OK, my resolve had faded in the heat. No bonding with fun young backpackers and seeing things the economical way. I hired a private car and guide to take me around Cairo and the pyramids. I was thrilled to get a female tour guide, Lami Gamal Mhmoud, so I could ask all my questions about what it's like to be a Muslim woman in Cairo! We had a ball.
First, stop was the oldest pyramid in Egypt, Saqqara. It was built in about 3,000 BC and took 16 years to construct. It is shaped like a wedding cake. The afterlife was so important in ancient Egypt that the pyramids were constructed to hold everything the King would need in the afterlife in addition to his body.
Next, we went on to Memphis (I kept thinking Graceland), which was the capital of the Old Kingdom and now houses some great artifacts from both the Old and New Kingdoms. I learned that the important male statutes always depicted the left foot forward because that's how you advance with a bow and arrow.
Then it was on to the main attraction...
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