Today was the day that all Cairo travelers and tourists anticipate -- a trip to the world-famous Egyptian Museum followed by an excursion out to ancient Memphis and its three pyramids.
As Big Mo shuffled us out of our hotel into the private car, we again experienced the craziness of Cairo traffic. As we drove to the Museum, I caught the briefest of glimpses of another famous site. It was closed off because of the upcoming election (and the protests that were expected as a result), but that didn't stop the prickle of excitement as we passed Tahrir Square. My only regret from the trip is that we weren't able to stop and spend some time pondering the enormity of what happened there in such a short time.
In a word, the Egyptian Museum is overwhelming. Big Mo told us that if all you did was read the label on every single item within, you wouldn't leave the museum for NINE MONTHS. Since we only had a couple of hours, Big Mo took us through the highlights -- an impossibly old wooden statue (wood generally does not survive in a hot climate like Egypt's!) and another statue where you could still see the original paint on the sandstone. And, saving the best for last, we came to the spectacular King Tut exhibit.
Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed. Of course, we saw the famous mask, which was definitely the highlight, but there are so many other treasures on display. Once again, the word overwhelming comes to mind. We spent as much time as possible taking in the ornate sarcophagi of King Tut, which reminded me of the Russian nesting dolls. Each one fitting snugly into a slightly larger one. There was brightly colored jewelry that added to the feeling of sensory overload.
After King Tut, we had forty-five minutes on our own in the museum. Quite to our surprise, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo does not have air-conditioning (except for the King Tut room -- just another reason to take your time in there.) Fans keep the place fairly cool, but after a while the stale, still air becomes too much to take. The Egyptians are building a new Egyptian Museum, closer to the Pyramids (and also with A/C) that is scheduled to open this year. In fact, many of the statues were already being shrink-wrapped in preparation for their relocation.
On our way out, we had that essential experience of Egyptian haggling. A man was selling knock-off papyrus for a surprisingly low amount, until we realized that he was quoting us the price in English pounds, not Egyptian pounds! As we declined his offer, he followed us to the car, still trying to close the deal. "Too expensive!" we said as his price dipped ever and ever lower. Finally, we got into our car. The door was still open as our driver started to back out on the busy street. The seller placed several papyrus on Jon's lap as the car was slowly moving. Finally, with the car ready to run the seller over, we agreed to give him $5 for seven papyrus.
Ironically, our next stop was to the official papyrus museum where they showed us the traditional ways of making papyrus. We gave in to temptation and some hard bargaining when the merchant offered us a BOGO deal. The cheap Ramses II in his chariot was free if we got the one we really had our eye on -- a glorious gold and black rendering of the Weighing of the Souls. After dropping 400 L.E., we were on our way to the Pyramids.
As Big Mo shuffled us out of our hotel into the private car, we again experienced the craziness of Cairo traffic. As we drove to the Museum, I caught the briefest of glimpses of another famous site. It was closed off because of the upcoming election (and the protests that were expected as a result), but that didn't stop the prickle of excitement as we passed Tahrir Square. My only regret from the trip is that we weren't able to stop and spend some time pondering the enormity of what happened there in such a short time.
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| The closest we could get to Tahrir... took this picture a few days later after we returned from Luxor |
In a word, the Egyptian Museum is overwhelming. Big Mo told us that if all you did was read the label on every single item within, you wouldn't leave the museum for NINE MONTHS. Since we only had a couple of hours, Big Mo took us through the highlights -- an impossibly old wooden statue (wood generally does not survive in a hot climate like Egypt's!) and another statue where you could still see the original paint on the sandstone. And, saving the best for last, we came to the spectacular King Tut exhibit.
Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed. Of course, we saw the famous mask, which was definitely the highlight, but there are so many other treasures on display. Once again, the word overwhelming comes to mind. We spent as much time as possible taking in the ornate sarcophagi of King Tut, which reminded me of the Russian nesting dolls. Each one fitting snugly into a slightly larger one. There was brightly colored jewelry that added to the feeling of sensory overload.
After King Tut, we had forty-five minutes on our own in the museum. Quite to our surprise, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo does not have air-conditioning (except for the King Tut room -- just another reason to take your time in there.) Fans keep the place fairly cool, but after a while the stale, still air becomes too much to take. The Egyptians are building a new Egyptian Museum, closer to the Pyramids (and also with A/C) that is scheduled to open this year. In fact, many of the statues were already being shrink-wrapped in preparation for their relocation.
On our way out, we had that essential experience of Egyptian haggling. A man was selling knock-off papyrus for a surprisingly low amount, until we realized that he was quoting us the price in English pounds, not Egyptian pounds! As we declined his offer, he followed us to the car, still trying to close the deal. "Too expensive!" we said as his price dipped ever and ever lower. Finally, we got into our car. The door was still open as our driver started to back out on the busy street. The seller placed several papyrus on Jon's lap as the car was slowly moving. Finally, with the car ready to run the seller over, we agreed to give him $5 for seven papyrus.
Ironically, our next stop was to the official papyrus museum where they showed us the traditional ways of making papyrus. We gave in to temptation and some hard bargaining when the merchant offered us a BOGO deal. The cheap Ramses II in his chariot was free if we got the one we really had our eye on -- a glorious gold and black rendering of the Weighing of the Souls. After dropping 400 L.E., we were on our way to the Pyramids.
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| Our splurge purchase |
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