22nd July
No breakfast as we wanted to avoid the Cairo traffic on our way to Giza. David managed to get the teams out of Cairo like driving through his home town.
Knowing that a few months ago this city was on the edge of a civil war the Elao guys were amazed how clean and peaceful this huge city presents itself in early morning.
About an hour later they saw the first glimpse of a pyramid when entering Giza. All members were astounded to realise that these monuments are actually situated at the edge of the city. Pictures seen previously made them believe that the pyramids and the Sphinx are somewhere in desert land.
In reality however these unbelievable structures are a mere 300 m away from the main road of Giza.
After booking in and catching up on the missed breakfast the group went off to inspect what still is one of the seven ancient wonders of the world.
A tour guide appropriately named Ali Baba was hired and off they went to inspect what was created thousands of years ago…
Ali Baba convinced team Lipstick that it would be best to hire a horse cart or to travel by camel as it would be quiet a distance from the 1st pyramid to the sphinx… Seasoned travellers by now Ali Baba was asked to submit a proper cost estimate to which he replied:
A little bit with the horse cart – –medium 25 and long . “me” he added “me come for free but u can decide later about my benefit…”
Andre and Willy decided for the medium ride..
After having passed the last 3 smaller pyramids Ali Baba announced: “ You know …- I decided to give you long ride for price of medium ride – but you must not forget my good benefit later….”
“That’s great Ali Bab – so just to make sure – at the end we pay you –plus a Tip??…”
“Absolutely its per Person plus my benefit”
“No the arrangement was for the cart not per person”…..
…..Team Lipstick ended up paying for the horsed cart .. for the camels…and for “the smallest benefit” Ali Baba ever received in his working career…
It now dawned on team Lipstick where the term PYRAMID SCHEME was invented……
Back to the monuments – all were indeed amazed how humans were able without the help of cranes and trucks to build these huge pyramids in the then middle of a hot desert.
One can only imagine how the kings and pharaohs of long gone time must have enjoyed their lives and how they prepared for live after death… Abundance of water around the Nile Delta, all sorts of tropical food, grapes to eat and drink and great agricultural activities must have been paradise on earth for the powers to be.
In contrast the team members were not so sure about the hard lives of all the workers who must have worked for years – in very hot conditions – to put stone block after stone block into the correct shape…..
Maybe the contrast is similar to most African countries where a small minority of politicians and well-connected enjoy lives far beyond the dreams of the majority…. No wonder then that the smell of Jasmin accompanies the current revolutionary trend in the middle east – and Africa beware .. the times of undemocratic leaders will soon be over…..
Team Lipstick then went to a little museum and were shown how papyrus is made. Papyrus allowed the ancient population to keep their daily blogs long before the birth of Notebooks and Smart Phones… The process is not to difficult and Andre and Willy are convinced that they could produce papyrus from now onwards – should the need arise…………..
