We woke up around 3:00 am Sunday to catch the taxi to the airport for our flight to Cairo. We made our way through the dark windy streets of Nairobi passing dance clubs still going strong.
We checked in and boarded the flight. It seems the big African mask we have wrapped in heavy packing material and tape is drawing some looks and questions as we pass security. We both slept the majority of the flight and landed in Cairo a couple of hours later.
As we got off the plane it was very apparent how huge this city is. The terminal was brand new, had modern architecture, was spotless, and was air conditioned (a really nice treat)! We were consistently reminded that we were in a different part of the world by the Arabic language everywhere. We were greeted by two guys from our tour company, Yasser and Romo, both of whom were very friendly and funny.
After picking up our bags we jumped into a waiting van (which was also pumping air conditioning) and made our way from the airport to Giza. Yasser told us 20 million people live in the Cairo area! There were people, cars, buses, buildings everywhere!
I have NO idea how people drive in this city. There are lanes painted on the street, but at this point I'm thinking they are just an ill attempt at decorating the road. No one follows lanes...there aren't stoplights...crosswalks are apparently nonexistent...and the drivers use their horns as "signals" to alert other drivers (e.g., one short blast = I'm going to pass you on your right going 60 mph leaving two inches between our cars). Now crossing the street is another story...it's VERY similar to that game Frogger but stakes are a little higher. It's essentially mayhem!
We drove over one of the bridges crossing the Nile and it started to sink in that we were really in Egypt! I mean we just crossed the mighty Nile River! Once over the bridge we were both silent, scanning the horizon for the pyramids. I know both of us had that nervous/excited feeling in our stomachs. As we got closer to Giza, Allison shouts "PYRAMID"! Sure enough, between a couple of buildings and palm trees we saw the pyramids from afar. They were breathtaking! So simple but so incredible.
We entered the hotel complex, and the van was searched for bombs. We walked through the metal detectors into a huge lobby. The hotel, Le Meridien Pyramids, was very nice and really close to the pyramids. It had four restaurants, a large pool, a gym, a bank, shops, and a shisha lounge.
We headed to our room and from our windows we had a great view of the two largest pyramids. It was hard to tear my eyes away from them. We ate lunch at the hotel cafe, rested, walked around the town (it felt very safe - they have Tourist Police at nearly every corner throughout the touristy areas), went into a bazaar, and sat by the pool and enjoyed the rays of the setting sun hitting one side of the Great Pyramid.
