Haram ash Shawwāf

OMG OMG OMG. Today was a day of dreams come true...mostly.

We left the hotel at 0800 bound for the Giza Plateau. At 0930 we had entered the park with the Pyramids 😲! 45 minutes later, we were still standing there, still looking at the big one while the guide was still talking 🤬. I interrupted and demanded to be let loose to go inside, and at 1015 we were given 45 minutes to walk around the huge area, including the time to climb up inside the big one 🤬.

The inside was very bare with no hieroglyphics, just as I knew it would be. I didn't know, however, how humid it would be, so I was sweating pretty good by the time we had scrambled to the one inner chamber you're allowed to enter. A few pics and amazement at the expertise it took to construct such an edifice 😲, then we were down again.

Knowing that the Sphinx was visible from the overlook 😲, I and about 10 other Hashers quickly headed down the side of the big one to get a quick pic before going back to the bus. The Tourism Security Officer escorting our group decided he would single me out to yell at, then graciously allowed me to go take my pic before herding us back 🤬. I did ❤️, we did ❤️, and we all got back to the bus before the tour guide 🤬.

We drove up to an overlook behind the three pyramids for most people to ride camels (we didn't), buy trinkets (we didn't), and take pictures with all 3 pyramids visible (we most certainly did 😲).

Then we were down to the Sphinx 😲 where we had 30 minutes to walk around a tiny area 🤬. Everyone was back to the bus early, and we were off to a shop where they showed us how to make papyrus paper, then tried to sell us everything we could carry 🤬. John and I were the first one out of the door.

At 1330 it was finally time for lunch...at the worst place ever 🤬. They took us to a floating restaurant on the Nile 😲, which would have been awesome if the food had been what they said it would be and we didn't have to pay twice what it cost on their menu 🤬. I refused to eat or pay for the food, but I did have an amazing snack with the bus driver in the road outside. Half a pita lined with a type of creamy cheese and stuffed with a hard-boiled egg and a couple of tomato chunks 🤤. The men didn't even make me pay for it 😲.

It was 1500 when we left "lunch" with everyone bitching and still hungry, but very soon we were across the river and at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo 😲.

When we arrived, we were given only one hour to see the entire two-story museum 🤬, so I asked someone how to get to the one display you absolutely must see...King Tut 😲😲😲.

King Tutankhamun's funeral mask and burial items are on display here 😲. How absolutely jaw-dropping incredible 😲. I actually verged on tears looking at the mask 😲. I couldn't take pictures, but the link below tells about him and may have pictures (I haven't listened yet).

https://m.soundcloud.com/tutankhamun-be/sets/ht…

Then it was back to the bus. Another drive and we arrived at another boat, a Felucca (with motor not sail), where we met some of the Cairo H3 Hashers for an hour tour of the river 😲. Most everyone had to pee first, so we had to dodge traffic to get across the street and into the Four Seasons, then go through the x-ray machines, then queue for the toilets, then go back across the street to the boats 🤬. Needless to say, we didn't leave the dock until almost dark, but still had a decent time even with nothing to drink or eat 😥.

We got back to the hotel at 1900 after some serious discussions with the tour guides 🤬, but just in time for happy hour in the Executive Lounge where they have food and drinks for free 😁. A beer, some nosh, and some more bitching with the group, then John and I were off to the room to pack.

We leave the hotel at 0330 in the morning 😭 for our flight to Aswan. Wish us luck 🤞!Read more