Pyramids!

It's hard to write about the pyramids because:

a) it's tough to describe the only remaining ancient wonder of the world in a blog post

and

b) we learned so much on our trip to Egypt that my ancient Egyptian history is a bit of a mess.

Nevertheless, I'll do my best and I'll let the pictures do the rest.

To begin our tour we saw King Djoser's (step) pyramid at Saqqara. Constructed around 2650 B.C.E. it is the oldest standing step pyramid in the world. I know that what amazed me most, not only about this pyramid, but about all of the pyramids that we saw is how well-preserved they are. Considering they were constructed in a time before industrial adhesives and automated stone cutting it is incredible that they are in such good condition. I would also say that their condition is good in spite of the efforts of Egyptian authorities. Until only a few years ago tourists were allowed to climb the broken parts of the Great Pyramids and while we were there we saw some punk kids doing just that. From what our tour guide told us, the stones stay in place not only because of their tremendous weight, but also because they were sanded so effectively that a vacuum was created between the surfaces of adjoining blocks.

Saqqara is not only a Pyramid, but an entire complex dedicated to the king. The structure that one walks through to get up close to the pyramid is a hypostyle hall [a flat ceiling supported by columns] where the king was supposed to place gifts for the Gods. There are also numerous other structures for burial or ancient rituals that are now in various states of disrepair though it does look like some restoration work is in progress.

The hall that one walk through to get to pyramid.


Djoser's Pyramid.


It's me! And something in the background.


General awesomeness.

Ruins near the pyramid.


Cheese!

The size of the pyramids is greatly exaggerated.

Find Sam and Justin in the Hypostyle Hall...they could be anywhere!

Our next major stop was, of course, the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Though it had been implied that the camel ride to the pyramids was included in the tour, (Ripoff alert!) it was not. So we proceeded to "bargain" down the price to a more affordable $30 ish dollars/person. Included in the price was the opportunity to approach the pyramids from the desert side and take some incredible pictures (seen below). Camel riding was a blast, and though we were mad at having to go through the whole negotiating process we all decided that it was well worth the money. Near the Great pyramids there are also six other pyramids that were built for the family of one of the Pharaohs'.

Camel rides are Sam's favorite! OK, I lied. Second Favorite.


View from the camel.


Yalla! Yalla! Yalla! (Hurry in Arabic)

I can't believe they gave Justin a whip for the camel.


Only thing missing is the cowboy hat.


Me! And some distracting triangles in the background.

At the encouragement of the camel guide we took a bunch of goofy pictures when we got off the camels to admire the view:

Some general tomfoolery.

I think according to Egyptian law, if you walk like an Egyptian at the pyramids you don't get ripped off.....just kidding.....you get doubly ripped off.


The second Pyramid built...it's the tallest. Over 4,000-years-old.

Another shot (Justin's editing).


B-e-a-utiful.


An imposing construction.


Next to the the aforementioned pyramid.

OK, OK, it's big.


Hey...I think that Sphinx is checking me out.


Bye Giza!

Following the pyramids we rode down to the Sphinx, only a minute or two from the pyramids. You cannot get as close to it as you can to the pyramids, but the view is still really impressive.

Later that night, after some rest from spending the day in the desert sun, we took a dinner cruise on the Nile. There was a smorgasbord of food, a dancing midget, and a terrible belly dancer who probably got hired because she was sporting some very largely "enhanced" breasts.

This was an amazing day....you can't beat a day at the pyramids. This alone was worth the trip to Egypt. If any of you out there get two weeks or so and have the cash I strongly suggest going--you'll have a blast.

There are a lot more pictures, but I think what I've put up is overwhelming enough. I'll try twittering in between blog posts to let you guys know what I'm working on. I might also use it to let you know what I'm doing (although not why I got it and that's what the blog is for).

Next blog post: White Desert!

Stay Tuned....

First Day in Cairo

Monday, April 6--

Traveling 80 mph on both sides of the road in a car with a suspension on par with the Ford Model T with a chain smoking Egyptian driver who barely speaks English through the Sinai desert to Cairo is a fairly stressful experience; particularly on one's first day in a new country. As a result, Sam, Justin, and I found ourselves exhausted. (Sam had also contracted a virus which he later passed onto me) Upon arrival to the hostel we grabbed a quick bite, came up with an idea for our EgypTrip! movie and crashed for the night. Unfortunately, for one of the three of us (me) crash was a literal expression of what my bed did. In the middle of the night my bed started splitting sideways and the boards holding my bed together started popping out. After much struggle I gave up and took up the floor.

Don't be afraid of the maybe smoldering, roof ripped off, burned out bus on the side of the road (we were), you're in Egypt now.


We spared no expense traveling in Egypt (lie).

First night in Egypt: comfortable.

When we awoke we decided to seek out the Wakeup! Cairo hostile that we had booked in Israel. Though the location was only a five minute walk away we ended up driving for over 20 minutes with an English-less cab driver (trend?). The accommodations at the new hostile were significantly better. Air conditioning, working beds, (sometimes) hot water, free Internet, and a beautiful view of the polluted city were all included in the price of a night's stay. For breakfast we were directed to a local restaurant that served koshary, a popular local breakfast food primarily consisting of macaroni, rice, black lentils, and tomato sauce. Though the origins of koshary are shrouded in mystery it is believed that the recipe was found in a cave of wonders. Either that or it was brought over by Indian soldiers during WWI or that Coptic (Egyptian) Christians invented it for fasting because it is healthy and doesn't contain animal byproducts.

I'm eating koshary!

After a filling breakfast, Peter the hostile co-owner, took us to smoke Shisha (hookah) and drink delicious Egyptian tea (strongly brewed and served very sweet) and hibiscus juice followed by a tour of the Egyptian Museum, considered one of the premiere museums in the world and containing some of Egypt's greatest historical treasures. One of the most incredible displays contains the insides of King Tutankhamen's tomb. Though the tomb was grave-robbed [extravaganza--shameless shout out to Evan] thousands of years ago only the perfume, which was of great value at the time, was taken. When the tomb was found in 1922 by Howard Carter all of the modern day valuables--gold, precious stone, jewelry, etc. was intact. The sarcophagus and mask are incredibly detailed, well-preserved, and meticulously made with a very high concentration of gold. Unfortunately, pictures are not allowed in the museum so you'll just have to take my word for it...or visit yourself.

Justin and Sam smoking an authentic Egyptian hookah.

Me and Justin in front of the Egyptian Museum (Aladdin's lamp was behind glass).

That night we got together with a friend of a friend of Sam's- Aliza. She works for a mini-publication that caters to English speakers and provided us with some useful tips about Egypt.

Drinks with Aliza

Note to travelers: Egyptian beer sucks.

Upcoming: Day Two in Cairo--Pyramids!!

More Upcoming: All the other stuff I promised.

XOXO,
Pavel

Egypt Trip Day One

Saturday, April 4--

On our first day of travel our destination was Eilat. The southernmost city in Israel is located on the Northern tip of the Red Sea and is known primarily for its beaches and resorts. When we left Ra'anana the sun had not set and the public transportation (Shabbat-related) was not running. We cabbed from Ra'anana to the Central Bus Terminal in Tel Aviv and arrived just in the nick of time to catch the five o'clock bus to Eilat. This initial bus ride began a journey back to the country from which my ancestors escaped; an impressive task considering Egypt is so hot and so big. Though the trip as a whole was phenomenal, one of the exceptions was the incredibly bad luck we had regarding transportation (much more on this in upcoming blog posts).

Red Sea, mountains, beach...What more does anyone need?

The first bus ride was foreshadowing. Soon after we got on, two wasted Russian guys (for those of you who know it's not a surprise) got on the bus and proceeded to hit on half the girls on the bus, play obnoxiously loud music on their mobile phones, talk so loudly the whole bus could hear, smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. Most likely they were traveling for the night for the big party. Every year in Eilat one of the biggest DJs in the world (from Europe) comes to Eilat to spin a huge party. Thousands of young people come out to party and by the time we got to the city it was on. We found our hotel, grabbed a quick dinner and got together with Brandon, a friend of Justin's from back home who is also on a program in Israel. Brandon brought a couple of friends and we hung out with some drinks at our hotel room before hitting a bar. Needless to say, beverage consumption ensued and the next day we woke up exhausted (hungover). We grabbed food and hit the beach. The beach was crowded like any major resort (Eilat is Israel's Cancun) and we agreed that it has to have some of the most beautiful women in the world.

Sam likes to sleep with a frying pan on his head...weird.

Justin, Brandon, me, beach.

After a couple of hours on the beach Justin found out the last bus left Taba (Egypt's border city to Eilat) at 4:30 pm and we only had 1.5 hours to cross the border and get on the bus. We rushed like crazy, took a cab to the border and started going through security. Going through Israeli security was fine, but once we got to the Egyptian side things slowed down noticeably. Apparently the guys stamping passports to get into Egypt are allowed unlimited chat breaks. Chat breaks can happen anytime; like when three Americans are rushing to catch the last bus of the day to Cairo. Once we got through security we were in such a rush that we paid 30 Egyptian Pounds (EP...the exchange is 1 USD : 5.5 EP) to travel about 1 km, which for an Egyptian would have cost less than five pounds. Upon arrival to the bus station (loosely used) we couldn't figure out why the guy behind the counter was saying the bus was leaving in an hour when it was 4:30 now! This line of conversation continued until Sam had the brains to ask what time it was in Egypt. It was 3:30 pm. Egypt was an hour behind Israel time. Meanwhile, we kept getting harassed by an Egyptian with a minibus saying he could get us to Cairo in five hours (whereas the bus might take seven) for 300 pounds. After a bit of bargaining we got a price of 250 pounds. We sat down for our first meal in Egypt (flies everywhere) and then were off in a minibus that looked like it was barely drivable.

The first of many Egyptian meals.

The crazy guy driving the bus spent an hour trying to pick people up (beeping at everyone). For the course of the ride I am guessing he beeped over 1,000 times (literally). After an hour we set off for Cairo. Now it might seem strange to you or me, but in Egypt drivers are allowed to drive wherever they like and go as fast as they like. Speed limits, traffic lights, and lanes are merely suggestions. Note: Not knowing the aforementioned will grey your hair faster than Sam Wachs (too soon Sam?).

Couple of badasses in front of the minibus of death.

After a few hours of private bus we stopped by a rest stop where Sam said "At least we are the only ones on the bus." No more than five minutes later the bus was full of off duty Egyptian policeman chain smoking cigarettes (another of Egypt's charming qualities). We drove on like this, dropping people off, picking people up (sometimes on the side of the highway, which has bus stops because that makes sense). Needless to say it was probably the most stressful ride of my entire life. Egyptian drivers are maniacs, veering, beeping, tailgating. I think if American 16-year-olds sat in a cab in Egypt for five minutes they'd crap their pants and drive like grandmothers the rest of their lives. We got dropped off God knows where (we never actually had a map of Cairo the whole time we were in Egypt) and got fooled with the old how much do you want to pay for a cab ride trick. We paid 40 EP to get dropped off at the wrong location. Luckily we found a hostile (with no hot water...a trend in Egypt) and 2.5 working beds. My bed broke in the middle of the night and I got a painful splinter trying to fix it. In short, if you plan on arranging transportation in Egypt on your own...don't...unless you want to go into a coma from culture shock.

To be continued...

Day Two: Egyptian Museum

More Pictures Coming...

Upcoming posts include:

It's just a cultural thing; you don't understand.

EgypTrip! The Movie

Back in Israel

Hello from the Holy Land,

Well, I got back 2 AM Tuesday morning exhausted from eight days in Egypt. The trip was crazy/incredible/exhausting. We traveled 60 hours in eight days on buses and trains and made three major stops...Cairo, the White Desert, and Luxor. Justin and Sam (on my blog roll) have already posted about our trip and I think Sam and I will be doing a joint podcast or blog entry shortly. I plan on doing a day-by-day blog post (to provide a breakdown of our trip-including pictures) and also post some interesting/hilarious adventures and hijinks we went through. I also have a couple of pre-Egypt posts I plan on putting up so look out for those. All in all, it's great to be back in a non-polluted, safe, clean city going through Passover (impossible to find bread anywhere): Ra'anana. First Egypt post is tomorrow...

Salaam (hello/goodbye in Arabic),

Pavel

P.S. I know 3-4 words in Arabic

Egypt Trip Itinerary

Hey everybody,

Wanted to give you a quick update on our trip details to Egypt. Sam, Justin, and I are leaving Tel Aviv tonight (April 4) and taking a 4-5 hour bus to Eilat. Eilat is a premiere beach resort town with dolphins, coral reefs, etc. so we are planning on having a relaxed first day before we set out tomorrow evening to Cairo. The bus to Cairo from Taba, Egypt, the border city across from Eilat, is about 6-8 hours so we expect to get in very early Monday morning. In Cairo, the highlights will be seeing the Pyramids at Giza and the Egypt Museum. After three days and two nights in Cairo we take a 10-hour train down to Luxor, an entire area with historic religious and Egyptian monuments, tombs, and basically everything else that is a testament to Egypt's history. From there our plans get fuzzy as we may spend two or three days in Luxor. After Luxor we will going back, spending one more day and night in Cairo and then moving on the Sinai peninsula. I may be heading back home after that depending on what day it is or will stay with Sam and Justin to climb Mt Sinai. That's all I got for now...if possible I may be updating here and there from Egypt, but if not you'll hear from me within a week.

Take Care,

Pavel

Israel Draws Greece 1-1

Hey everybody,

The football match (soccer game) was a blast. Renting a car was key that weekend so we did not have to worry about getting to Ramat Gan Stadium with public transportation after Shabbat (public transport only runs after sundown)...and it also allowed us to tailgate before we got to the game. Maybe because four of us had lived in the States, but we were expecting a parking lot for the 40,000+ seat stadium, and it appears that there was not one. After much driving around we parked illegally like the thousands of others parking under bridges and on curbs; it was not uncommon to see one car blocking in a dozen others.

Tailgating with the gang (above).

When we got to the game you could feel the electricity. Like most other soccer-crazy countries in the world Israelis are really into their national team. The stadium was sold out and the roar of the crowd could be heard from afar (where we parked). The atmosphere was phenomenal and we all ended up getting into the game. Greece scored in the end of the first half, but early in the second Israel scored the equalizer and the stadium erupted in cheer.

The stadium had some of the heaviest security that I have seen in Israel and whether for terrorism or riot-control reasons every two sections were fenced off from each other and alcohol was not being sold. Regardless, for $20 (80 NIS) we had a blast and a true Israel experience.

Pictures from Section 7, Ramat Gan Stadium.

Update: Israel lost 2-1 in Greece on April 1 and it looks like they will probably not be making the World Cup. They have four games left so anything is possible, but the likelihood is not good.

Stuck In A [World Wide] Web

Hey kids,

I have resorted to cheesy blog titles because I have not been able to get blog posts up. Between the weak wireless signal and my schedule (spent night at my aunt's yesterday) I have not been able to get as much up this week as I would have liked. Though I am working on this (at work now so no pictures) I cannot guarantee that I will have more posts up before the following weekend because [Spoiler Alert!!!] I am going to Egypt this weekend with Sam and Justin. The plan is to spend a night and day in Eilat (Southern-most Israeli city on the Red Sea) and get on a bus to Cairo on Sunday night (12ish hours). I am hoping to catch up on my blogging before then, but it's a bit crazy at the moment and I am not sure if I will be able to get to a reliable connection between now and then. Either way I promise to get back in the business of providing quality content in the next week or two instead of updating everyone on my internet situation.

Frustratingly Yours,

Pavel