Story Time...

We're in this van in Cairo, with Rasha, an Egyptologist. She studied under famed Zahi Hawass himself, Egypt's former Minister of Antiquities.

But, we get into a wreck leaving Cairo. Someone sideswipes the van. There's a bit of yelling and hand gestures from our driver.

"Is everything okay?" my husband, Gord, asks.

In the passenger seat, Rasha turns around. "They hit us and didn't even say sorry."

Oh!

That's it. Everyone drives on like nothing happened.

Beep. Beep. Motorcycle drives by- guy carrying enormous rolled up carpet on his shoulder.

Beep. Beep. Next motorcycle has entire family- dad, mom, two kids...and the family dog.

I'm mesmerized by the scene outside as we continue on.

We're heading to Dashur, passing through the "modern" city of Memphis. It looks straight out of an Indiana Jones movie-- complete with entire cow and pig carcasses hanging from market stands in the street.

Our driver eventually stops. We are in the middle of nowhere. Sand everywhere you look, but there are two pyramids here. We're at the base of the Red Pyramid, and in the distance is the Bent Pyramid.

You immediately see how the Bent Pyramid got its name. The top is bent.

"Bent Pyramid is second one built," Rasha explains. "They measure wrong. Pharoah didn't use it."

So, while she's telling us about the pyramid, a bunch of armed police officers come over. Rasha and our driver walk off a few feet away with them and they all get into a VERY heated discussion.

Gord and I are staring at each other wide-eyed, but we think we have a clue to what's going on since we've already had several "encounters" with them.

They want "baksheesh" from us.

As predicted, Rasha pulls out her wallet and hands them "baksheesh" so they'll leave us alone.

"Is everything okay?" we ask when she walks back.

"Oh yeah. Everything fine," she lies.

But...the guards walk away and leave us alone to explore. (You can kind of see some of them walking away in the first photo)

Looking at the pyramid, it might not seem like much, but to get all they way up to the entrance is actually quite a hike. It's a steep uphill walk to the base of the pyramid, then up another 92 feet of ancient stones, all under a relentless desert sun.

Once inside, it's a steep 200 feet down.

Walking backwards.

Hunched over.

In the dark.

But, we are all exited when we get to the bottom. I say to Gord, "Can you believe we are standing INSIDE a pyramid in Egypt?"

The thing I remember most? The smell.

It smelled of about two thousand years of urine. Apparently, any guards who climbed down there and had to go potty didn't want to climb back out.

We eventually leave and head back to Cairo. We're staying at The Four Seasons on the Nile. To get into the hotel itself is something else. The van drives up to a guard shack, stopping at the huge metal barricades.

Armed hotel guards with guns surround our vehicle. One talks to our driver and checks all our IDs and Passports. Meanwhile, a German Shepherd is sniffing our car...as it's also being checked underneath for bombs.

Cleared to proceed, the metal barricades lower and we are driven up to the front entrance. It's starting to feel like the Four Seasons again here. We settle last minute plans with Rasha for the next day and say goodbye.

Now, to get into the lobby of the hotel, we pass through airport grade metal detectors and armed guards once again.

Luxor felt safer, but in Cairo...I didn't want to leave the hotel property on our own for anything.