October 18 - Tuesday

Up at 4AM. Breakfast and on the bus.

We were up early to beat the crowds at the Sphinx. We are meeting Dr. Hawass.

We bussed over to near the Pyramid of Khufu or The Great Pyramid. We entered the Great Pyramid. No pictures allowed. We hiked down inside and looked at a burial chamber I guess. We also clambered down to another chamber then opted not to do the third one. It looked steep and narrow.
Extras

Here are our guides.

We met Dr. Hawass. He gave a wonderful lecture standing between the feet of the Sphinx. It's very impressive up close. We walked around it where the Dr. pointed out some drill sites where he had drilled under the Sphinx to prove there were not tunnels or rooms beneath it. He showed how previous repairs using concrete actually damaged the Sphinx.
Extras
Movie.
Movie.

There is also a complex of temples around the Sphinx.

There is a recovered wooden boat museum here. The Cheops Boat Museum or Khufu's Ship. Deb got a 500 pound (~$5) pass to take pictures. The boat was symbolic and never actually used for sailing. Quite impressive. There was an interesting political sign here.
Extras

The cap stone of the Red Pyramid is here.

Anything that looks like a pile of blocks is probably a collapsed pyramid.

Finally off to the Great Pyramids quarry with a photo stop.

We walked around Khafre's Pyramid Complex. It's the one with the outer layer visable near the top. It was pointed out that the stones used were quarried locally not hundreds of miles away. In fact the first three layers of this pyramid are actually in the quarry and not individual stone blocks. The face blocks did come from far away but not the interior ones.
   I suggested the stones were not cut with guys using rocks but by dragging a quartz stone back and fourth in grooves to cut the stones to the near exact size.

We then visited a site which is probably part of the Sphinx Temple complex. Good views. We took some entertaining photos here. Movie.

Lunch was at an upstairs place with a view of the Sphinx and Pyramids. Good food - lots of meat and rice plus entertainment. On the way back to the bus I was attacked by a vendor. I finally threw the head covering on the ground and bolted onto the bus!

Another interesting drive back to the Mena. We had a beer or two with Riq at the restaurant rather then the bar. The bar has higher prices and adds 25% to the bill. We owed him three beers - thanks Riq.

We rested. I did some internet stuff while Deb took some interesting pictures. Deb and I hiked around the grounds.

We had our usual nice dinner at the restaurant.