First Day in Egypt Part 2: Politics and Pyramids

Still feeling jet lagged from the long overseas journey, only the promise of a Wonder of the World could rouse us out of our comfy air-conditioned hotel room. Or, more precisely, THE Wonder of the World. For as long as I could remember, the Pyramids have been at the top of my travel bucket list, and my skin tingled with excitement at the thought of finally crossing off Number One on that list.

Our guide Mohammed (Khalifa) met us at our hotel and we got into our (private!) car with him and a driver. The traffic in Cairo is legendary and for good reason. The concept of lanes is one that seems to have been introduced only recently. Most drivers just push their way in to any space available in front of them. It is quite epic to watch our driver navigate the rush hour traffic as he stops and goes and squeezes into a spot that our mid-size sedan should not have been able to fit into.

You never know what you'll see in Cairo traffic... a truck full of camels is just another day in the city here!

We also had Khalifa's conversation to keep us entertained. Our choice of time to go to Egypt was both wonderful and horrible. We managed to arrive just prior to the first-ever democratic Presidential election. There seemed to be no other topic of conversation among Egyptians. Within hours, the names "Morsy" and "Shafiq" had become as familiar as "Obama" and "Romney." In my extremely limited Arabic, I couldn't pick out much, but these two names are on the lips of every Egyptian. The time is incredibly exciting for Egyptians, who remind me of giddy children on the night before Christmas. Their body language becomes extra animated and they cannot suppress their smiles as they discuss the (rather awful) choice they need to make between the embodiment of Mubarak and the Old Guard in Shafiq, or Morsy and the long-oppressed Muslim Brotherhood, a name which many in the West greet with apprehension if not downright fear. But the important thing for the Egyptians is that they have a choice to make at all. However, no one is really certain how things will turn out, or what the reaction will be to the result, so there is just a little concern for our safety when we find out. Now, it seems not so surprising that we were the only ones to book a tour during this uncertain but exciting time in Egypt's history.

After about thirty minutes in the car, three large triangular shapes become visible in the smoggy city skyline. It was a bit jarring to see these ancient wonders right in the middle of Cairo, as I had always pictured them in the middle of the desert! But, no, the city sprawls right up to their footsteps, then stops. as the vast desert opens up behind them.

Pyramids at sunset

It was getting dark by the time we arrived, which made sense since it was a Light Show. We managed to arrive early thanks to our amazing driver, so we used that time to soak up the Pyramids and all their glory. They were massive, definitely not one of those Wonders that seems smaller than you expected it to be. The Pyramids were already over 1,500 years old when Cleopatra ruled the land. It was one of those moments where you can do nothing but contemplate your own insignificance in contrast to the marvel in front of you. 

In our quiet contemplation, I also realized something else. Aren't the Pyramids one of the world's biggest tourist attractions? The place was eerily quiet. There were more than a dozen empty rows of chairs just minutes before the show was to begin. Another reminder of the current political volatility, although we had seen no outward signs of any strife.

Not a sold out show tonight

 The Light and Sound Show finally began and it was quite entertaining. It was dangerously close to cheesy, except you then remembered where you were and became all awestruck again. The Pyramids were lit from below as the booming voice of Omar Sharif narrated important moments of ancient Egyptian history. One of the highlights was a superimposed light on the face of the Sphinx, which was a really neat effect.

Blurry shot of the Light Show

I managed to capture about a minute of video from the show. Video cameras were prohibited, but most tourists there simply recorded the entire show on their cameras or phones. I hope I wasn't that egregious!

When the show ended, my grumbling stomach reminded me we had forgotten to eat dinner. Our ever-helpful guide Mohammed offered his recommendation for a restaurant that was only five minutes from our hotel. He told us we absolutely had to try koshary, a very popular Egyptian dish, which is a kitchen-sink kind of recipe. There was rice and pasta with chicken shawerma, dried onions and a tangy but not-too-spicy red sauce. Our eyes bulged when we saw the gigantic size of the portion, but it was so ridiculously tasty, we had no problem eating the entire thing! We washed it down with our new favorites, fresh strawberry and fresh mango juice. Mmmm. An amazing meal that cost us less than $10 was the perfect end to our first day in Egypt.