CAIRO April 23

Sitting on the back of a camel at the foot of the Great Pyramids, it's hard to believe that one week ago, we were in Cambridge. Thursday morning, we hired a taxi for the day to take us the Pyramids. An hour's drive through the traffic and smog and we were in Giza, the pyramids appearing out of nowhere behind the suburban skyline.

Our taxi drove through the neighborhood in the small town adjacent to the monuments, where we were invited into a private home behind which sat a stable. Our guide emerged from around the block with our camels. We were a bit nervous about the situation, but in the end everything worked out comfortably. It felt pretty badass watching the throngs of tourists crowd into small viewing areas while we strode up the sand dunes, surrounded by nothing but desert, around the other of the compound. At this site, we saw the Sphynx, the 3 Great Pyramids, accompanying tombs, and ruins of temples.

Next on our whirlwind tour was Saqqara, the site of the Step Pyramid, the very first stone monument, It got its name because unlike the other Pyramids which are triangles, this one is a series of concentric steps. It was super impressive to see just how well the Egyptians had calculated how to build a pyramid (to the nearest millimeter) over 4000 years ago. Apparently Pharoah was pretty impressed too, because he deified the architect upon completion of the stepped pyramid.

Next we visited the site of the Red Pyramid, where you can also see the Bent Pyramid and the Black Pyramid, both aptly named with visual cues. The Bent Pyramid was the first pyramid to be built with completely smooth sides, much as the pyramids that most are familiar with look. Unfortunately, the Egyptians' calculations were off, and about halfway through construction and they realized that the Bent Pyramid would be unable to sustain the weight of the upper half of stones. So, they adjusted their math, and the top half of the pyramid was constructed at a different pitch than the bottom half. The Red Pyramid was pretty spectacular, because we were some of the only tourists there and we actually got to climb down a shaft that opened about one third of the way up, and led you to the bottom. Needless to say, Jillian freaked out a little about this, and we didn't make it to the bottom, but you better believe we got pretty far down.

The last site we hit before heading back to Cairo was the site of the Ancient City of Memphis. Not much remains today, other than several impressive statues and a lot of legacy. It was here, though, that our cab driver didn't think we quite spent enough time at the site, and when we got back, we caught him mid-tea break. We joined him, and the delightful shopkeeper with whom he had been chatting for a short glass of Lipton (and the requisite tour of his shop, followed by the requisite polite decline to buy his junk).

Back in Cairo, it was falafel, fuul, and shawarma for dinner. (Are you getting sick of reading that?) A stroll through downtown Cairo, tea, and sheesha closed out the night. We should clarify, that a stroll through downtown Cairo is not really that at all. The sidewalks are packed with people, and neon flashes more brightly than in Times Square.

Today we took a much less formal approach to seeing the city, and tried to enjoy it as young Cairenes do. Being Friday, most shops were closed this morning, which gave us the opportunity to relax a bit and listen to the PA systems throughout the neighborhood broadcast the prayers and sermons (and who knows what because we have no idea what anyone is saying here most of the time, even when they speak English).

We lounged in the gardens with lots of other couples stealing a bit of time together beneath the banyan trees or beside the topiaries. A gentleman served us tea, and we enjoyed taking a slow day.

Later, we visited the Egyptian Museum of Modern Art. The space was cluttered with pieces, some impressive, others less so, but the building itself was worth the 50 cent admission. The guards, having no other visitors to watch, personally escorted us around the museum.

We then strolled along the banks of Nile, in a riverside park full of more young couples and families, before heading back downtown for our usual late evening sheesha.