A sense of history

After working hard all week we spent today touring some of Cairo. We went through the Cairo Museum of Egypt, had lunch at an Egyptian fast food restaurant (Falafel sandwich to go), explored the inside of the great Pyramid, rode a camel around the back side of the Pyramid, walked around the Sphinx and shivered through the sound and light show at the Pyramids in Giza—not to mention all the little stops along the way to buy trinkets from the street urchins and to look through interesting shops.

The highlight of the day for me was climbing up inside the great Pyramid to the Kings Tomb. The climb was steep in a small space with air that was close and slightly fetid. Although ventilation was sufficient, the confined space and the physical exertion of climbing made me feel as if all the oxygen around me was quickly becoming depleted. Those who were fit and enthusiastic raced ahead, others in the group (overwhelmed by the experience physically or mentally) turned back at the beginning of the large gallery and the entrance to the passage to the Queens Tomb. After gaining my breath and my bearings I continued on the stairs to the upper chamber.

I was very glad I pressed on. The Kings Tomb was a large, empty room with an open stone sarcophagus at one end--all the treasured having been long taken by grave robbers. The interior rock was dark grey and formed smooth walls and a very high ceiling. As I sat on the floor in the quiet room I was impressed with the sense of history contained in these walls. I found myself unusally thankful for the many contibutions Egyptian culture has made to our modern world. Amid all the trinkets and commericallism of the Pyramids I truely appreciated the awesomeness of their historic accomplishments for the first time.