Egypt: Sakkara and Cairo (Round Two)

The Step Pyramid of Djoser was built for Pharaoh Djoser by Imhotep. Imhotep may potentially be Joseph in the Bible. From Wikipedia: "The Upper Egyptian Famine Stela, dating from the Ptolemaic period, bears an inscription containing a legend about a famine of seven years during the reign of Djoser. Imhotep is credited with having been instrumental in ending it: one of his priests explained the connection between the god Khnum and the rise of the Nile to the king, who then had a dream in which the Nile god spoke to him, promising to end the drought."

Sakkara, or Saqqara. It seems to be spelled both ways.



The shiny gateway of Sakkara.



Cool statues.



Another view of Sakkara.



We returned to Cairo that evening, and went for a Felluca ride on the Nile. The tallest structure below is the Cairo Tower.



Felluca rides are very relaxing.



De Nile. Turns out, it is just a river in Egypt.



The range of architecture one can encounter in Cairo is rather impressive, from Pyramids, to Mosques, to high rise buildings, and more.



Fellucas have a particular arrangement of the sail structure that we didn't see anywhere else.



A Felluca from a longer view.



That evening, in a local cafe where women are not typically seen smoking, we enjoyed a Shisha, sampling both of the local favorites: Apple and honey. The honey flavor was much more harsh and the apple proved to be the preferred flavor.



When in Egypt, do as the Egyptians do. Jeremy was told after, that the amount of smoke he had just exhaled is equal to about a pack of cigarettes. They encouraged much smaller draws from the Shisha moving forward.



Next in pictures, we explore the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, and examine the Valley of the Kings, the Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple, and the Colossi of Memnon.