In and around Cairo

We arrived in Cairo early in the morning and were met by a driver from a Cowater project. We were more than happy to reimburse the project for the driver's time so we didn't have to deal with the taxi drivers at the train station, who were relentless in there quest to get customers. We headed straight from the train station to the pyramids so we would beat the crowds. We were a bit tired from our night on the train, but it was certainly the best time to go. We arrived at the gates to the pyramids about 7:30 and had to wait until the gates opened at 8:00.

But, as you can see, we had a beautiful morning and there were not very many people there bright and early.

There was a lone soldier patrolling on camelback.

We were on our way out of the pyramid by the time any type of crowd developed. And that I am truly grateful for because there isn't much room inside those pyramids and trying to coordinate two-way traffice is next to impossible. I never thought I was claustaphobic, but that little trip sure put me to the test.

The kids did some rock-scrambling and it gives an idea of the size of the rocks that the pyramids were made from.

You can see where the sides of the pyramid have eroded due to weather and polution.

When Kelly has had enough of something, she just finds herself a spot to plunk and pulls out a book.

There were lots of fellows on camelback and horseback more than willing to have their photos taken.

It was nice to get far enough back to get a photo of all three pyramids, but it also gives you an idea of the air quality in Cairo. This was not an overcast day.

A good portion of the Sphynx has been rebuilt, but it is still an impressive sight.

There are just so many photos to take and angles to see.

It seemed Kelly was the tourist attraction here. We met up with a number of school groups and all the girls wanted to have the picture taken with Kelly. She posed for a good 10 minutes with them. I can't imagine how many photos of Kelly there are on Egyption cell phones!!

We left the pyramids about noon and headed to Wayne and Mary Ellen MacCallum's home in Cairo. Mary Ellen works for Cowater on a project in Cairo and she and Wayne kindly invited us to stay with them. They could not have been better hosts and we were thrilled to have a place to stay that felt so much like home.

Later that day, we headed into old Cairo to the market and to wander the streets. We were just totally overwhelmed by the numbers of people on the streets. You could barely stop to look at things as the crowd just swept you along the street. Then we went to a sufi dance show, which is a traditional music and dance show put on in an old building. It was difficult to get decent photos, but the show was really entertaining.

On one of our walks in town, we came across this McDonalds delivery motorcycle. The kids just had to have a photo.

Unfortunately, we had a lot of travel business to deal with while we were in Cairo so we spent more time on business than actually touring around. I also spent a morning at our office in Cairo, which was absolutely fabulous. It was so nice to put faces to names I have e-mailed back and forth with. They treated me like royally and I really enjoyed my time there.

After just a few days in Cairo, it was time to head off to Nairobi. It was a great visit and we all really appreciated the hospitality we received from everyone. A great big thank you to all.