The
Pyramids at Giza Holiday photos
from our cruise to Egypt (April 2001) | 
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| As part of our holiday in Cyprus we arranged to take a two day cruise
to Egypt, to see the pyramids at Giza and the treasures of Tutankhamun at the
Cairo Museum. We sailed on the Princessa Marissa from Limassol. |
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The
coach collected us from the hotel at lunchtime, ready for an afternoon sailing
from Limassol port. We had a four berth cabin on one of the lower decks, with
a porthole view. The cabin was compact but adequate for our needs, and bunk beds
with ladders kept the kids amused. |
| The evening meal on the ship was excellent, and we all got a good night's
sleep. By morning, we were almost in Egypt, and we were able to watch the ship's
arrival in Port Said as we ate our breakfast. |
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The
short walk to the air conditioned coaches is lined with street traders, all of
whom are very persistent at trying to sell their wares. The coach transfer to
Giza takes about two hours, running alongside the Suez Canal at first, then across
the Eastern Desert. Our guide gave us a fascinating talk on Egypt for most of
that journey. | |
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| The Pyramids at Giza |
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| Some distant views of the pyramids, and crossing the
River Nile in Cairo.Considering the time and distance travelled, we were allowed
very little sightseeing time at the pyramids themselves - 45 minutes at the great
pyramid, 45 minutes at the Sphinx, and a short visit to a local papyrus factory
and gift shop. The chap in the suit on our coach (who we assumed to be some tourism
official) turned out to have a sub-machine gun under his jacket. Perhaps the authorities
are concerned for the security of tourists following recently reported incidents,
and are deliberately limiting our exposure. |
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| Walking around the pyramids, and Matthew by the Sphinx.
Expect to be hassled by locals selling postcards and camel rides. Someone on our
coach agreed on a price for a camel ride, then found he was not going to be let
down until he paid a new, higher, price! Don't accept anything pushed into your
hands as a gift either - they'll charge you for it! |
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After
driving through the traffic in the centre of Cairo, our final stop was at the
Cairo Museum to see the treasures of Tutankhamun. There's a heavy security presence
outside the museum, with armed guards and our ever-present plainclothes armed
escort. Flash photography is not allowed inside the museum, and you need to buy
a permit to use any cameras. Our tour guide gave us another great talk about the
exhibits as she led us around the museum. | |
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Back
to the ship, in time for an evening departure and overnight cruise to Limassol.We
had breakfast on board, and arrived back in port later that morning. Overall verdict
- we are glad we went, and the cruise was an enjoyable new experience, but we
were a little disappointed at not being able to spend more time looking around
the site at Giza. Maybe one day when we have more money and more time we will
return to Egypt and the Nile. | |
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