An Amazing Start to Our Adventure!

There’s no way you can prepare yourself for the experience of the Pyramids and the Sphinx until you have seen them firsthand! Pulling up to the Pyramids, all my preconceived notions disappeared. It was truly the most magnificent sight I’ve ever seen.”

- Abbe Stern, GYFHC Delegate

Our Egyptian adventure got off to an amazing start, as many of our dreams came true all in day one! After a 7 am wake-up call and breakfast at the hotel, we were off to the Mena House Hotel. A former palace, the hotel is located in the shadows of the Pyramids. Once settling into one of the ornate meeting rooms, we welcomed the famed Director General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Zahi Hawass. For over 30 years, Dr. Hawass has been involved in some of the most important archaeological digs in Egypt. He has been featured on a number of documentaries on the History Channel, National Geographic and the Discovery Channel. For nearly an hour, he spoke to us about his experiences in Egypt and some of his most prized discoveries. His passion and excitement for his work was evident demonstrating his points with beautiful pictures and video. In one photograph, it shows him looking into the face of the famed mummy of King Tutankhamen, who they now believe died after an accident, as opposed to the theory that he may have been murdered.

Dr. Hawass entertained questions at the conclusion and then asked us a question. He asked if we planned on “touching the Sphinx.” We all looked at each other, unsure what to say. When he was informed that we would be traveling to the Pyramids and Sphinx, he asked for some paper and wrote us a note to grant us special permission to enter the lower level to actually touch the Sphinx! Our guide told us that this is a very special experience, as most tourists can only view the Sphinx from a distance. Already, the trip was beginning to exceed expectations!

We left the Mena House Hotel and traveled to the Pyramids. Driving up to the Pyramid complex, we saw the three immense structures. The Great Pyramid, built in the name of the pharaoh Khufu, towered above us as we walked to the base. Covering nearly 13 acres, it took approximately 20 years to build and utilized the efforts of over 10,000 workers. The area where the pyramids are located is referred to as a necropolis, or city of the dead, in Greek. The blocks weighed anywhere between 2 ½ to 15 tons each! The Great Pyramid measures about 137 meters high. The group split up into two smaller groups. One group entered the second pyramid, ducking low to navigate through a dark, scary passageway on way to the burial room. The second group journeyed around to the back of the pyramids on camel-back. As we slowly lopped along in the Sahara, the magnificent pyramids served as the background to a hot afternoon of about 90 degrees.

From the pyramid complex, we headed to our VIP experience at the Sphinx! We entered a special side entrance down to the base of the Sphinx, under the watchful eye of the security guards. We walked down wooden planks and stairs to the bottom. Looking up to the half man/half-lion sculpture was truly impressive. The head of the pharaoh represents wisdom, while the lion body represents power. The Sphinx is said to guard the pyramids. We took numerous pictures and heard about the history of the structure and the efforts to maintain it. It came time to leave these wondrous sites and take in some local cuisine for lunch. We ate at a local family restaurant, where we watched them make handmade pita bread and were served chicken cooked over an open-pit fire. The air-conditioned restaurant was a nice respite from the desert heat and gave us a chance to recall our unbelievable morning.

The afternoon brought us to the Egyptian Museum. The Museum houses over 120,000 artifacts in over 107 halls. While it was somewhat crowded (and not air conditioned!), it was impressive to see such a wide variety of ancient artifacts in one place. The artifacts ranged from the highly decorated, burial coffins of pharaohs to more common items, such as small mirrors, pottery and games such as senet. The highlight of the tour, of course, were the artifacts collected from the tomb of King Tut. We heard about the findings of famed archaeologist Howard Carter. When first opening the tomb on King Tut, Carter was asked what he saw through a small opening in the tomb. His reply, “I see wonderful things,” was true, as we examined gold plated coffins, gold medallions and the famed gold burial mask. Unfortunately, pictures are not permitted in the museum. However, it is safe to say that the images of his gold sarcophagus and burial mask will be emblazed in our memories forever.

We took our coach back to the hotel, winding through busy Cairo traffic. One early observation we’ve made is that traffic and driving is very different in Egypt. You must not be faint of heart when weaving in and out of traffic. In fact, we’re not sure if they even have turn signals! Dinner was held at the hotel, with a small ice breaker activity to start. About a dozen Egyptians from the Pharaohs of Peace Adult Chapter, the Sadat Peace Keepers Student Chapter, and Act of Change Student Chapter all attended the dinner and shared stories with the delegates. A special dancing performance entertained the group, as the “whirling dervishes” sang, danced and whirled their way around the room! The night ended with students mingling with the Egyptian students and discussing a variety of topics, including pop culture, religion and customs.

Needless to say, our first full day in Egypt has already been one of the more memorable days of our humanitarian mission. Tomorrow, we will have first-hand opportunities to work at a food bank and a program that works with mentally challenged children. As we lay our heads on our pillows tonight, we will easily have a greater appreciation for Egyptian culture, history and our great fortune to be here experiencing it all.