埃及 17。12/20/15 开罗 阶梯金字塔，弯曲金字塔，红金字塔

2015/12/20 开罗 阶梯金字塔，弯曲金字塔，红金字塔

在糊疙瘩放了两天懒洋洋今天又言归正传。早上6：45的埃航飞开罗  。酒店的送机场价格是90埃镑，网上同学们的意见是50埃镑到头了。结果酒店还不愿意给安排一般的出租车  ，俺们就到门外去自己找了。刚好有个出租车  在等活，于是跟他45埃镑成交。这个伙计还真不错，今早准时来接俺们。20分钟到机场，机场外一道检查站，check-in 前一道安检，登机前一道安检，如临大敌。一切顺利回到开罗  ，俺们导游穆斯塔法接上俺们后就直奔萨卡拉  去二寻阶梯金字塔。今天运气不错，等俺们到达阶梯金字塔时晨雾已经散去。唯一的遗憾是还得买一次票，多糟塌了俺20美元。在萨卡拉  看了台阶金字塔，红金字塔，和弯曲金字塔后本想接着去孟菲斯  （也是开罗  边上）去看拉二的巨型雕像（倒了，现在博物馆里躺着）结果因俺的两个队员兴趣不大而放弃。于是就去找地方吃饭，途中还在个纸莎草作坊停留了一下买了两张纸莎纸（听着咋这么别扭呢？）画，其中一个是所谓的“死人书”留着俺自己以后去极乐世界用，呵呵。。。也许俺们小费给的不错，导游给俺们讲了个“友情价”700埃镑的东西只要了100。为嘛说是友情价价呢？因为俺们看便宜要再买几个他说这个价格肯定是买不来了，一般也就是五折。

午饭吃得是科巴  布kebab，烤肉，貌似阿拉伯国家都有着东西，随着穆斯林移民的增多，这东西在欧洲  也很流行。三份儿有牛羊肉的科巴  布，加上沙拉  ，调料，三个可乐和一瓶水共计120埃镑（15美元）。不得不说埃及  吃饭的确很便宜。前提是得有地头蛇带着。否则这种地方俺们自己不容易碰上。今晚是俺们在开罗  的最后一晚，虽然明天还要待一整天但是俺们是半夜的航班回家。用俺的积分在开罗  的万豪酒店定了一晚，如果自己花银子的话大概要200美元一晚。到了酒店一看俺们这个后悔啊！应该在开罗  都住这家 - 不是一般的豪华！俺有的是点数啊！酒店的建筑原来就是个皇宫，所以到处金碧辉煌的，从来没见过这么有历史感觉的酒店。本打算到附近转转的，可后来俺们就高高兴兴地在酒店里旅游了一番。楼上的行政酒廊里还有免费的晚饭和酒水。貌似只提供红酒和啤酒，而且不放在外面，找服务员要才给。看样子同学们还是挺顾忌这个事儿地！


刚刚出机场，晨雾很浓厚

 
萨卡拉  这边除了三个金字塔还有些古墓，当时有钱有势的人物在法老金字塔附近修墓大概是想沾点儿仙气。

 埃及古迹真多

 
参观第一个墓，里面刻了很多象形字，可惜看不明白。墓里面也是不让拍照，导游说给里面的看墓人10埃镑就能照，关键是要里面没别人。人一多就不好办了。

 
石头棺盒，墓里面其他什么也没有

 
看一下就出去了。古埃及人对来世真的当回事儿！

 
这哥俩不知干啥的，悠闲自得地晒老爷儿

 
这是另外一个墓，是个富商的，公元前2300多年。里面的看点是壁画，有各种祭祀和日常生活的，里面也不让拍照

  

 
远处的弯曲金字塔和红金字塔，其他小点的土石堆也是墓

 
 台阶金字塔的圆柱厅，前几天来就看了这个就跑了，大雾不散。 

 
 圆柱子盖成这个样子据说是起先没经验，不知道圆柱是否能自立，所以旁边接了半截墙增加稳定性。 

柱子厅 

 
 前面作业里已经说了，阶梯金字塔是第一次建金字塔的尝试。之前的法老墓基本就是梯形的土石堆，都是一层的，为的是与太阳沟通好上天当神仙。到了法老酒色儿这时候（公元前27世纪），他老人家开始用石头搭台子了。共搭了六层。开启了用石头建金字塔的时代！ 

 
这个维修计划已经进行了好些年了。先是让一家埃及  公司维修，结果这家修就如新，把一部分墙面修的倍儿漂亮，同学们觉得这么个修法不对劲儿，不让这家做了。现在据说换了个意大利  公司，不知猴年马月才能完工。下图的第一层就是修旧如新的范例。

 
这出着大日头看金字塔感觉不一样。俺们那天看吉萨  大金字塔天气不给力，感觉不如今天好。

 
这块地下大概都有玩意儿埋着

 
远眺市区

 
阶梯金字塔看完了俺们驱车来到红金字塔。此塔是继阶梯塔后，有了梅东姆塔（太陡，倒了）和弯曲塔（地基选址不好，搞砸了）的经验积累建起的第一个完美的金字塔。弯曲塔和红塔都是在法老斯耐夫鲁期间建的。红塔105m高，是埃及  的第三大金字塔，前两个在吉萨  。红塔的地宫可以免费看，那个坑道很长（61m，091m高x1.20m宽）而且必须是一直弓着腰才能走下去，得腰腿好才行。俺平常没事儿连连瑜伽所以对俺挑战性不大。地宫里面也是空空如也。不过从工程的角度来看见这个地宫还是挺有挑战性的。

这是站在红金字塔的半腰往远看。

 
在此能看见远处的两个吉萨  金字塔

 
 附近的阶梯金字塔和其他小土石碓 

 
下地宫的入口在红塔的半腰

 
离红塔不远就是弯曲金字塔。这个塔选址不佳，地基的石头不够稳固，金字塔盖到一半时发现了问题，为了减少重量增加稳定性，把塔边的角度由54度改成了43度，所以此塔的边是弯的。虽然塔是建成了，但是斯耐夫鲁法老看不上这个，马上又去建红塔了。

 

从弯曲塔看红塔

 
红塔和阶梯塔

弯曲塔 

 
这个不知是否是个金字塔

 
弯曲塔的表面保存的挺好

 
萨卡拉  之行结束

 
回程路上有个地方又让俺们看了一眼吉萨  金字塔，这是第二大塔，儿子建的

 
这是胡夫大金字塔，最大的

 
午饭科巴  布烤肉

 
俺们要是自己来就只能看图点菜了，而且不知道价格。才知道阿拉伯文的数字的写法跟俺们所熟悉的阿拉伯数字的写法是不一样地！

开罗   


进了房间，阳台上看出去正前方就开罗  塔，开罗  的地标

 
左手边是尼罗河

 
马路上的各种拥堵

 
很快就上演了开罗  日落

 
 挺美地！ 

 
附近的体育场，网球貌似很受欢迎

 
金碧辉煌的酒店内部

庭院 

 
酒店装饰

 
酒店门口

尽显皇家气派 

 
这个吊灯太有派了

 餐厅入口，搞成这样俺都不敢进去了

 
邮箱

 

前台

Travel diary day 10 12/20

got up plenty early to catch our 6:45 am flight back to cairo via Egyptair. probably it was because the airport was not very busy at this hour everything went pretty smoothly. even with this small crowd the lines moved somewhat slow because there was always someone that managed to get the security people wanting to check them out thoroughly. I imagine that it would be a lot worse when there are more flights going out during the day.

our flight took off a hair late but we landed in cairo right on time after a short hour. our guide was waiting for us at the exit. since it was too early to check into the hotel we went straight to Saqqara to have our 2nd attempt to see the bent and red pyramids. last time we were there a few days ago the fog was so thick that we couldn't see a thing standing right in front of the bent pyramid. unfortunately we had to buy admission one more time.

today seemed to be our lucky day. the morning fog thinned out by the time we got there and the sun was up. the bent pyramid looked pretty in the sun. it was a pity that the scaffolding was said to have been there for more than five years. the "restoration" job on the pyramid was an insult.

we also toured a tomb of a local rich near the bent pyramid before we drove to the red pyramid. at the entrance to the bent pyramid we saw a lot of official looking people gathering there. our guide told us that the minister was there to dedicate an opening of a new tomb to the tourists. of course we didn't get to see it.

the red pyramid was by now alternating between in the full sun and full shade because of the fast moving clouds. it was very beautiful indeed. we went into the tomb inside the red pyramid. it was free. it was a bit physically demanding because unless your are at the height of my four yearold you have to bent yourself and walk a long flight down to the tomb. and of course, you first have to climb up to the waist of the pyramid. in my mind it was all worth it. my wife didn't like it quit well because of the stale air and bad smell in it. but she did agree afterwards that she was happy that she did it.

we didn't get such a beautiful day when we went to the giza pyramids with gusty winds and pouring rain showers, and, no sun! which discounted our viewing pleasure quite a bit. and my photos of the giza pyramids yielded poorly except the ones with sunset taking from our hotel roof top.

since we spent a little more time in Saqqara than our guide had planned. we now had to make the choice between making a run to Memphis to see the colossal statue or stopping by in the old part of town to get our kebab fix. my wife voted to for the latter. the place our guide took us was just a small eatery along a busy street, and it took forever to get there. the traffic in cairo has left a lot to be desired. three kebab dishes with salads, two coke and one sprite, came out to be 120 including tips. unbelievable!

before lunch we also made stop at a papyrus shop/store to pick up two small ones. our guide told us he always took people there and he would ask the shop owner to not figure his commission. we walked out with two pieces, about the sizes of 1x2 ft and 1x1.5ft, gorgeous paintings, one was a book of dead (maybe in can make use of it some day, lol) and one with lady god isis in a ritual. both for 100 egp. he said he did a favor for us. since i think he told the truth because when we wanted to buy more he said he would be able to talk the shop keeper to sell more at that price. he said normally he would get 50% discount off the tag prices, which in our case would've been 700 egp. any comments?

by the time we were deposited at our hotel for tonight, the Marriott on an island, it was almost 5 pm. the area was supposed to be the old upper class area, good for strolling around and shopping. however, we didn't get a chance to venture out because the hotel itself was an old palace, it by itself was a historical monument. we spent some time wondering around and checking out the premise. the hotel as I remembered went for almost 200usd a night, exactly out of my budget. but I have reward points from traveling for my job, so I get to stay for free. the executive lounge won't allow kids under 18, but you can take foods and drinks (except the stuff with booze in it) to your room if that's your case as well. it was a bit strange to me to see Arabic printed on a Heineken can.

watching the sunset with the view of the nile and the cairo tower right in front of us finished off our yet another perfect day in egypt!

off to Alexandria a whole day tour tomorrow! it will be a long day for we are flying back home after midnight tomorrow.