Returning to Egypt felt like returning home. The local tour operator Quest Travel is a family. We had made friends with so many of the staff and had kept in touch with them, thank you Facebook! We were very excited to see everyone again. On a sad note, the owner of the company Mohammed had suffered a severe stroke a few months back and was still in the hospital so we were unable to see him
A hotel with a view! The Mena House, built in 1869 was originally a hunting lodge, is the closest hotel to the Pyramids. An oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Giza, it has attracted royalty and the rich and famous to it's tranquil location.
Our tour was very special with many private visits. On our first excursion we literally had the entire Giza plateau to ourselves except for a few a guards and the men who had the keys to gates of the Pyramid and the Sphinx.
The Great Pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Only a 100 people a day are allowed inside the Pyramid for 10 minutes in either the Queen’s or King’s chamber. We were able to visit both chambers and were there for about an hour and half. To get to each of the chambers you have to climb quite a few steps up a narrow passage way and duck crawl through a little tunnel. There’s nothing in the Queen’s chamber just an empty room. The King’s chamber which is above the Queen’s has only a sarcophagus. There was also some type of scientific equipment as there is still archaeological work going on.
So what did we do inside the Pyramid? Our Egyptologist Emil (another friend from our previous visit) gave us the history. It’s about 4000 years old, some think older. It is believed to be a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu. It was originally thought that it was built by using slave labor but recent findings suggest that it was built by thousands of skilled laborers. So much is still unknown.
THEN we meditated IN THE DARK, each of us taking turns lying in the sarcophagus. I know it’s sounds a little woo woo and it was. I definitely had a chicken skin moment. One of our travel companions said that she felt like someone was breathing next to her, hmmm.
The Sphinx is also located on the Giza plateau and just a few minutes down the road from the Pyramid. It’s the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt dating back to 2500BC. There we had another private visit with the archeologist of the Sphinx. Most people view the Sphinx from an area up above. We were allowed to go down to the paws of the Sphinx
A special Thank You to our Egyptologist Emil, he made the trip truly special. Emil is a rascal and is very passionate about his work. He was our teacher, storyteller, protector and corrupter but most of all a friend. He knows everyone all over Egypt and you know you are in for something special when he says “we are going to do something illegal”.
Credits:
Kathy Takushi; Rex Takushi