The amazing architecture of Ancient Egypt (Pyramids at Giza)

Member Name: Absy_Baby

Product:	Pyramids at Giza
Date:	09/04/09 (174 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing, and surreal

Disadvantages: Not really what ii expected, empty tombs, city near by

The Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the world's seven wonders. They should be too. I am a real 'geek' when it comes to Ancient Egypt, I love it since the young age of about 6 when we started learning about it at school.

Of course, one can not visit Egypt without seeing the Great Pyramid. So that is what I did, on a holiday to Sharm El Sheikh last year my boyfriend and I were a mission to pack in as much Egyptian stuff as possible. We didn't see nearly enough.

But we did see the Pyramids. We flew to Cairo from Sharm el Sheikh about a 40 minute flight on a little 30 seater, with Egypt Air (not at all scary).

From Cairo airport we were picked up by our tour guide and loaded in to a coach (about 20 years old) with air con (big plus in that heat) and made our way through the City of Cairo and out towards Giza.

It was very bizarre because I'd always pictured the Pyramids to be out in the middle of nowhere, well the desert actually, and they always look like it on the television but in fact they are sandwiched between Giza and Cairo and driving through Cairo coming towards the cities each we saw a glimpse of the most enormous pyramid.

It was the strangest thing, being on a coach and driving on a large main road through a city and suddenly over a few buildings seeing a large pyramid. Now don't get me wrong I know the world has changed a lot since the days in which the pyramids were built but I just wasn't expecting civilisation so close. It perhaps ruined it for me slightly.

The Pyramids, 9 of them in total all on the site of the Great Pyramid. The Great Pyramid is the largest of them, and on your arrival you think there are possibly only 3, maybe 5 or 6, but no way 9.

The entrance fee in to the site is: £5 approx (40 Egyptian pounds).

The tour guide did warn us about getting hassled by people in the grounds and to say no. We did get a bit annoyed by the constant bother, we were thinking, hello we're on holiday, leave us alone. But of course they see money in Westerners. We were also very careful with our money and didn't have the camera on display. They offer to take your picture with your camera, then either run off with it, or only give it back for a fee having taken your picture.

We cleverly befriended an English couple in our group and we took it in turns to takes pictures for each other. Great idea.

The fact there were people running all over the Pyramids was a bit weird, it took away the greatness of it all. It wasn't well managed. Although you are no longer allowed in the large pyramids. We wandered the site and saw 6 pyramids, then got the coach to the behind of the pyramids (up on the hill near the Giza side) and took pictures from up there.

We then proceeded to go on Camel ride, 4 couples from the group all coupled on to a Camel each with the guarantee of seeing 9 pyramids, if not full refund given. This cost $20 which they take on return (and of course they all expect a tip on top of that). This is good value, we were on the camel for about an hour, we went for a walk and were all in a long line, the guide told us the best bits to take pictures from and then they took our pictures too. We were then allowed to ride on our own and it was great fun, we ended up racing back to the start point out in the desert with the wind in our hair. Great fun going on a camel when it runs, it's quite hysterical.

We then proceeded to visit the 3 smallest Pyramids and were allowed in one, we went down and were told not to take photo's although if the guy on the door was tipped you could pretty much do what you want. We descended down, I was expecting decoration on the walls but all the pyramids have no pictures, writing, nothing on the walls. It was quite depressing. We saw where the body was laid in its coffin, but there was just an empty space. Although it was quite eerie, I expected so much more.

Personally I think to make the pyramids work better as a tourist attraction they should set up one of the smaller pyramid tombs as an actual tomb. A fake coffin and fake jewels so people get a real feel for it. We are always seeing how spectacular it all was on the television but now it is not. I know it would of been unreal but it would of set the stage and I am all for using my imagination I just felt a bit cheated.

The Sphinx is also on site, after we saw the Pyramids we had to ask the guide where it was, cause we hadn't seen it and thought it must be somewhere else. It is on the front side of the Pyramids, again the Cairo side and sits high and mighty in front of them, further down a slope towards the city.

Summary: A must on a holiday to Egypt