Dahshur and Saqqara Pyramids!

Yesterday was pyramid day, finally! Kathy's wonderful neighbor, M.J and I headed out early in the morning for Dahshur and Saqqara, the two earliest sites to view pyramid development. MJ is a wonder for setting the stage for what's to come. In ancient times, people lived on the east side of the Nile, and the necropolis was on the west, the side of the setting sun. There is little of this custom left now, but we did need to make the crossing as Maadi is on the east side, so instead of taking the 21st century route via bridges and highways, we drove through settlements that could have existed hundreds of years ago except for the cars, satellite dishes and industrial air pollution. Donkey carts loaded with produce, galabiyyas the standard dress, open air markets, narrow unpaved streets packed with people going about their business.

And then we came to the Nile River. We were the last to board the ferry, and the horse and cart in front of us had to be unharnessed to squeeze us on. The back wheels barely cleared the ramp. We were invited up into the pilot's area to watch the crossing. Lots of smiles and waves from the workers, the usual "Obama?" question and we were ready to debark after spreading baksheesh around.

We drove through beautiful agricultural areas with people working vegetable and grain fields by hand - no motorized equipment. The individual fields are quite small.

Then we abruptly came to the sand and the necropolis of Saqqara. Breathtaking in its size and the clear promise of treasures undiscovered. Every sandy mound is probably a mastaba, every dimple in the sand a likely entrance to something possibly wonderful. But Egypt is drowning in antiquities that are stored, but many not properly cared for. There is just too much, so perhaps it's better to leave these mounds for the future and concentrate on trying to understand the messages from the treasures stacked in storehouses already.

The small museum where we started our visit was an excellently displayed collection of a few of the treasures uncovered at Saqqara. Focusing on the story of Imhotep, the genius behind the original pyramid design. Helpful exhibits showed how old mastabas were laid out, the dramatic changes in engineering that characterize the step pyramid, which was the first true pyramid. There were excellent examples of the items found in Saqqara mastabas and pyramids.

Then we drove to the site of the mastaba of Mereruka, vizer of the Pharoah Teti (Yes! I know this stuff now!) We hired a native guide who showed us details we never would have discovered on our own. Carved into the walls of the 32 chambers were details of daily Egyptian life 4500 years ago! People growing, harvesting and winnowing grain, slaughtering animals, dancing, fishing, force feeding geese, breeding cattle and on and on and on. It's not allowed to take pictures, but anything is possible with a little baksheesh. One of us would stand guard while the other quickly snapped a photo for a few extra pounds of baksheesh (about 18 cents = 1 pound)

We crouched down and descended into Teti's pyramid. The ceiling is less than 4 feet tall, so it wasn't easy, but worth the effort to view the burial chamber and see how huge stones are wedged together to support the tremendous weight of the pyramid above.

We then went to the step pyramid of Cheops. MJ is very much at home here, so we quickly left the beaten path and explored the ruins of the enormous valley temple surrounding the step pyramid. We slipped over the wall into the causeway which was used to bring the dead pharoah, Unas, from the Nile, where his body was ferried over from the east side, and carried up this amazing carved causeway to his final rest in his pyramid. Around the Step Pyramid there are dozens of small tombs of minor nobles and family members which we had fun sticking our noses in looking for good reliefs. We peered down into deep pits which were originally under ancient mastabas, the place where the sarcophagas was laid to rest.

It was explained to us that the pit was created, then filled with sand. Then the sarcophagas, enormous and heavy, was placed on the sand which was removed from around and beneath to lower it into the deep pit.

We poked around as if we owned the place! MJ speaks 1/16 Arabic and most guides and natives speak about 1/16th English, and many of the impromptu guides and camel drivers know her.

The step pyramid was dramatic, but nothing compared to what was to come in the afternoon.

We stopped for lunch at an outdoor restaurant MJ knows, and was greeted by drummers and cymbals. We stopped to watch women baking our bread and the drummers, not being attended to stopped playing. Every time we looked their way, they immediately started again, then stopped when we turned back to the breadmakers. Finally we were drummed festively to our table where we feasted on mezzas and pita. I could live on mezzas, little serving bowls of hummus, bab ganouh, roasted eggplant, Taboulh, and on and on. The bread was amazing. Our driver joined us for lunch and an interesting English/Arabic discussion of politics both Egyptian and American. "Obama?, he said. "Words are good. Now we wait to see..."

Afternoon was a once in a lifetime experience. I've heard from others about their disappointment with crowds and commercialization around Giza pyramids. We were completely alone with the Bent and Red Pyramids of Dahshur! A tourism policeman came up to guide us and we paid hime to leave us alone. We spent over an hour strolling around the Bent Pyramid musing about just how it was built, and thn how it was later stripped of its outer layer of huge limestone shaped boulders. The limestone facing was stripped from the top, and from the corners... go figure! This is one of the great mysteries of the ages. NOTE: If you look very carefully, you'll see me right at the corner of this huge pyramid.

The Red Pyramid has lost its smooth limestone covering completely. When you consider that this pyramid is about 4500 years old, it was ancient thousands of years ago when builders might have valued the stone more than the pyramid itself. I chose not to go into Big Red. I just didn't think my knees would handle half a football's length of narrow, low tunnels descending then ascending into the burial chamber. I'll try to do this at Giza next week where ceilings are higher.

MJ is a perfect exploration partner. She loves this place and chooses to approach this very foreign culture with curiosity and respect. Im looking forward to one more adventure with her next week in Islamic Cairo.