Walk like an Egyptian

After Sinai we spent time in Cairo and saw the pyramids! First we stopped at the Egyptian Museum to see, among other things, the contents of King Tutankhamun's tomb. Photography wasn't allowed in the museum, but here's a wikipedia photo of the amazing mask. We also learned the Ancient Egyptians' view of the afterlife. It's a really cool story that climaxes in the deceased's heart being weighed against a feather--you pass the test if the heart is lighter.

It's difficult to photograph the pyramids in a way that shows how massive they are. In the next photo Jacob is standing at the bottom layer of stones (look for his red shirt). As you can see, each stone basically meets his shoulders; the Great Pyramid of Cheops (the biggest one) has 2.3 million limestone blocks.

We did enter one of the pyramids, and it cured us of any desire to climb into the others. The passages are super-narrow, as you can see from the below photo. The next photo is Jacob standing in the actual burial chamber: small, but not as claustrophobic as the passages.

In the next photo you can see the smallest of the 3 major pyramids; next to that pyramid are 3 additional pyramids (for the women in that Pharaoh's life). You can also see the Cairo skyline in the background. The pyramids really are basically in the city.