Hi Bloggers,Just spent six great days in Egypt. I did it as a stop-over on the way back from England, where I'd been for my annual visit to see my folks.
Cairo is an exciting, vibrant, dynamic city, both ugly and beautiful at the same time. But more about that in my next blog. This blog is, of course, concerned with what is the highlight, or even sole purpose, of most people's visit here - the Sphynx and Pyramids.
I'm probably committing blasphemy by saying that I thought the pyramids themselves were quite boring! Huge but lacking any real interest other than their shape and size. No ornate carvings or stylised arches or pillars, etc. Nevertheless, I'm still pleased to have seen the only surviving ancient Wonder of the World!
The Sphynx had much greater appeal for me, particularly in its juxta-position to the pyramids. I love its stance and whimsically expressive face. Pity about the broken nose, though!
Below is a picture of a man on a camel. Needless to say I had to pay for this photo, and this is probably the main downside of visiting the touristic areas of Egypt, the ubiquitousness of locals trying to extract money from you. Mind you, Egypt is pretty cheap, certainly more so than anywhere in Asia. Nice picture too!
Local arab man posing on a camel - for LE10!
2 comments:
So the pyramids and sphynx did not leave you under that magical spell? It's that what I always felt attracted to; where do you suggest I should be looking?
Gerrit
Hi Gerrit,
No, actually they were great. When I said the pyramids were boring, I was referring to them on a micro level, but from a macro point of view the place was fantastic, particularly if you stood back and got a view of the whole thing in perspective. Definitely go there if you can. The main downside is the presence of busloads of tourists right from the moment the gates open. Just can't get away from them! Mind you, they're dwarfed by the sheer size of the pyramids.
Cheers,
Robert
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