Part 2…The Great Pyramid, the Sphinx and more photos…Suez Canal photos tomorrow….

The Sphinx was massive but not as huge as expected. 

At 4:45 am this morning, we both awoke with a jolt, immediately jumping out of bed, running to the sliding door to toss aside the heavy drapes to reveal the narrow body of water as we traversed through the Suez Canal, a sight that took made us gasp in wonder. 

Breathtaking!

Having passed through Port Said and the Friendship Bridge, we couldn’t wait to find a seat with a view in a café, pour a cup of hot coffee and partake of the power and beauty of this magnificent man-made creation connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. Another extraordinary experience!

Every angle presented an interesting perspective.

Now, at 5:45 am, we’re sitting in the partially opened Windjammer Café, showered and dressed for the day, comfortably ensconced at a window table, our MiFi glowing a bright hot pink, indicating full service, and at last, we can write and post photos with ease.

This mosque was one of many in Alexandria, the second largest city (Cairo is the largest) in Egypt and the largest port in Africa. 

(More on the Suez Canal tomorrow after completing our adventure two days ago).

Trash is littered everywhere, with no public trash removal in the past two years since the revolution.
Difficult to get a good shot while the bus was speeding along the road. This shopping mall has many familiar stores such as The Gap, Old Navy, Ralph Lauren, etc.
Contemporary office buildings are scattered along the road to Cairo, including Microsoft, Dell, Oracle, and more, along with multiple international banks.

How long the signal will last, we don’t know. My fingers fly across the keyboard, taking advantage of every moment of a decent connection while reminding myself to send Mother’s Day wishes for all of our daughters, daughters-in-law, siblings, and friends, all deserving a special wish on this day of recognition. Tom mentioned that, most likely, this is a day celebrated only in the US. After all, Hallmark???

This grouping of pyramids indicates a king as the largest, his queen as the second in size, and the two smaller structures for the two children that passed away pre-puberty.
Camels were everywhere—the more adorned, the safer the ride. We didn’t choose to partake with an air of caution, fearing injury putting an end to our travels.
Another camel, proudly trotting along with his owner. The camels exhibited what appeared to be genuine curiosity about their surroundings. It’s no wonder they bite and spit, carrying around inexperienced riders in the scorching heat.
The 5-star hotel where we stopped for a buffet lunch. I found several items suitable for my diet: chicken, green salad, and cooked vegetables. Water was bottled and set at the tables. Tap water in both Alexandria and Cairo is not potable.
At the Cairo Museum. Signs were posted but primarily unreadable, leaving us no opportunity to describe each item.
Viewing these statues, thousands of years old, was awe-inspiring.
A smaller sphinx at the Cairo Museum.
King Ramses II, too heavy to stand up, viewed at the Cairo Museum.
The opposite side of King Ramses II.
Based on current views, my temptation is to write about the Suez Canal now and its breathtaking beauty. Alas, we’ve yet to complete posting the photos from our visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, the famous Step Pyramids, and the Papyrus Institute.
By the way, as we write this, now at 7:30 am, Sunday, May 12, 2013, we just entered the country of Jordan as we traversed the Suez Canal.
Window and door shops are big business in Egypt since most rental properties are only partially built, and renters moving in are responsible for buying and installing windows and doors.
These types of buildings are rented from the bottom up, as the new tenants bear the cost of adding windows and doors.
Children of all ages waved and smiled as our bus traveled along their roads.
It was common to see herds of sheep, goats, packs of dogs, and a wide variety of donkeys and horses used for farming, recreation, and hauling.

Whew! Our brains are working overtime absorbing all this visually stimulating scenery and history. We’re hoping all this new brain activity will serve us well in keeping our aging brains active and healthy. 

A chart of hieroglyphics. One can take their name to determine their qualities. Mine starts with “J” for intelligent, and Tom’s starts with “T” for eats too much. I sure got a chuckle out of that.
Throwing in the significant amount of walking we’ve been doing lately. Hopefully, we’ll recall each other’s name in 20 years, not other people’s.

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