Weddingbee Blog

Picking up from part 1, the Lightnings ventured into a nearby mall to find things to wear before our half day pyramid tour the next day. I desperately needed a shawl and a long dress, as all I had with me was the black track suit I wore on the plane. We also needed to find some sun cream, as the sun beat down on us constantly while we walked the streets.

Across from the Ramses Hilton is a tourist mall filled with fake bags, Eastern attire, curios, and an Adidas. After scouring the entire mall, which had a good old McDonald’s on its top floor, we managed to procure very expensive sun cream, some swimming items, a shawl and dress for me, and some shirts and socks for Mr Lightning. I was quite surprised by the lack of Western clothing available (many of the Western clothes were things you would wear to a club, as opposed to a day at the pyramids). Also, everything was from China, so we struggled to find something in our “Western” sizes. And so this is how we came to leave the mall covered head to toe in Adidas sportswear.

With our new goods in tow, we spent some time reading by the pool and dining in the one of the hotel’s lovely restaurants. It had been a long journey and we were happy to call it a day watching the sunset and the city lights come alive.

On day two we woke early to meet our tour representative for the half-day pyramid and sphinx tour. Nervan, our tour guide, was absolutely wonderful, and our first sightseeing trip was truly exceptional. We decided not to go into the pyramids but instead opted to visit a recently completed boat museum at the foot of the central pyramid Khafu (The kooky footwear is to keep the museum dust and sand free).

Four boats were discovered here, and in the 1950s, a team excavated and restored one of them with modern rope—the only new contribution to the boat. The museum showcases the boat beautifully in its ceiling, which you can climb up and view from all angles. You can read more about this museum here.

Nervan also took us to a viewing area where you can see all the pyramids in a row, as well as to the foot of the Giza complex where the sphinx stands on guard.

Words cannot express the how it feels to stand alongside these ancient constructs, and I feel truly blessed to have witnessed their glory in my lifetime. Sadly, the pyramids have seen better days and still deal with thousands of visitors on a daily basis. The wear and tear on them is noticeable, and it is only a matter of time before tourists are restricted from accessing them all together.

A new museum is going to be constructed in Giza so as to bring all the treasures in lower Egypt together, making the need for many to venture into Cairo unnecessary. I, however, think the city itself is a must visit if you have the time, and there were many places we were truly disappointed not to visit due to time constraints.

In part 3, I’ll be sharing our beautiful cruise down the Nile.