Day 1: Cairo

We got into Cairo around 2AM and had to be up and ready to go in a few hours. Breakfast at the hotel was pretty good. Sherif, our professor, was right about the juices. The orange juice tasted just like I was biting into an orange. I even tried the hibiscus juice that he talked about.

The first thing that we did was load the bus to Dashur. In Dahsur we saw the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid. We actually got to go inside the Red Pyramid. The climb down was pretty intense. I definitely bumped my head quite a few times! Once we got inside, there was really nothing to see, except a couple of rooms. It was a cool experience. In the distance we could see the bent pyramid.

When we left Dashur, we went to Memphis. Memphis was the first capital of Egypt. It was basically a tribute to Ramses II. The largest item there was the statue of Ramses II. It was made of limestone. Our tour guide pointed out a lot of useful information. All of the statues have the left foot forward because they were said to be following their heart.

We also went to Sakkara to see the step pyramid, which was the first pyramid. It was pretty cool. There was a courtyard next to it. The king used to run around the yard to show that he was still strong and able to lead the people. Imhotep was the builder.

We also went to El Sultan carpet school. At this school, children received an education in exchange for making carpets. They worked so fast! The guide at the school gave me a bracelet of gold silk for good luck. He also showed us why magic carpets are magic. The color changes in the light. The guide even lifted up his shirt to show us his Obama t-shirt!