologist. We head past Giza to Dashur. Here we find one of the first attempts at building a pyramid. Unfortunately, the angles and math were a little off, leading them to switch the pitch midway through (Hate to be the guy that gave the Pharaoh the bad news). The result: the Bent Pyramid (Oops!), built in 2600 BC. That’s over 4600 years old! 

And this is where I make my first descent into the belly of a pyramid. And one of the longest descents into any pyramid, at nearly eighty meters down. That's 240 feet, folks, all the way down! 

This leads us back to our original question: How does one make his way into the center of a pyramid? Besides the obvious of, very carefully, the way you enter a pyramid is to turn around, hunch over and bend your knees, then work your way down moving backwards, using your back as a guide as it slides over the smooth granite chasm. Watch your head! And your step. Down and down you go, mopping your forehead of sweat and stopping to catch your breath. This isn't for the feint of heart. Knee problems? Back issues? Claustrophobic? Take a pass! 

Once you reach the bottom, you are in the interior of the pyramid. Relax a moment, breathe in the air. Be a pharaoh! You're a true badass now! But don't rest too long. Time to climb some wooden stairs that have been built in modern times so that we can see the inner burial chamber. Up and up and up we go. The sweat is really coming down. But we are true archaeologists now, Indiana Jones'. The adventure lies ahead, so we push on.

Soon, we are nearing the top of the pyramid. We are inside the center cavity and can see all  the way to the top, and can feel the toil and backbreaking work that our Egyptian brothers put into constructing this massive monument. After we reach the top we look over the side and we see the inner burial chamber. Where once, long ago, a pharaoh was entombed, before the grave robbers and treasure hunters found our very chasm, our tunnel, leading to the center of a pyramid. To the center of a civilization…

(That’s me crawling inside there!)

(Looking up to the top of the pyramid)

Now it’s on to our next adventure… the Pyramids of Giza!!