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Getting up at an
unearthly hour is part of the fun! It will be unusually busy in
the restaurants and three-quarters of all guests on board will
head for the Pyramids. Lines will stretch in the ship's public
rooms with Shore Excursion staff trying to manage the crowds. By
7:30 AM the armed convoy, including stand-by coaches and escort
vans, will set off from Alexandria. All that's left for the Shorex
staff on board is to count the money... Photo © 2008 Bart de Boer |
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After approx. 2½
hours of racing through a barren desert the Pyramids of Giza come
into view. Like strange alien objects, they tower over the
outskirts of Cairo. Photo © 2008 Bart de Boer |
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As the coach doors
open, an army of souvenir sellers attack the white-sneakered
guests. Urgent advice is to not carry large amounts of money, keep
your camera, passport and wallet at close range and look through
the very aggressive salesmen. As soon as you reach the pyramids,
you'll be pretty much left alone to gasp at the enormous size of
the tombs. Pictured is the Pyramid of Khafre, 448 ft (136.4 m)
high and about 4500 years old. Photo © Bart de Boer |
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The outskirts of
Cairo are just around the corner. Photo © 2008 Bart de Boer |
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Ah, there she is!
The stunning Sphinx of Giza, sculpted in the third Millennium BC
and completely excavated in 1925. Prepare for long lines, crowds,
pickpockets, aggressive salesmen and ditto tourists when trying to
capture the Sphinx. Thankfully there you will find KFC across the
street... Photo © 2008 Bart de Boer |
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On we go to Cairo,
where we board a modern floating restaurant. At a leisurely pace,
we drift up and down the River Nile as food is served and belly
dancing brings some guests to ecstasy. Photo © 2008
Bart de Boer |
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Although our 30
minutes of Nile cruising is OK, the only "real" way to sail down
the Nile is by felucca. The traditional wooden boats are still
used for transportation in Southern Egypt. Photo © 2008
Bart de Boer |
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