Our first stop is the on of Saqqara. It is the first built pyramid and so the first realization out of stone ashlars. We visited the mastaba of the noble with a lot of engraving telling the every day life at that time. Everything is well preserved with beautiful colour. There is an impressive smoothness of the details. Then we went down at the bottom of a pyramid (one shouldn't be large!) Inside there are still hieroglyphs and stars at the ceiling to represent the sky (they also invented the decoration for children, the Pharaohs!)
Then we moved towards the pyramid of Djeser and the enormous funerary complex. There is a lot of symbol representing the unification of low Egypt with high Egypt. Like at the souk, the salesmen are among us. They follow us step by step during the visit, in spite of the Arabic remarks of Mervat (apparently they don't have the right to do that). With them life is not expensive, all is at 1 Euro, but if one converted into Egyptian pounds (1 Euro = 7.5 £E) it's 10£E. They have funny way to convert the money.
After the pyramid of Djeser, we went in Menphis to see a transportable miniature sphinx (according to the statement of Mervat). It weighs 90 tons nevertheless and if one compares it's size with mine, it is not so miniature. On this site there are two statues of Ramses II. The sphinx and Ramses II have a pretty smile which reflects a joy in life, serenity.
After a heavy meal, we went on the plate of Giza to see the three famous pyramids (how to avoid that, it is like going to Paris and not seeing the Effel Tower!)
It is PHENOMENAL!! They are imposing, addicting. The perfection of the lines is fantastic. The average weight of a stone is 2.5 tons and about the size of an adult young woman (Christelle to be more precise).
The pyramid of Kheops has about 3 million stone. It is the largest of the three, Khephren built his on a higher point and with a different angle which gives the optical illusion that his is higher, but it couldn't be superior to his own father. It seems impossible that they were built with hand of man. On the side there is a very small pyramid : the one of Kheops' mother . One also found the funerary arch which carries the body on the other side of the river bank (Even!)
After having made it tower of the pyramid of Kheops (stopped by the ceaseless bargaining), we went to see the sphinx which is a little lower in the valley. The sphinx is quite sad, is very deteriorated and with many birds nested on its face which gives him the impression to have a skin disease seen from far away. But its dimensions do not remain less gigantic and the sphinx of Menphis appears really miniature and transportable compare to it ;)
At 4pm we leave the pyramids to go in an institute of papyrus. The frames are beautiful, but the prices a little bit less and with my tastes of snob, it is the most expensive one my favourite!!
At 7.30 pm, after a small stop at the hotel, we set out again to go to see a sound and light at the foot of the pyramids. It was superb.
After that we had diner and we went to bed with a lot of beautiful images in the eyes, the head and the heart.