Step #1: The Giza pyramids

Before leaving I bought a small travel guide, just so I know a minimum what there is to see and do in Cairo. Out of their top 10 for Cairo and the Nile, 3 are located in Cairo and naturally I decided to shoot for those ones.
#1 – The Giza pyramids
After a 30min drive in taxi I arrived at the pyramids.
First impression: I thought they were bigger. Not that they are small but somehow I was expected really big. I mean they are big and it’s quite impressive to think that such edifices have been built at a time where there were no engine to help you, only man power.
I bought the tickets, one to get on the site and one to get inside the great pyramid or pyramid of Khufu (by the way, 160 Egyptian Pound, roughly 21 euros, that’s not a bargain to visit the pyramids but maybe it’s my one in a lifetime chance so let’s do it!).
The moment I entered the site, it started. They are men selling souvenirs, camel rides, guide every 2 meters. Of course as a woman walking there alone I was an easy target. Still it becomes quickly annoying, especially when they don’t let go.
This aside, those pyramids do look amazing. I can’t help thinking of the hundreds of thousands (or maybe even million) of slaves that worked to bring them up.
As I was early the sun was only on one side of the great pyramid. I quickly walked to the sunny side and started taking pictures. Frustration came right away: so many people around, no way to get a picture without tourists on it (yeah, someone had some influence on me… can’t help hearing this little voice “is this a good picture?”). Anyhow I took some trying to minimalize the number of people on it.
I have to say that with the sun shining directly at it, the great pyramid looks amazing. So many rocks, so high. Would have been even higher if the top layer was still there. Over history the outer layer disappeared (or some of its stones were re-used somewhere else as I over-heard from one of the guides walking the site).
I spent about 2 hours walking the site and taking pictures of the 3 pyramids, trying to realize that this was not a dream. Have a look here. PS: if you don't fancy pyramids, pass your way :)

Getting inside the great pyramid.
I climbed the steps to get to the entrance of the pyramid. Didn’t mention I had a camera in my back pack so I didn’t have to leave it at the entrance (which is the rule reminding me of a certain grotte we visited in Lebanon) and went in. Gee it’s humid and warm and narrow and steep. Apparently they were not planning to go back and forth in the pyramid. You get your time entry ticket, they drag you all the way up in your sarcophagi and leave you there for eternity. After an almost impossible climbing where you have to stay half bended as the ceiling is very low, I made it ! only to find an empty sarcophagi in an empty room. Obviously some people have been there before and took it all (or maybe it’s at the museum). I spent a couple of minutes up there catching my breath and started the way down.

Now I can say it, I’ve seen the pyramids (at least 3 of them) and I’ve even been inside one!!!