After blogging last night, I wandered around town and found a shop where they sold small sandwhiches for 1.5 EP. I was surprised he didn't try to scam me - maybe I was wrong about Egyptians.
I then boarded the train with some South Africans (note: they are white). They were throwing money left and right - 50EP for 4 candy bars (worth 2EP a piece). They invited me to hang out in their car on the train. They had rented all 6 seats in a room on the train because they "didn't want any locals bothering them". They were absolutely insane. They bought me sodas and breakfast and saved me from my seat - which would have been next to a woman with a baby.
I got off the train at Giza and intended to walk to the pyramids. This didn't pan out to well as it would have been several miles. I then got a taxi and told him to take me to the pyramids for the reasonable price of 15 EP. I also made it a point to tell him "NO horses and NO camels!" But guess what. He did not drop me off at the pyramids, he dropped me off at the freaking horses and camels that take you to the pyramids. I yelled at the camel guy to give me a free ride (because I was so cheesed off at the taxi driver) but he was money-hungry like all other Egyptians. No surprise.
I got another taxi to take me to the REAL entrance, but he was about 107 years old but didn't know where to go. I figure they are only the most visited spot in Egypt so it made perfect sense for him to not know where to go. I ended up directing him which way to go - which was funny because all the signs are in Arabic and I can't read it.
Arriving at the Pyramids I gave him 10 EP and he yelled but I walked away. I got my student ticket and went in. (Don't forget - I'm carrying my big backpack.) I walked around - still upset about the situation with the taxis - but actually seeing these pyramids up close has been one of my life goals and I was accomplishing it. I walked around in the hot desert heat and sun getting plenty of sand in my shoes to bring home to mom. I touched all three pyramids, and walked around sweating. I was constantly hasseled by people to take camel or horse rides. I then ran into a Chinese guy by himself. We started talking and he was a student too on holiday and he knew of a cheap way to get back to Cairo - only 1.5 EP. After I saw the Sphnix (which was cool), we left the complex and headed for the bus stop.
It's wrong to call it a bus "stop" because the buses don't stop. They slow down. I was scared enough to get on and off, but there were elderly people on that bus! We took the bus to the subway station, and boarded the subway. The subway station and the train itself was probably the nicest, most advanced, and cleanest part of Cairo. This city could really be nice if they got their act together, and this system is proof of that.
I then wandered around downtown and am now blogging. And hungry.
The pyramids were awesome. I really can't describe them - you have to see for yourself. The pictures I took can't even contain how cool they were.
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