埃及 17。12/20/15 開羅 階梯金字塔，彎曲金字塔，紅金字塔

2015/12/20 開羅 階梯金字塔，彎曲金字塔，紅金字塔

在糊疙瘩放了兩天懶洋洋今天又言歸正傳。早上6：45的埃航飛開羅  。酒店的送機場價格是90埃鎊，網上同學們的意見是50埃鎊到頭了。結果酒店還不願意給安排一般的計程車  ，俺們就到門外去自己找了。剛好有個計程車  在等活，於是跟他45埃鎊成交。這個夥計還真不錯，今早準時來接俺們。20分鐘到機場，機場外一道檢查站，check-in 前一道安檢，登機前一道安檢，如臨大敵。一切順利回到開羅  ，俺們導遊穆斯塔法接上俺們后就直奔薩卡拉  去二尋階梯金字塔。今天運氣不錯，等俺們到達階梯金字塔時晨霧已經散去。唯一的遺憾是還得買一次票，多糟塌了俺20美元。在薩卡拉  看了台階金字塔，紅金字塔，和彎曲金字塔后本想接著去孟菲斯  （也是開羅  邊上）去看拉二的巨型雕像（倒了，現在博物館里躺著）結果因俺的兩個隊員興趣不大而放棄。於是就去找地方吃飯，途中還在個紙莎草作坊停留了一下買了兩張紙莎紙（聽著咋這麼彆扭呢？）畫，其中一個是所謂的「死人書」留著俺自己以後去極樂世界用，呵呵。。。也許俺們小費給的不錯，導遊給俺們講了個「友情價」700埃鎊的東西只要了100。為嘛說是友情價價呢？因為俺們看便宜要再買幾個他說這個價格肯定是買不來了，一般也就是五折。

午飯吃得是科巴  布kebab，烤肉，貌似阿拉伯國家都有著東西，隨著穆斯林移民的增多，這東西在歐洲  也很流行。三份兒有牛羊肉的科巴  布，加上沙拉  ，調料，三個可樂和一瓶水共計120埃鎊（15美元）。不得不說埃及  吃飯的確很便宜。前提是得有地頭蛇帶著。否則這種地方俺們自己不容易碰上。今晚是俺們在開羅  的最後一晚，雖然明天還要待一整天但是俺們是半夜的航班回家。用俺的積分在開羅  的萬豪酒店定了一晚，如果自己花銀子的話大概要200美元一晚。到了酒店一看俺們這個後悔啊！應該在開羅  都住這家 - 不是一般的豪華！俺有的是點數啊！酒店的建築原來就是個皇宮，所以到處金碧輝煌的，從來沒見過這麼有歷史感覺的酒店。本打算到附近轉轉的，可後來俺們就高高興興地在酒店裡旅遊了一番。樓上的行政酒廊里還有免費的晚飯和酒水。貌似只提供紅酒和啤酒，而且不放在外面，找服務員要才給。看樣子同學們還是挺顧忌這個事兒地！


剛剛出機場，晨霧很濃厚

 
薩卡拉  這邊除了三個金字塔還有些古墓，當時有錢有勢的人物在法老金字塔附近修墓大概是想沾點兒仙氣。

 埃及古迹真多

 
參觀第一個墓，裡面刻了很多象形字，可惜看不明白。墓裡面也是不讓拍照，導遊說給裡面的看墓人10埃鎊就能照，關鍵是要裡面沒別人。人一多就不好辦了。

 
石頭棺盒，墓裡面其他什麼也沒有

 
看一下就出去了。古埃及人對來世真的當回事兒！

 
這哥倆不知幹啥的，悠閑自得地曬老爺兒

 
這是另外一個墓，是個富商的，公元前2300多年。裡面的看點是壁畫，有各種祭祀和日常生活的，裡面也不讓拍照

  

 
遠處的彎曲金字塔和紅金字塔，其他小點的土石堆也是墓

 
 台階金字塔的圓柱廳，前幾天來就看了這個就跑了，大霧不散。 

 
 圓柱子蓋成這個樣子據說是起先沒經驗，不知道圓柱是否能自立，所以旁邊接了半截牆增加穩定性。 

柱子廳 

 
 前面作業里已經說了，階梯金字塔是第一次建金字塔的嘗試。之前的法老墓基本就是梯形的土石堆，都是一層的，為的是與太陽溝通好上天當神仙。到了法老酒色兒這時候（公元前27世紀），他老人家開始用石頭搭檯子了。共搭了六層。開啟了用石頭建金字塔的時代！ 

 
這個維修計劃已經進行了好些年了。先是讓一家埃及  公司維修，結果這家修就如新，把一部分牆面修的倍兒漂亮，同學們覺得這麼個修法不對勁兒，不讓這家做了。現在據說換了個義大利  公司，不知猴年馬月才能完工。下圖的第一層就是修舊如新的範例。

 
這出著大日頭看金字塔感覺不一樣。俺們那天看吉薩  大金字塔天氣不給力，感覺不如今天好。

 
這塊地下大概都有玩意兒埋著

 
遠眺市區

 
階梯金字塔看完了俺們驅車來到紅金字塔。此塔是繼階梯塔后，有了梅東姆塔（太陡，倒了）和彎曲塔（地基選址不好，搞砸了）的經驗積累建起的第一個完美的金字塔。彎曲塔和紅塔都是在法老斯耐夫魯期間建的。紅塔105m高，是埃及  的第三大金字塔，前兩個在吉薩  。紅塔的地宮可以免費看，那個坑道很長（61m，091m高x1.20m寬）而且必須是一直弓著腰才能走下去，得腰腿好才行。俺平常沒事兒連連瑜伽所以對俺挑戰性不大。地宮裡面也是空空如也。不過從工程的角度來看見這個地宮還是挺有挑戰性的。

這是站在紅金字塔的半腰往遠看。

 
在此能看見遠處的兩個吉薩  金字塔

 
 附近的階梯金字塔和其他小土石碓 

 
下地宮的入口在紅塔的半腰

 
離紅塔不遠就是彎曲金字塔。這個塔選址不佳，地基的石頭不夠穩固，金字塔蓋到一半時發現了問題，為了減少重量增加穩定性，把塔邊的角度由54度改成了43度，所以此塔的邊是彎的。雖然塔是建成了，但是斯耐夫魯法老看不上這個，馬上又去建紅塔了。

 

從彎曲塔看紅塔

 
紅塔和階梯塔

彎曲塔 

 
這個不知是否是個金字塔

 
彎曲塔的表面保存的挺好

 
薩卡拉  之行結束

 
回程路上有個地方又讓俺們看了一眼吉薩  金字塔，這是第二大塔，兒子建的

 
這是胡夫大金字塔，最大的

 
午飯科巴  布烤肉

 
俺們要是自己來就只能看圖點菜了，而且不知道價格。才知道阿拉伯文的數字的寫法跟俺們所熟悉的阿拉伯數字的寫法是不一樣地！

開羅   


進了房間，陽台上看出去正前方就開羅  塔，開羅  的地標

 
左手邊是尼羅河

 
馬路上的各種擁堵

 
很快就上演了開羅  日落

 
 挺美地！ 

 
附近的體育場，網球貌似很受歡迎

 
金碧輝煌的酒店內部

庭院 

 
酒店裝飾

 
酒店門口

盡顯皇家氣派 

 
這個吊燈太有派了

 餐廳入口，搞成這樣俺都不敢進去了

 
郵箱

 

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.