Egypt for 1 Month, then Mexico

We drove 10 km south of Saqqara to see two of Egypt’s first true pyramids at peaceful Dashur. - the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid.

It was nice to drive out into the green countryside today. Thin donkeys pulled small carts filled with grasses for animal feed beside the road. Dust, garbage, and shabby houses, lined one side of the road and a canal lined the other side. Street dogs and cats were everywhere. This was a poor area but historically rich.

As we entered Dashur, we saw a large group of children singing enthusiastically. We stopped to listen to them and they invited me to join the group! So I did and had a lot of fun. They loved it! People were laughing though. I am not sure if I was praising Allah in the actions that I was following. Haha.

The first pyramid that we saw was the Red pyramid. This was Egypt’s first true pyramid built around 2600 B.C. The weathered limestone is a reddish colour, thus the name of the pyramid.
We had the opportunity to go into this pyramid but it was daunting. First we climbed up 125 steep stone steps to reach the entrance. Once there, we went down a very steep passage way backwards and bent over. The passage way was probably only a meter high and very long. I was worried about making the trip back. It was kind of like a very steep ramp with strips of wood across the floor to stop your feet from sliding. I repeat, it was daunting and very long. Th passageway ended in 2 antechambers with 12 m high ceilings and a burial chamber with 15m high ceilings. We were surprised by how hot it was. Then, we had to face the climb back up the ramp. Thank heavens there were hand railings!

Close to the Red Pyramid, there was a 2nd pyramid of similar height called the Bent pyramid. This pyramid was built at a steep angle but halfway up, it started showing stress and instability. The architects’ error. So the layers of stone had to be put at a less steep angle creating a bent shape. As it is unstable, people cannot go in it.

We drove out of Bashur area into what was once the thriving capital of Memphis. Now, all that remain are farmers’ fields and an open air museum that we stopped to see. There were several carved statues, a small alabaster Sphinx and the giant stones that the sacred Apis bulls were mummified on before going to Saqqara. I think that the highlight of the museum was an enormous fallen limestone statue of Ramses II. The carving details on it were amazing.

After exploring this area, off we went to the Giza pyramids and the Sphinx.Read more

Well, we had heard so much about kushary that we decided to try it out. THE place to try it was at a restaurant called Abu Tarek, a short walk away but …we had to cross a few streets. As I mentioned before, Cairo streets are treacherous places! Cars, trucks, donkey carts, busses, skateboarders, motorcycles, tuktuks and people make streets a nightmare to negotiate.

As written in our guidebook, “Playing Chicken. It may sound silly, but the greatest challenge many travellers face in Cairo is crossing the street. Traffic seldom stops, so you have to trust that the cars will avoid you.” Once you step off the curb, you can’t stop or hesitate. Do it fast!

The first street that we had to cross looked impossible but a kind man saw our distress and took charge. He signalled us to follow him and we crossed the road with him. Phew. Chris finally got the hang of it.

Now back to the restaurant Abu Tarek. It is quite the place, 5 storeys, all lit up with lights and flashing signs. People can take out kushary or dine in. We opted for the full Abu Tarek experience, dining in the elaborate decor upstairs. Little did we know what we were in for.

We were seated next to a group of men on a short trip to Egypt from Abu Dabi. One fellow spoke a English quite well and he offered to help us out. Kushary is a mix of noodles, rice, black lentils, fried onions and tomato sauce dressed with lime, more fried onions, a garlic and olive oil dressing, hot sauce and chick peas. We were told that the waiter would mix it for us, which he did expertly. Delicious!

Then the guys beside us told us that they had paid for our dinner and a rice pudding dessert! What?! That was such a surprise but we have found that people are very kind and generous here. We feel like superstars. After telling us that they raise and race camels, they got up, said goodbye, and left. What a night.

As we walked back to the hostel, the kindness continued. A women sitting beside the sidewalk made sure that we noticed a puddle on the sidewalk, other people wished us, “Welcome”, and a young boy smiled at us as we passed the nut store he was working in. We are not in Canada!

Tomorrow, we will go to the Black and White Deserts and sleep under the stars.Read more