The first place that comes to mind when someone mentions Egypt. And no, it is not a disappointment! To stand at the base of these incredible monoliths is indescribable. To touch a block of stone cut, moved and positioned by tens of thousands of workers, over 3000 years ago, made me shiver with the overwhelming weight of history. To think that the Great Pyramid of Khufu has over 2 million blocks! I have seen nothing like it, my entire life. Even the temples we had seen over the last week, as huge as some of them were, can’t beat the sense of scale you feel when you stand between the pyramids.

What did surprise us was just how close the buildings of Cairo are. They encroach to within a couple of hundred feet of the pyramids and the Sphinx, but because these monuments stand on a plateau, you can look out over the top of Cairo rather than feel hemmed in by the city.

And then the Sphinx. Yes, I know I took far too many pictures of this enigmatic statue. I just couldn’t stop. Every five steps it presented a different view that begged a photograph. It certainly was a life experience to stand within 50 feet of it and just stare into that face that looks out over 3000 years of history.

What an incredible place.

Head to the photos

Monday, April 27th, 2009 at 8:49 pm : Travel, Egypt.
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