It was sad to see the pyramids surrounded by rubbish, parking lots, and the suburb of Giza pressing in on 3 sides. The construction was being eaten away by the acids caused by the city, but you had to be impressed by the size, hope they are looked after for the next generations.The corruption of Egyptian officialdom and plague of corrupt old and young touts make the continued protection seem uncertain.
I went back at sun-set to get a horse so I could ride into the desert to look back from afar. I am bruised and aching today as it was a very exciting ride, galloping up the dunes and across sandy valleys on a big stallion and with a sleazy guide racing me. This is an after hours experience and wouldn’t have been OSH approved. I saw two tourists lying on the ground after falling off their mounts. The Pyramid complex was shut but you could pay off the guard and get access (You can bribe most officials here — very corrupt).
The ride was a real adrenalin rush, I was glad I had done a fair bit of riding,,,,,,, and then comes the paying bit when the negotiated price is changed and you are glad that you are not a first time tourist in this land of hard bargaining and unfair tricks. Walking after in this tourist Mecca makes me glad I have a few words of Arabic, “go away” is used most but gems of people surprise you with generosity too.
Today we are off to Alexandria and the mouth of the Nile river. It is getting cooler and the daytime temperatures are about 30 but we can sleep at night with-out air conditioners.
Only two countries to go, Libya and Tunisia and then into Europe. Keep well and warm back there in wonderful NZ
L
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