Our alarm woke us up at 6:00 this morning and once we had finished our morning ablutions we had a wander around the ship for the first time.
The breakfast buffet didn’t open until 7:00 so we were able to get a good feel for our home for the next few days.
By 8:10 we were on our way to Giza for our first stop of the day. There are 11 of us in the group and we are accompanied by a driver, Egyptologist and an armed security guard.
It has been emphasized more than once that our safety is the most important thing. Having said that, there is absolutely no evidence of there being anything that would give rise to bringing any harm to anyone.
The pyramids were every bit as magical as the first time I visited in 1991. We had 30 minutes at the base of Cheops which is the largest of the 3 pyramids and 15 minutes for a photo stop at the viewing plateau. All the sites were very busy and I was very surprised to see the amount of people. Back in the bus and then on to see the Sphinx at close quarters.
Part of today’s tour involved a visit to an essence and perfume establishment where we were given a demonstration of glass essence bottle making which was followed by a sales pitch to tempt you to buy. Nicole succumbed to some Frankincense and Sandalwood essences.
A 40 minute drive then took us to Saqqara and lmhoteb Museum. There is a lot of renovation going on with the pyramid and one side was covered with the rickety timber scaffolding I have ever seen; rather them than me!
One final stop before we headed back to the boat was to see one of the tombs at the Saqqara complex. Our guide was keen to show us one in particular that has only been open to the public for 2 months. I forget the name.
Finally we made our way back to the boat for some down time before our evening meal.
Another early start tomorrow so we won’t be too late to bed.