A trip to the Pyramids

Here is our first group picture on our way to our tour.  We go over this bridge everyday on the way to work, but never stopped before.  In the picture is Steph, her son Luke, Semran, and I.

In this picture Semran is telling her kids she finally made it to the pyramids.  She came to Cairo twice before with her son and daughter and both times they did not want to see the pyramids.  In this picture she is telling them she made it!

Here is Luke climbing up the pyramids.  Many people were much higher up the pyramids even though you are not supposed to climb up them.  The pyramids used to have a smooth outer face of stone, but the stones have been taken away by people, earthquakes, and erosion over 1,000 of years. In the second picture below you can see that the 2nd pyramid still has some of its outer face at the top. 

People were climbing up the pyramids even though they were told not to and there were signs.  Luke and I went inside the large pyramid.  We were told not photographs inside at all.  When we went inside we saw every Egyptian group taking pictures inside the pyramid.  I even left my camera outside the pyramid with Steph.  :(  Inside Luke and I had to walk up a shaft that went at a 45 degree angle until we arrived at a room that held a stone sarcophagus and nothing much else.  Inside the pyramids there are no paintings or decoration.  It is very plain and simple inside.  We were in the room with the sarcophagus, but there are other rooms in the pyramid that help give the pyramid strength and keep it from collapsing.  We did not get to go into the other rooms.

A group picture.

Luke helping to build the pyramids single-handed!

I had to help build the pyramids too.

Semran also helped to lift some rocks and build the pyramids.

Notice how close the building come to the pyramids.  Actually driving to the pyramids there are buildings that have popped up everywhere.  Many of the buildings have been built without permits illegally.  It's interesting to see how close the buildings are because in movies they never show that.  When they have movies set in Egypt the pyramids are just surrounded by sand and desert. 

In this picture the pyramid in the middle is actually shorter than the pyramid on the left.  The middle pyramid appears to be taller because it is higher on the hill.

He are some fun pictures.

Here are the pyramids and the sphinx.  

Luke exploring around.

Semran admiring the granite walls.

Semran and I.

After the pyramids we went shopping for papyrus prints and jewelry.